An Incomplete List Of Things Jane Austen Disliked.

Famously, Jane Austen disliked Bath, some erstwhile she visited it successful 1799 and erstwhile she moved location pinch her family successful 1801. But Bath loves Jane Austen: nan metropolis is now location to nan Jane Austen Center, an yearly Jane Austen Festival, and galore different touristy delights. For Austen’s 250th day this year, the metropolis is presenting, among different things, an accumulation astir Austen’s distaste for it, entitled “The Most Tiresome Place successful nan World: Jane Austen & Bath.” Know thyself! Anyway, it made maine wonderment what other Jane Austen recovered tiresome, and it turns out, rather a bit. (Same.) Here are a fewer things your favourite writer did not prefer:

Bath

Apparently she moreover fainted erstwhile informed that she was going to person to move there. Not only did she dislike Bath, describing it arsenic “all vapor, shadow, fume & confusion,” but she didn’t get immoderate penning done there, a devastating rustle for immoderate city.

The sanction “Richard”

Famously, successful nan opening lines of Northanger Abbey, Austen takes a small excavation astatine nan sanction “Richard,” penning “[Catherine’s] begetter was a clergyman, without being neglected, aliases poor, and a very respectable man, though his sanction was Richard—and he had ne'er been handsome.” In nan annotated edition, David M. Shapard notes that Austen echoes her dislike of nan sanction successful a 1796 letter, penning “Mr. Richard Harvey’s lucifer is put off, till he has sewage a Better Christian name, of which he has awesome Hopes.” Shapard adds that she “never uses nan sanction for a speaking characteristic successful her novels,” but location is nary evident logic for her aversion. “It whitethorn person been an wrong joke among her family, aliases astatine slightest pinch her sister (the recipient of nan letter), though that cannot afloat explicate why she should see nan joke successful a activity intended for publication. One commentator [F. B. Pinion] speculates that nan fame during this play of Shakespeare’s Richard III, whose title characteristic is simply a monster of iniquity, whitethorn person created a wide animosity toward nan name.”

The Prince Regent

Austen disliked nan Prince Regent (who would later beryllium crowned George IV) intensely, contempt nan truth that he was not only a instrumentality of her work, but possibly her very first buyer. In an 1813 letter, Austen wrote of nan prince’s wife, Princess Caroline of Brunswick, “Poor woman, I shall support her arsenic agelong arsenic I can, because she is a Woman, & because I dislike her Husband.” She was “invited” by nan prince to dedicate 1 of her books to him, and she did, though nan consequence is “famously unenthusiastic,” as Alison Flood writes: “To his Royal Highness, nan Prince Regent, this activity is, by His Royal Highness’s Permission, astir Respectfully Dedicated by his Royal Highness’s Dutiful and Obedient Humble Servant.” Ouch.

Ramsgate

The seaside municipality of Ramsgate features unfavorably successful both Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park, and Austen dinged it successful a 1813 missive to her sister-in-law, penning “Ed Hussey talks of fixing astatine Ramsgate—Bad Taste!” Local historiographer Norman Thomas has hypothesized that her dislike had thing to do pinch her relative Francis, who was stationed location arsenic a Navy officer, and joined a section woman. “We cognize Jane loved her relative very much,” Thomas said. “It could beryllium that she benignant of blamed Ramsgate and its women for stealing him distant from nan family. She really wrote a poem called ‘Post Haste from Thanet’ to observe nan matrimony of her relative Frank to this Ramsgate woman. And past you commencement to think, good possibly consciously aliases unconsciously, she identified Ramsgate arsenic nan spot wherever she mislaid her brother.” (It besides mightiness person meant thing astatine all.)

The dentist

Who “must beryllium a Lover of Teeth & Money & Mischief.” (Though successful nan 19th century, who wouldn’t dread nan dentist?)

Evangelicals

In a 1809 missive to her sister Cassandra, Austen wrote “I do not for illustration nan Evangelicals.” (But by 1814, she had changed her mind, penning to her niece Fanny Knight that “I americium by nary intends convinced that we ought not each to beryllium Evangelicals, & americium astatine slightest persuaded that they who are truthful from Reason & Feeling, must beryllium happiest & safest.”)

People who dress to for illustration euphony excessively much

“She seems to person had, too a dislike for overmuch look of belief enthusiasm, a dislike for thing bordering connected an affectation of enthusiasm for music,” writes Elizabeth Jenkins successful her 1948 curriculum vitae of Austen. “Today specified an affectation is almost unknown; nan mostly of group who do not attraction for euphony do not ideate that they make themselves much absorbing by pretending that they do, but erstwhile diversions were comparatively few, and, while wide accusation was scanty, nan modular of accomplishments was high, location was a enticement to dress to philharmonic fervor which is rather extracurricular our experience.” (She did like euphony herself, though was ne'er other astir it.)

Practical marriages

“Anything is to beryllium preferred aliases endured alternatively than marrying without Affection,” Austen wrote to her niece Fanny Knight successful 1814.

Walter Scott (sort of)

“Walter Scott has nary business to constitute novels, particularly bully ones,” she wrote to her niece Anna. “It is not fair. He has fame and profit capable arsenic a poet, and should not beryllium taking nan breadstuff retired of nan mouths of different people. I do not for illustration him, and do not mean to for illustration Waverley if I tin thief it, but fearfulness I must.”