Sometimes it feels as if only die-hard Janeites are still thinking about Jane Austen. And other times – like these past few weeks -- you’d think the whole world was composed of die-hard Janeites, given the sudden flurry of news about impending or recently released Austen-themed work.
Herewith a roundup:
1. Actress Anya Taylor-Joy is set to star in a new adaptation of Emma, with a screenplay by New Zealand novelist Eleanor Catton, the youngest-ever winner of the Man Booker Prize. There’s no shortage of Emmas – think Romola Garai in 2009, Kate Beckinsale and Gwyneth Paltrow in 1996, and Doran Godwin in 1972, not to mention Alicia Silverstone in 1995’s Clueless – but Janeites still disagree about whether the definitive adaptation has yet been made. I’d say there’s room for another version.
2. But is there room for another Clueless? Apparently, we’re going to find out: the writers of recent female-themed hits Girls Trip and GLOW plan to remake Amy Heckerling’s deathless film, which updated Emma to high school in Beverly Hills. I’m not sure why Clueless is suddenly hot again – a musical version opens Off Broadway next month – but personally I’m quite happy with the original, thank you very much.
3. Meanwhile, over in the world of books, an Italian artist named Manuela Santoni recently published Jane Austen: Her Heart Did Whisper, a graphic novel for young adults based on Austen’s life. Judging from the online descriptions, the book sounds as if it owes more to the biopic Becoming Jane, with its highly speculative Tom-Lefroy-love-of-her-life-and-inspiration-for-Mr.-Darcy plotline, than to more sober biographical reflections. But the pictures look nice. . .
4. And speaking of highly speculative biography: In 2020, the British writer Gill Hornby will publish Miss Austen, a novel about Cassandra Austen and her relationship with her famous sister. The book by Hornby -- whose works of fiction and non-fiction include The Story of Jane Austen: The Girl with the Golden Pen, a 2005 Austen bio for kids -- will focus on Cassandra’s late-life decision to burn many of her sister’s letters, thus breaking the hearts of Janeites and biographers everywhere. I’m crossing my fingers that this won’t be yet another tale of Austen’s allegedly star-crossed love life, but – well, let’s just say I’m reserving judgment.
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