You can absolutely read Jane Austen's novels at a completely surface level and go along with it, enjoy the fantasy. But I don't think that's what makes her a genius. Other people can do that. For me, what makes Jane Austen a genius is that there's a quite substantial gulf between the words on the page and what Jane Austen wants you to think.
Welcome to the April 2023 Ask Me Anything episode of Mindscape! These monthly excursions are funded by Patreon supporters (who are also the ones asking the questions). We take questions asked by Patreons, whittle them down to a more manageable number — based primarily on whether I have anything interesting to say about them, not whether the questions themselves are good — and sometimes group them together if they are about a similar topic. Enjoy!
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