Jane Austen's novels have risen in popularity in recent decades,
becoming the subject of intense scholarly study and the centre of a
diverse fan culture. Austen, the author of Pride and Prejudice (1813)
and Emma (1815), is one of the most widely read novelists in the English
language. During her lifetime, her novels brought her little personal
fame; like many women writers, she published anonymously. When they were
published, her works received few positive reviews. By the mid-19th
century, her novels were admired by members of the literary elite, but
it was not until the 1940s that Austen was widely accepted in academia
as a "great English novelist". The second half of the 20th century saw a
proliferation of scholarship exploring artistic, ideological and
historical aspects of her works. The 1940 film Pride and Prejudice was
the first of many television and film adaptations. In the 21st century,
Austen fandom supports an industry of printed sequels and prequels.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reception_history_of_Jane_Austen>
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Today's selected anniversaries:
1789:
The Power of Sympathy by William Hill Brown, widely considered
to be the first American novel, was published.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Power_of_Sympathy>
1919:
The First Dáil Éireann (members pictured) first convened at
the Mansion House in Dublin, adopting a Declaration of Independence
calling for a new sovereign state: the Irish Republic.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_D%C3%A1il>
1972:
Tripura, part of the former independent Twipra Kingdom, became
a full-fledged state in India.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripura>
2017:
An estimated five million people worldwide participated in
demonstrations to advocate legislation and policies regarding human
rights and other issues.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_Women%27s_March>
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Wiktionary's word of the day:
pomander:
1. (countable, uncountable, historical) A mixture of aromatic
substances, made into a ball and carried by a person to impart a sweet
smell or as a protection against infection.
2. (countable, historical) A small case in which an aromatic ball was
carried.
3. (countable) A perforated container filled with pot-pourri for placing
in a drawer, wardrobe, room, etc., to provide a sweet smell.
4. (countable) An apple or orange studded with cloves used for the same
purpose.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/pomander>
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Wikiquote quote of the day:
Undoubtedly it is our duty, and for our best good, that we occupy
and improve the faculties, with which our creator has endowed us, but so
far as prejudice, or prepossession of opinion prevails over our minds,
in the same proportion, reason is excluded from our theory or practice.
Therefore if we would acquire useful knowledge, we must first divest
ourselves of those impediments and sincerely endeavor to search out the
truth: and draw our conclusions from reason and just argument, which
will never conform to our inclination, interest or fancy but we must
conform to that if we would judge rightly.
--Ethan Allen
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Ethan_Allen>