Why don't guys like to read books by Jane Austin?

Question

Is a guy who reads Jane Austen a freak?

Oh! and Happy New Year everyone!
:)

Answer 1

Of course not. Jane Austen was not an author of "chick books," even though a lot of guys have that idea and won't even try. These are guys who literally judge a book by it's cover and are superficial.

In fact, Austen was a perfect observer of all human behaviour and showed society realistically. She used themes of romance to tell her story, because that was traditional especially for women authors at the time she wrote. That puts some men off her work too -- but that's just the frame around the picture. She's different than the usual cheesy romance writers because of the quality of her writing and her wit.

So there are a lot of smart men out there who read her on that level, appreciating her work for what it is. Instead of being freaks, they are probably more understanding of people as a result. Don't judge a man who reads Jane Austen by his cover!

Happy new year!

Answer 2

As a non-gay male that quite loves Jane Austen, I must respectfully disagree with Baldisbeautiful. Although I may not be a typical example of what he calls the "male demographic" (I spend my days studying 16th and 17th century English Literature), I will put my two cents in for why I like her works.

Fragileindustries makes a good point about Austen as an "observer of all human behaviour," but is her style of expressing this that causes much of the problem for many male audiences. There is not a lot of action in her books. Quite a lot of the text is taken up with dialogue and description. In fact, I have found that many readers of all genders are bothered by the amount of description in her works (particularly the emphasis on economic details like the value of estates and inheritances). Virginia Woolf was one writer that had some trouble with this style of writing, complaining that Austen spent too much time focused on the houses of her protagonists and not enough time on the actual inhabitants (this is a very loose paraphrase taken from memory from The Common Reader, "Modern Fiction")

This emphasis on description is actually her strength. She builds the plot and the conflicts through a nuisanced and detailed examination of peoples' place in society. In a time where a person was rigidly defined by their economic and social status, such details are critical. Thus, if Austen's books are read with a willingness to immerse oneself within the context of the time, they can be thoroughly enjoyable. The problem is that the modern eye is trained to leap over description to get to the meat of the story. A reading of Austen in such a manner would completely miss the point. The description is the meat; this is where Austen displays her tremendous understanding of humanity. In this particular case, the devil is in the details.

Also… she is just darn funny. Anyone reading Austen and not laughing out loud every two pages or so is just not paying attention.

Answer 3

I asked my husband (who's a special forces soldier) about that - we read books together often and he really dislikes anything by Jane Austen.

His answer:

Nothing gets blown up.
There are no car chases or even horse chases where the hero almost falls off a cliff or has to jump from one horse to another.
People drink way too much tea.
No one gets drunk.
There are no naked women.
There are no secret agents with super cool gadgets that blow up.
No empires fall.
Nothing earth shattering happens. All action is at a personal level - personal pain, personal tragedy, personal triumph. Nothing that happens is on a larger scale than a personal one. Thus a "hero" is not really a true "hero" because what he does affects too small a group of people to make any historical difference.
There are no fart jokes.
No one slips on a banana peel.
You would never see either Jim Carrey, Collin Farrel, Will Farrel, or Pamela Anderson starring in a movie version of any of Austen's books.

So there you have it, straight from the mouth of the.......well, you get the idea.

If you see When Harry Met Sally and watch the scene where the women and the men are talking about movies that moved them to tears you'll get the general idea. The women start sniffling talking about the course of true love being blocked by a personal tragedy. The men start sniffling about the Dirty Dozen when Lee Marvin jumps on top of a hand grenade.

My father, on the other hand, who is fairly intellectual and well read thinks Austen is okay but no great shakes.

Happy New Year!

Answer 4

My husband says that Jane Austen, along with other female writers, can write for hours with nothing happening. One of my favorite books of all time, Deerskin by Robin McKinley, he soldiered through and wanted to know why it couldn't have been told in about 10 pages instead of 200. I think a lot of men, but definitely not all, don't find internal dialogue, emotional and spiritual development, and domestic detail interesting. If they did, they would want to talk about relationships with you, and notice that they've left their socks in the living room and pick them up. :) So, I don't think a man who likes Jane Austen is a freak; I think he's a catch! ;)

Answer 5

Because books by Jane Austen are more for the girl, like how to get a girl how to act, what makes a girl like you more. Well, personally, I'm looking for my own Mr. Darcy.

Answer 6

Jane Austin has got to be one of the most boring writers known to man. My wife loves her, but despite the fact that I LOVE reading, I cant make it through 5 pages of an Austin book. I dont kmow any guys who could either. And if they could, they wouldnt admit it. Unless they were gay maybe......? There just isnt enough action. It's women sitting around drinking tea, talking about men, catching the fever and going into a coma, and attending a ball where they waltz. Sorry, it's just not aimed at the male demographic.

Answer 7

I do like to read Jane Austen's books. I love Pride and Prejudice. I read it when I was ten. (I'm twelve, by the way) Right now I'm reading Sense and Sensibility.

Answer 8

I love Pride and Prejudice. It's my all time favourite book.

Of course not... It's great if guys can read Jane Austen... and emulate Mr Darcy!!!

Answer 9

My husband thinks anything Jane Austen is extremely boring. But he's into sci-fi.

Answer 10

Jane Austin just isn't the type of book most guys I know would read. They're mostly into sci-fi/fantasy, and they're major freaks ;)