"The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid” - Jane Austen
Jane Austen is one of the most highly regarded authors of all time having created multiple timeless classics that are considered the greatest novels of all time. Her novels have been adapted into plays and films that earned unequal appraisal to the talent put into her works.
In fact, there is a large fan base surrounding Austen still today. I, being one of those fans, have relentlessly poured myself into Austen's world ever since I first picked up Pride and Prejudice in middle school. I cannot count how many times I've read each of her novels, but I can say that each time I read them I find something new and intriguing. I've even found stories in her subplots and minor characters that deserve to be developed and explored.
Here are the top 5 missed opportunities that Austen could have explored in further novels had she had the chance.
1. Admiral and Sophia Croft (Persuasion)
Why can't we have a novel about this charming couple? They serve as the model of Anne's possible future with Wentworth, but why do we have to settle for the copycat of the original? Persuasion may be one of Austen's best, but I would have also loved to read about the headstrong Sophia who chose to marry for love rather than money when she chose to marry the less than fortunate Navy man.
2. Eleanor Tilney (Northanger Abbey)
In Northanger Abbey, her sole purpose is to marry wealthy so that her controlling father would allow Catherine and Henry their happy ever after. This does not do her story justice whatsoever! She could be a great heroine if her backstory was explored and personality developed. Having been born into a wealthy family, she didn't know true loss and took things for granted until she lost her mother. This loss creates the loneliness in her that gives her the desire for the friendship she found in Catherine. Okay, she married a nameless Viscount but what became of her in her marriage? Her story deserves to be written!
3. Mary Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)
Nothing beats the original P and P, but there's still a story left untold. The story of Mary Bennet, the forgotten sister. I'm sorry, I refuse to accept that perfectionist mary settled for her Uncle's law clerk. No, she deserved better. Poor Mary deserved better! And while many novels have tried to tackle the story, none have captured the true essence of this Austenian character. She may be "pedantic and conceited" as Austen once wrote, but there's a reason she is this way. Look at how her own family insults and humiliates her. Mary might just be the most relatable character so we need to know: what really became of her?
4. Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill (Emma)
So little is known about the couple that unknowingly kept Emma and Mr. Knightly apart. They're just labeled a scandal without a chance for us to fully understand what happened yet they remain one of the most intriguing couples Jane Austen ever created.
We know their tragic backstory that led to them leaving Highbury when they were young, but we no nothing about how they found each other later in life. How did two people, so uncommonly different, meet and fall in love? How did Mr. Dixon play a role in their story? What conversations and meetings transpired between them while they kept their secret? I must know!
5. Colonel Brandon (Sense and Sensibility)
Reading a novel through Colonel Brandon's eyes would be the most interesting take on this genre. He is the epitome of a gentleman with true generosity and humility about him. While we know much about his tragic backstory, it would be great to read it through his eyes as it happens. How did he come to make the choices that he made? Why did he choose to risk his reputation by raising an illegitimate child that was secretly not his own? How did he come to be on "the wrong side of thirty-five" without someone falling madly in love with his character? While Mr. Darcy is every girl's dream, Colonel Brandon should be a very close second.
Now fanfiction may have already touched on these stories, none could do it justice like Jane Austen would have. It is a truth universally acknowledged that fans of Jane Austen are in want of more novels!
