I am usually drawn straight to the YA genre, or perhaps a Thriller, when I enter a bookstore. However, yesterday afternoon, in the quiet calm of Waterstones, I found myself surveying the classical literature.
Because it was beautiful, my-God was it beautiful. There was Charles Dickens, Jane Eyre, Wuthering Heights, War Literature and my absolute favorite – Jane Austen.
I first read Jane Austen novels years ago; like many avid readers I soared through pages at a young age and I suppose I found the difference in dialect quite puzzling, bemusing even. As a young adult, I can now fully appreciate the words these stories and authors have to offer, truly understand them, but even so I could be distracted by the beautiful covers.
I stood looking up at the collection in awe. My two friends beside me were both equally enraptured. I suppose there is something magical in those moments- those quiet moments in a bookstore where only the turning of pages and respectful murmurs can be heard.
My first copy of a Jane Austen novel was, and actually still is, my mother’s. It was a copy of the Headline Publishing Group’s 2006 Edition of Pride and Prejudice.
Source: Amazon
The newer edition, which I am very tempted by, is complete with an introduction from Alexander McCall Smith and the lust-worthy illustrations are by Leanne Shapton. I know they say the same words inside and the same message from a writer who has left a voice for centuries will still be in any version I read of this book. But the covers are so, so adorable!
Source: Amazon
Unfortunately, these Vintage Classics do not yet come in a box set, which would be ideal! Their price on Waterstones is £7.99 ($9.89 USD) each. However, I feel that with the rise of the YA genre and Contemporary Fiction now moving at such a breakneck pace, perhaps picking up a classic would be a welcome treat on a cold, autumn evening. To snuggle under a duvet, light a candle and be with words that have kept unflinchingly firm within time, bowing the imagination and thoughts of its writer to no age, would be a wonderful way to spend an evening this cold autumn.
Here’s a link to check out all of the Jane Austen vintage classics for your hearts galore!
YouTube Channel: Books and Things
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