Joking with Jane Austen in January by Diana Birchall

Mr. Collins and Lizzy

Of all the many reasons why I have loved Jane Austen for so long, one of the very greatest is her sublime brilliance as a humorist. This quality in her naturally appeals to me so much because, like Lizzy, I “dearly love a laugh.” But there’s more to it than that. It’s not just her obviously famous jokes and witticisms – it’s the unique quality she has that the more you reread her, the more wit you find! In what will seem an ordinary, polished, wordy 18th century sort of tra...