Pride and Prejudice has been on my list of favorite novels ever since I read it in high school. It is a wonderful story, written by a writer whose life fascinates and mystifies so many. We don't even know what she really looked like, but many people agree that Jane Austen ranks as one of the greatest English-language writers.
In my two extended stays in beautiful England, I made a point of seeing Jane's world as much as I could. Alas, I haven't yet made it to Chawton, her final home and the place where most of her published works were either written or extensively revised.
In 1999, I made a pilgrimmage to Jane's grave, at Winchester Cathedral.
The tomb of Jane Austen.
Second to Chawton Cottage, one of the best places to learn about Jane Austen is to visit the lovely city of Bath, in the western part of England. Bath was, in the distant past, known as Aqua Sulis, and it was home to the now-famous Roman baths. At the time Jane lived there, however, the baths were still undiscovered under hundreds of years of development.
It is said that Jane hated Bath. She was a country girl at heart, and while she enjoyed dancing, she was happier at a country ball than in the high-society affairs of the city. She lived there for about five years, until the death of her father.
Today Bath boasts the wonderful Jane Austen Centre, a home very much like the one Jane herself lived in while in Bath, complete with authentic furnishings, decor, clothing, and other items.
I have visited Bath three times, to visit, respectively:
1. The ancient Baths;
2. The Fashion Museum of Bath, and of course,
3. The Jane Austen Centre.
Aside from being an important stopping place in the search for Jane Austen, Bath is simply a beautiful, interesting city.
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