Why there can never be too many Jane Austen adaptations

We have quite a few Jane Austen adaptations in the works. At least one at Netflix and a few others at other studios. And that doesn't even get into the hundreds of Austen retellings that are written every year in the world of books. But there is no such thing as too much. Why? Let's look into it.

Universal stories

Jane Austen's stories may be very specific but they feature specific beats that are incredibly universal. Enemies to lovers was practically started on the back of Pride and Prejudice. Love, embarrassment, shame, money problems, embarrassing family, etc. It all has two things in common. They are universal emotions, and they are just some of the emotions Austen's heroines face in her stories. They are incredibly relatable. This leads me to my next point.

Diversity

Because Austen's stories are universal and highly relatable, they can be made with characters from any culture, race, and background. Just look at the book series that have come out in the last 10-20 years related to Austen. The characters have been Black, Indian, Native American, Asian, and just about any other race, religion, gender, or sexual identity you can imagine. A queer Emma graphic novel came out just this year.

While everyone should have their own stories told, the Austen fandom could use more about race and sexuality. And while some fans may want to keep the doors tightly closed, I say shove the doors open like Aragorn at Helm's Deep and let everyone see themselves in Austen's characters. Also, selfishly, it means more stories for me to read, watch, and listen to.

There are never enough Jane Austen retellings and adaptations

Unqiue storytelling

Austen is also very easy to make your own. Just look at Clueless. It has every beat of Emma, but most people don't know it's a retelling of Austen's work. But it shows just how unique you can make an Austen retelling and still have the bones of her stories. Obviously, I am by no means an Austen purist, but I do think that the couples need to stay together.

But that doesn't mean Elizabeth Bennet needs to have that name or that Emma Woodhous needs to be rich. Or that any of these characters need to be white or straight. Austen's stories lend themselves so well to the unique storytelling of each writer and filmmaker that no two recreations are ever alike. And that's the fun of it!