Austen Quote by Mark Twain
““Jane Austen makes me detest all her characters, without reserve. Is that her intention? It is not believable. Then is it her purpose to make the reader detest her characters up to the middle of the book and like them in the rest of the chapters? That could be. That would be high art. It would be worthwhile, too. Some day I might examine the other end of her books and see.””
About This Quote
Source Essay: Collected Works of Mark Twain, 1904
Twain questions his frustration with Austen’s characters, questioning whether she intentionally makes readers dislike them before later liking them, suggesting this could be a sophisticated literary technique.
In simple terms: Twain wonders if Austen’s shifting character appeal is intentional high art.
Key Takeaway
Consider how authorial intent shapes character perception.
Themes
literary criticism
author intent
character development
Mood
curious
analytical
Type
critical
reflective
When to use this quote
- book club discussions
- literature classes
- creative writing workshops
Key Concepts
Narrative strategy
psychology of reading
Questions to Reflect On
- Does intentional character dislike enhance narrative depth?
- Can readers trust authorial intent?
A Different Perspective
Austen’s own letters suggest she aimed for realism, not deliberate dislike.
![“[On Jane Austen:] To believe her limited in range because she was harmonious in method is as sensible as to imagine that when the Atlantic Ocean is as smooth as a mill-pond it shrinks to the size of a mill-pond.” quote by Rebecca West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/8d4/rebecca-west-1248_atlantic-ocean_on-jane-austen-to-believe-her-limited-in_215037.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)
