Why Men Should Read Jane Austen

[This is my first guest post for my publisher's blog (Penguin Group):]

Men of the world, take note: Your testosterone levels will not plummet if you read Jane Austen.

Nor will you meet with this fate:

Fear not, for here is a partial list of famous men (and very manly men, I might say) who are Austen lovers and not ashamed of being so:

Authors T.C. Boyle (Talk Talk, and a hilarious short story called I Dated Jane Austen), Michael Chabon (The Yiddish Policemen's Union), Paul Auster  (The New York Trilogy), Ken Follet (Eye of the Needle) Kazuo Ishiguro (The Remains of the Day), and Irvine Welsh (Trainspotting); director Danny Boyle (Trainspotting); and Dwyane Wade of the Miami Heat.

Here's what Dwyane Wade had to say about Pride and Prejudice:

“It's one of my favorite books, which usually surprises people. I guess they wonder how a love story from Regency England could be relevant to a 21st century basketball player from the Southside of Chicago. Class struggle, overcoming stereotypes and humble beginnings, getting out of your own way and letting love take over: these are things I can relate to, definitely.”

And here's what Phil Hilton, ex-editor of UK men's magazine Nuts, said about Austen to BBC News:

"[Austen] is fun, dry, ironic - as funny as any male writer out there," he says.

"She is about more than romance, that's just the engine that drives the plot along. Unfortunately when adapted for film and TV the good stuff often ends up on the cutting room floor in favour of a handsome actor walking out of a lake."

Still think Austen is just for women?

Okay, here is perhaps a more compelling reason for men to read Jane Austen: It will make you a chick magnet. So will watching one of the popular Austen film adaptations. Or even reading an Austen-inspired book like Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict. Case in point from an email I received:

My son Jack told me his friend Andy had met a really hot woman (Lisa) and discovered on their first awkward date that she was a fan of Jane Austen.  Over a beer, Andy confessed to Jack that he had no idea what Lisa was talking about but wanted to find ways to impress her.  I told Jack about you and Confessions; and suggested that he tell Andy to check out your web site for Austen insight and knowledge before going on his next date.  Jack is now Andy's hero, Andy and Lisa are talking about getting married, and I feel like Yoda - thanks to you.

Full disclosure: the author of this email is a male friend who likely would not have thought to pick up my book were he not my friend. But he's glad he did. So are Jack and Andy.

So are an ever-increasing group of men who tell me how much they enjoyed my book because of its time-travel aspects.

No, Jane Austen's works do not have time travel. But they have something more important: timelessness. So open your minds, O Men of the Modern World, and read Jane Austen.

This has been a public service announcement of Women Who Love Men Who Love Austen.

Comments

[Simon T]

I am a male Jane Austen addict! AA Milne was another fan, as was Rudyard Kipling. I've not met anyone, male or female, whose read Austen and not loved her - those who are anti tend only to have seen the films, or nothing at all. Oh, she's great!

[Laurie Viera Rigler]

Simon, you rock. Thanks for helping tear down those misconceptions. May your example inspire others.

[Jill S.]

It is amazing how much men enjoy Austen despite the misconceptions. I feel the reason many men are turned off by Austen is due to the many adaptations that are released. The most recent adaptations are deemed "chick flicks" (most of these adaptations are from 2005 and on). Truth be told, it is very sad.

[Laurie Viera Rigler]

I agree, Jill. Much as I enjoy many of the movies, I think men take one look at those trailers and flee from the sheer girliness of it all. It is sad.