Many shades of Jane

Who is Jane Austen? Arguably the first chick-lit novelist — "Pride and Prejudice" inspired "Bridget Jones’s Diary"– she died in 1817 at age 41. Yet she is, as much as any writer can be, a contemporary pop star. 

Although described by her nephew James as a quiet spinster, her IMDb resume rocks: Films include "Austenland" in 2013, "The Jane Austen Book Club" and "Becoming Jane," both in 2007, and "Clueless," based on the novel "Emma," in 1995. Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Gwyneth Paltrow, Anne Hathaway and Keira Knightley have played her heroines, and there have been too many TV miniseries to list here. Coming next year: "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies," starring Lily James ("Cinderella") and Lena Headey ("Game of Thrones"). 

The Jane Austen Society of North America has 5,000 members in the United States and Canada, according to Claire Bellanti, the group’s U.S. president, who will be giving free talks on Austen, her life and times at the University of Hawaii at Manoa on Friday and at the Hawaii State Library on Saturday. Bellanti, 67, a historian and librarian, was invited by the group’s Hawaii chapter, established in 2013, which has 13 members and is seeking more, according to its president, Bob Newell. 

Apart from her novels and the fantasies of her fans, who was Jane Austen, the woman? This question will be tackled by Bellanti in her Saturday lecture. It’s hard to answer, she said in a telephone interview from her Los Angeles home. 

"We don’t have adequate evidence. … She wrote letters to her sister Cassandra, who destroyed many of them after Jane died." 

In other words, Cassandra, who also never married, expunged the juicy parts (if there were any). 

But enticing tidbits survive. "We know she played the piano, liked dancing and made jokes with her sister about flirting with men," Bellanti said. 

"She mentions flirting with Tom Lefroy (the Irish-born nephew of an older friend), a story that was expanded on in the movie ‘Becoming Jane,’ but I can’t say if it’s accurate." From her letters, it is known that Austen and Lefroy discussed Henry Fielding’s comic novel "Tom Jones." 

At its annual meeting, the Jane Austen Society of North America holds a Regency Ball, costume optional. Newell attended last year’s event in Montreal, which drew about 1,000 Janeites. For the ball, he rented a Regency-era jacket with brass buttons but didn’t wear a wig or breeches. "With a ratio of about a million women to every guy, you’re doing every dance," he said. 

Newell, 65, was well prepared by the Oahu Playford English Country Dancers group he attends with his wife. 

"Everyone I talked to said, ‘When are you going to have a meeting in Honolulu?’" he added. "But we need to have a lot more local members first." 

The Honolulu chapter sponsors "discussions and afternoon teas, which is one of my favorite activities," said Ann Salitsky, 66, a retired librarian who lives in Waikiki. Its annual tea at the Halekulani on Austen’s birthday, Dec. 16, makes for "a delightful diversion," she said. 

Austen’s favorite diversion was probably reading. For the author, who lost access to a private library when its owner died, and whose family lost its main source of income with her father’s death, circulating libraries — the topic of Bellanti’s other Honolulu talk — were a lifeline. 

Austen rented books from these libraries, which also sold umbrellas and sundries, Bellanti said. Austen’s favorite novelist was Samuel Richardson; her favorite poet was William Cowper. 

Among her dislikes: "We know from her novels that she was anti-slavery," Bellanti said. 

Austen’s brother, Henry, got several of her novels published anonymously, "by a lady," during her lifetime. "’Pride and Prejudice’ and ‘Sense and Sensibility’ got good reviews, and ‘Mansfield Park’ and ‘Emma’ sold well," Bellanti said. "Jane saw her reviews and kept an account of how much money she earned." 

Any search for Jane Austen should include the description of "an accomplished woman" from "Pride and Prejudice." 

She must know music, singing, drawing, dancing and more, but most important is "the improvement of her mind by constant reading," says Mr. Darcy. 

"I never saw such a woman," quips Elizabeth Bennet. 

That’s because she never saw her creator.