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New Jane Austen waxwork uses forensic science to model 'the real Jane'
Forensic artist Melissa Dring has taken three years to construct the figure, making use of contemporary eye-witness accounts
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Criminally good likeness … Jane Austen Centre's new waxwork of Jane. Photograph: Alastair Johnstone/SWNS.COM
The Jane Austen Centre claims to have drawn on forensic techniques and eye-witness accounts to create the closest ever likeness of the Pride and Prejudice novelist.
Their waxwork went on display at the centre in Bath on Wednesday morning. It has taken three years to create, with forensic artist Melissa Dring taking as her starting point the sketch done by Austen's sister Cassandra in 1810, the only accepted portrait of the writer other than an 1870 adaptation of that picture. She then used contemporary eyewitness descriptions of the novelist to come up with her own likeness.
Austen's nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh, described his aunt as "very attractive". "Her figure was rather tall and slender, her step light and firm, and her whole appearance expressive of health and animation. In complexion she was a clear brunette with a rich colour; she had full round cheeks, with mouth and nose small and well-formed, bright hazel eyes, and brown hair forming natural curls close round her face," he wrote in his memoir.
Caroline Austen, his sister, had it that "as to my Aunt's personal appearance, hers was the first face that I can remember thinking pretty … Her face was rather round than long – she had a bright, but not pink colour – a clear brown complexion and very good hazle [sic] eyes … Her hair, a darkish brown, curled naturally – it was in short curls around her face."
The Jane Austen Centre said its new waxwork had been "created by a specialist team using forensic techniques which draw on contemporary eye-witness accounts", and that it is the closest "anyone has come to the real Jane Austen for 200 years", reported the BBC.
"[Cassandra's portrait] does make it look like she's been sucking lemons," Dring told the BBC. "She has a somewhat sour and dour expression. But we know from all accounts of her, she was very lively, very great fun to be with and a mischievous and witty person."
Dring said the new statue was "pretty much like her". "She came from a large … family and they all seemed to share the long nose, the bright sparkly brown eyes and curly brown hair," she said. "And these characteristics come through the generations."
Sense and Sensibility. The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen 简·奥斯丁失落的回忆 stand at the edge of fortune and fate,
Sense and Sensibility
One must begin with the quiet power of first impressions, the way two sisters stand at the edge of fortune and fate, one ruled by restraint, the other by unguarded heart. Sense and Sensibility is not merely a novel about love and inheritance; it is a map of the fault lines between reason and passion, and how both can shape, wound, and redeem. Jane Austen sketches a society hemmed in by rules yet lit by human longing, and in Elinor and Marianne Dashwood she creates a living tension between dignity and desire.
Austen sets the stage in a world where women’s futures are tethered not to their dreams but to the size of a man’s fortune. The Dashwood sisters, cast adrift after the death of their father, learn quickly that survival means negotiating between private yearning and public expectation. Their displacement is both material and emotional, making the novel not simply about romance but about the economics of dependence.
Elinor becomes the embodiment of sense, carrying the family’s burdens with composure and silence. She guards her love for Edward Ferrars like one guards a dwindling candle in a draft-filled room. Her restraint, her self-command, are not the lack of feeling but the deepest proof of it, a tenderness too sacred to spill into every conversation. She teaches that fortitude can be as passionate as confession.
Marianne, in contrast, hurls herself into the storm of her emotions. Her love for Willoughby is consuming, her disappointment devastating. She feels as though love must either blaze like a fire or not exist at all. Her vulnerability is at once reckless and beautiful, a reminder of youth’s conviction that sincerity is enough to bend the world into happiness. Through her, Austen writes the intoxicating sweetness, and inevitable bruising, of unchecked romantic idealism.
The genius of the novel lies in how Austen refuses to make one sister wholly right and the other wholly wrong. Life, she suggests, cannot be lived on sense alone, nor survived on sensibility without ruin. The sisters’ journeys are not about winning over the reader to one temperament but about learning the balance between discipline and openness. In their sorrows, they mirror the choices we all face: to guard our hearts or to spend them recklessly.
Love in Sense and Sensibility is never simple. Edward’s integrity is complicated by obligations, Willoughby’s charm is undone by weakness, Colonel Brandon’s devotion is steady but quiet. Austen strips away romantic fantasy and shows that marriage is less about ecstasy than about endurance, less about dazzling moments than about the slow accumulation of trust and loyalty.
In Elinor’s silence, there is heartbreak; in Marianne’s collapse, there is rebirth. The novel tracks these transformations with precision, showing how even suffering refines character. Marianne learns the cost of indulgence, Elinor discovers the weight of concealed longing, and both come to inhabit a more mature love, whether in passion or in patience.
The society that encloses them is not cruel by accident; it is cruel by design. Austen lays bare the precariousness of women’s lives, where fortune decides worth and choice is constrained. Yet within that framework, she offers a subtle rebellion: women who think, feel, and navigate their own destinies, however limited the paths may be.
Austen’s prose, ever delicate, balances irony with compassion. Her wit slices through hypocrisy, yet her sympathy protects her characters from mockery. This dual vision, satire and tenderness intertwined, makes Sense and Sensibility a novel that critiques without cruelty, and teaches without sermon.
It's not merely about who marries whom, but the deeper question: how do we live with our feelings in a world that demands we conceal them? Austen answers not with finality but with balance, showing that sense and sensibility are not opposites but companions in the shaping of a life.
Reading this novel is like holding a mirror to the quiet wars fought within every heart: the war between caution and abandon, propriety and desire. In the Dashwood sisters, Austen offers not archetypes but reflections of ourselves, divided, conflicted, yearning. Their story endures because it is our own story, the story of trying to love wisely in a world that rarely allows both freedom and security.
In the end, Sense and Sensibility does not resolve the tension it names; it simply teaches us to live inside it. The sisters’ journeys remind us that maturity is not about choosing between sense or sensibility, but about learning how to let both breathe inside us without destroying each other. And perhaps that is why Austen’s novel still feels alive: it carries within its pages the restless heart, the guarded mind, and the fragile hope that love, in whatever form it arrives, will be enough.
BOOK: https://amzn.to/41wlVEL
我們必須從第一印象的靜謐力量入手，感受兩姊妹如何徘徊於命運與命運的邊緣，一個被束縛，一個被毫無防備的心所左右。 《理智與情感》不僅是一部關於愛與遺產的小說；它更是一幅描繪理性與激情之間斷層線的地圖，展現了兩者如何塑造、傷害與救贖。珍·奧斯汀描繪了一個被規則束縛卻又被人類渴望所點亮的社會，而在埃莉諾和瑪麗安·達什伍德的筆下，她則在尊嚴與慾望之間營造出一種鮮活的張力。
奧斯汀將故事背景設定在一個女性的未來並非由她們的夢想所束縛，而是取決於男性財富的多少的世界。達許伍德姊妹在父親過世後漂泊不定，她們很快意識到，生存意味著要在個人渴望與大眾期望之間尋求平衡。她們的流離失所既是物質的，也是情感的，這使得這部小說不僅僅是關於愛情，更是關於依賴的經濟學。
埃莉諾成為了理智的化身，以沉著和沈默承擔家庭的重擔。她守護著對愛德華·費拉斯的愛，如同在陰冷的房間裡守護著一根即將熄滅的蠟燭。她的克制，她的自我克制，並非缺乏感情，而是感情最深層的證明，一種神聖的溫柔，不願在每一次談話中流露。她教導我們，堅韌可以像懺悔一樣充滿激情。
相較之下，瑪莉安則投身於情感的風暴之中。她對威洛比的愛如烈火般熾熱，她的失望也令人心碎。她覺得愛情要嘛像烈火般燃燒，要嘛根本不存在。她的脆弱既魯莽又美麗，提醒年輕人堅信真誠足以讓世界走向幸福。奧斯汀透過她，描繪了不受約束的浪漫理想主義令人陶醉的甜蜜，以及不可避免的傷痛。
這部小說的天才之處在於奧斯汀拒絕將一個姐妹完全正確，另一個姐妹完全錯誤。她指出，生活不能只靠理智來生活，也不能只靠感性而不被毀滅。姊妹倆的旅程並非要讓讀者臣服於某種性格，而是要學習如何在自律與坦誠之間取得平衡。她們的悲傷，折射出我們所有人面臨的抉擇：守護心靈，還是肆意揮霍。
《理智與情感》中的愛情從來都不是簡單的。愛德華的正直因義務而複雜化，威洛比的魅力因軟弱而消磨殆盡，布蘭登上校的忠誠堅定而平靜。奧斯汀剝去了浪漫的幻想，揭示了婚姻的意義遠非狂喜，而是忍耐；與其說是輝煌的時刻，不如說是信任與忠誠的緩慢積累。
埃莉諾的沉默中蘊含著心碎；瑪麗安的崩潰中蘊含著重生。小說精準地追蹤了這些轉變，展現了即使是苦難也能如何磨練人格。瑪麗安體會到了放縱的代價，埃莉諾發現了隱藏渴望的沉重，兩人最終都擁有了更成熟的愛情，無論是激情還是耐心。
包圍她們的社會並非偶然殘酷，而是刻意為之。奧斯汀揭露了女性生活的岌岌可危，命運決定她們的價值，選擇受到限制。然而，在這樣的框架下，她展現了一種微妙的反叛：女性思考、感受，並掌控著自己的命運，無論她們的道路多麼狹窄。
奧斯汀的散文一如既往地細膩，在諷刺與同情之間取得平衡。她的智慧戳穿了虛偽，而她的同情心保護著她筆下的人物免受嘲諷。這種雙重視角，諷刺與溫柔的交織，使《理智與情感》成為一部批判而不殘酷，教導而不說教的小說。
它不只是關乎誰與誰結婚，而是更深層的問題：在這個要求我們隱藏情感的世界裡，我們該如何與情感共處？奧斯汀的回答並非一錘定音，而是平衡的，顯示理智與情感並非對立，而是共同塑造人生的伴侶。
閱讀這本小說，如同照見每個人內心深處那場靜默的戰爭：謹慎與放縱、禮儀與慾望之間的鬥爭。奧斯汀筆下的達許伍德姊妹並非刻畫原型，而是我們自己的映射：分裂、衝突、慾望。她們的故事歷久不衰，因為它也是我們自己的故事，一個在自由與安全難以兼得的世界中，努力明智地去愛的故事。
最終，《理智與情感》並沒有化解它所指的矛盾，它只是教導我們如何在這種矛盾中生存。姊妹倆的旅程提醒我們，成熟並非在理智與情感之間做出選擇，而是學會如何讓兩者在我們心中自由呼吸，而不至於彼此毀滅。或許，這正是奧斯汀的小說至今仍充滿活力的原因：它承載著躁動的心、堅守的思想，以及脆弱的希望：無論愛情以何種形式降臨，它都足以滿足。
圖書：https://amzn.to/41wlVEL
The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
Syrie James
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Review
"Deserves front-runner status in the saturated field of Austen fan-fiction and film." -- Kirkus Reviews
"James stays in perfect pitch as Jane Austen in this vivacious fiction. Fans of romance will love it." -- T. Jefferson Parker, author of L.A. Outlaws
Product Description
Many rumors abound about a mysterious gentleman said to be the love of Jane's life—finally, the truth may have been found. . . .
What if, hidden in an old attic chest, Jane Austen's memoirs were discovered after hundreds of years? What if those pages revealed the untold story of a life-changing love affair? That's the premise behind this spellbinding novel, which delves into the secrets of Jane Austen's life, giving us untold insights into her mind and heart.
Jane Austen has given up her writing when, on a fateful trip to Lyme, she meets the well-read and charming Mr. Ashford, a man who is her equal in intellect and temperament. Inspired by the people and places around her, and encouraged by his faith in her, Jane begins revising Sense and Sensibility, a book she began years earlier, hoping to be published at last.
Deft and witty, written in a style that echoes Austen's own, this unforgettable novel offers a delightfully possible scenario for the inspiration behind this beloved author's romantic tales. It's a remarkable book, irresistible to anyone who loves Jane Austen—and to anyone who loves a great story.
简·奥斯丁失落的回忆
原作名: The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen
作者: 塞尔丽•詹姆斯 / Syrie James
译者: 王越
出版社: 人民文学出版社
出版年: 2010.07
内容简介 · · · · · ·
数百年后，在老旧阁楼上的一只箱子里，简•奥斯丁的回忆录重见天日。这部单卷作品立刻被保护起来，其内容令读者震惊而又兴奋。简的这部作品详述了一场隐秘的情事，展露了她内心世界不为人所知的部分。
----------------------------------------------------------
可媲美简•奥斯丁任何文字的一个爱情故事。
——《新闻评论》
在汗牛充栋的关于简•奥斯丁的小说和电影中，这是最佳作品，充满了惊喜！
——《科克斯评论》
塞尔丽•詹姆斯让我们在长椅上度过了一个愉快的下午。”
——美国亚马逊读者评论
从脑袋和心灵方面来说，奥斯丁和阿什福德先生是完美的一对。
——《出版人周刊》
在幽默的行文中，简•奥斯丁复活了。
——《洛杉矶时报》
作者简介 · · · · · ·
塞尔丽•詹姆斯，美国作家协会成员和获奖剧作家，简•奥斯丁研究学者。首部历史小说《简•奥斯丁失落的回忆》使其一跃成为畅销书作家。
目录 · · · · · · 第一章
我到底为什么会心血来潮，想要将这段从未吐露的私密情事付诸笔墨，我自己也说不清楚。也许，是近来反复无常、恼人惹厌的疾病——它狡狯地提醒着我终究难逃 一死——催促着我把那段往事记录下来，免得它一直紧锁在我记忆的深处，逐渐磨灭难辨，最后就像轻雾中飘摇的鬼魅一般，倏然隐入无形。
且不去管那原因究竟是什么，总之，我感到必须把那些事一五一十地写下来；否则，在我死后，说不定会有人妄自揣测，播撒闲言碎语。读过我写的那些小说以后， 人们难免讶异而好奇：这个老处女，这个看起来绝不可能恋爱过的女人——她当然不曾体味男女之间那种始于友谊和关爱，而后勃然萌发的心灵契合——就凭她，毫 无经验，居然还斗胆舰颜，大书特书神圣的爱情与婚姻?
对于他们，连同我的一些存有相似疑虑的旧识远亲们(尽管我必须承认，他们的措辞倒是婉转客气了许多)，我都会这样作答：“难道凭着活跃的思维、敏锐的视听感触，再加上驰骋的想象，还写不出一部精彩动人、又紧贴日常生活的文学作品吗?”
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