If you are doubtful of the feminist infusion gentle reader, then let’s take a closer look at the famous quote from her final novel Persuasion, which obviously inspired the title of the anthology. Sixteen Austenesque authors have been challenged with the task to create original stories inspired by Austen’s ladies-both heroines and supporting characters-revealing details, backstories, and asides that could have been part of the narrative. Rational Creatures, a new Austen-inspired short story anthology edited by Christina Boyd, posits the possibility. Did she gently inject progressive thinking into her female characters to bring about the equality of the sexes? While we have been admiring Austen’s style, wit, and enduring love stories, were we missing the subtext that Austen’s strong female characters were also way ahead of their time? Having long been credited as the grandmother of the romance novel, it is an interesting notion to ponder if Jane Austen can also be attributed as an early feminist writer.
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