My Hot Date with jane austen by bobroberts

That was cool, Bob. And the end line was perfect (although, averse as I am to insipid Victorian romantic literature, I'm sure the line allusion is not from an Austen novel). Three minor clean-ups - there's a stray 'y' in Jane at one point, and I think 'ok' and 's'pose' should be stricken from Jane's dialogue and replaced with something more in character. But I liked the tiny flourishes and the overall concept. The first bit of Bob I've read, and I would be happy to read some more.

Delightful. But instead of ending the piece with "I could have married her" I would have revealed that I did marry her. [%sig%]

I enjoyed this too. Nice little touches like the lack of up-to-date fashion etc, and I did like the last line that addressed the reader in a sort of gesture to the affectations of her time.

*from Noggin the Nog, Bob's literary researcher/dogsbody* Emily: You're correct in your observation. The final line was made famous by Charlotte Bronte (Jayne Eyre). In approaching the piece, Bob thought long and hard, from a reader's perspective, about his relationship with Austen. He's flirted with her on a number of occasions but never managed to embrace her work completely. The sexual metaphor is apt, I think - after all, isn't there an undercurrent of seduction and surrender in any author-reader releationship ? Bronte remains, for the Bobnobber, a much more accessible author, hence the 'Reader, I married him' inversion. Bob's A Winter's Tale entry is still up and running if you want to see more of his work. I'm sure he'd be only too willing to reciprocate reviews. Thanks for all the comments. Chin up!

"Reader, I could have married her." This line made me wonder, big time...Bob. A bit scratchy at the beginning, but the flow and structure became very consuming from the mention of the epic poem onwards! This had me in stitches: "We came to the end of Bennett Road, crossed over to the shopping precinct, and went in The Merry Fryer. I ordered cod, chips and a can of Fanta. Jane bought roe, chips and a pickled egg." love it, Bob!

I think Jasper's highlighted the best and funniest line in an excellent "period piece" - I love how Jane's "old fashioned", but only by a few years rather than centuries, with a navy blue cardigan and "well-made" shoes, and her courtly way of asking for a date - the little touches make it delightful. Treat yourself to a pickle sandwich, Bob, you deserve it!

Chin up, Pip-Pip! Thanks for the cherry! Chins up, Jasper and Neil - thanks for your comments!