Austen Quote by Mark Twain
“I haven't any right to criticize books, and I don't do it except when I hate them. I often want to criticize Jane Austen, but her books madden me so that I can't conceal my frenzy from the reader; and therefore I have to stop every time I begin. Every time I read Pride and Prejudice I want to dig her up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone.”
About This Quote
Source Novel: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, 1813
The speaker admits a hostile, almost violent, emotional reaction to Austen's work, acknowledging a personal inability to critique objectively.
In simple terms: I feel angry when I read Austen.
Key Takeaway
Recognize bias before judging.
Themes
literature
criticism
emotions
Mood
frustrated
reflective
Type
personal
emotional
When to use this quote
- book clubs
- literary analysis
- personal reflection
Key Concepts
subjectivity
authorial intent
Questions to Reflect On
- How does personal feeling affect literary critique?
- Can anger be a useful lens?
A Different Perspective
Bias can cloud fair assessment.
![“I read "Pride and Prejudice" [by Jane Austen]. I was gobsmacked by it - it's so funny and so modern. Unbelievable. You don't expect funny to come through after 200 years - humor doesn't transcend decades, let alone centuries.” quote by Julie Walters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/33d/julie-walters-10631_austen_i-read-pride-and-prejudice-by-jane-auste_2088019.jpg)
![“[Jane] Austen was not a novelist for nothing: she knew that our stories are what make us human, and that listening to someone else's stories -- entering into their feelings, validating their experiences -- is the highest way of acknowledging their humanity, the sweetest form of usefulness.” quote by William Deresiewicz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/2bb/william-deresiewicz-15471_austen_jane-austen-was-not-a-novelist-for-nothi_62623.jpg)
