"Rejecting Jane" is the title of a 2007 article by British author David Lassman.
Retrieved 1 April 2009 The article, which was published in Issue 28 of ''Jane Austen's Regency World'' magazine, is a critique of the publishing industry through their inadvertent rejection of
Jane Austen
Jane Austen (; 16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots of ...
.
[De Bruxelles, Simon]
"How A Laydee showed that First Impressions really are misleading."
''The Times''. 19 July 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2009.
The idea
Using the pseudonym 'Alison Laydee' – a play on Austen's original
pen name
A pen name, also called a ''nom de plume'' or a literary double, is a pseudonym (or, in some cases, a variant form of a real name) adopted by an author and printed on the title page or by-line of their works in place of their real name.
A pen na ...
"A Lady"
[ – Lassman sent out the opening chapters of '']Pride and Prejudice
''Pride and Prejudice'' is an 1813 novel of manners by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreci ...
'', ''Northanger Abbey
''Northanger Abbey'' () is a coming-of-age
Coming of age is a young person's transition from being a child to being an adult. The specific age at which this transition takes place varies between societies, as does the nature of the ...
'' and ''Persuasion
Persuasion or persuasion arts is an umbrella term for Social influence, influence. Persuasion can influence a person's Belief, beliefs, Attitude (psychology), attitudes, Intention, intentions, Motivation, motivations, or Behavior, behaviours.
...
'' to several major publishers and literary agents, with different titles but only minor changes to the text, such as character names and locations. The resultant article discussed how all but one of the publishers and agents failed to recognise her works, including Penguin Books
Penguin Books is a British publishing, publishing house. It was co-founded in 1935 by Allen Lane with his brothers Richard and John, as a line of the publishers The Bodley Head, only becoming a separate company the following year.[Bloomsbury
Bloomsbury is a district in the West End of London. It is considered a fashionable residential area, and is the location of numerous cultural, intellectual, and educational institutions.
Bloomsbury is home of the British Museum, the largest mus ...]
, with the vast majority rejecting the attempt to gain a publishing deal. This was also despite ''Pride and Prejudice'' opening line, "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife," being left intact.[
]
Reaction
On its publication the article created worldwide media coverage,[Jane Austen in Modern Day.]
ABC News. 20 July 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2009.["Publishers fail to spot plagiarized Jane Austen"]
Reuters. 19 July 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2009
''New York Times''. 20 July 2007. Retrieved 1 April 2009.Good Morning America
''Good Morning America'' (often abbreviated as ''GMA'') is an American morning television program that is broadcast on ABC. It debuted on November 3, 1975, and first expanded to weekends with the debut of a Sunday edition on January 3, 1993. Th ...
''.[
]
References
{{Reflist
Cultural depictions of Jane Austen
Journalistic hoaxes