Vincent Valentine

Pretentious?!

Here’s my take: the novels of Jane Austen are imbued with irony, absolutely evident in the sharp distinction between narrator and author (female author, in this case) regarding the conservative mindset of the proto-Victorian "Regency" era. We're talking about a woman who never compromised with the "values" of her society, harshly criticizing it perhaps especially in her more mature works like Emma and Mansfield Park: Jane Austen's world, both inside and outside her books, is one of balls, of marriages of convenience, of emptiness, in which she herself does not find recognition (she never married, in fact, despite the proposals). The "problem," and from here on I believe it's just a matter of taste, is that besides the irony (as sharp as it may be), there is very little that is "against." Let me explain myself better: the emptiness of society is countered by the void that is its representation (albeit with great irony). Personally, I prefer "against" literature that shows me the filth and the crap of life (I’m simplifying a bit). Here, there's very little filth, despite a truly sumptuous sarcasm and a highly refined analysis of proto-Victorian customs. A nearly contemporary masterpiece to Austen that I find genuinely critical, in addition to the already mentioned Wuthering Heights, is The Turn of the Screw by H. James.

Paraphrasing a comment read on the Tube, his music died in prison.

I tried to amputate my hands, but after cutting the left one, I realized I no longer had hands to amputate the other. I will never become the DIY master I’ve always dreamed of.

Fantastic review, you got the predictions right regarding the work.

Excellent and comprehensive review; for the little I've listened to, some electronic solutions vaguely remind me of Igorrr's coprophilic eclecticism.

I also really enjoyed "The Road."

They know how to bring out the anger, just as Richard wants.

Ah.