Why Big Little Lies Is a Jane Austen Fan's Modern-Day Dream

One can hope that the overwhelmingly positive and therefore profitable reception to the TV adaptation of a story like Big Little Lies will persuade at least a handful of industry higher-ups to work on more female-driven stories outside of whatever the male gaze is churning out for the marketplace feminist audience these days. There is a reason that women have been responding to stories with the narrative focus of Jane Austen for literal generations extrinsic to the appeal of Colin Firth or cute dresses. Big Little Lies cuts to the quick with its compassionate and nuanced portrayal of a woman’s emotional experience by creating something big out of something seemingly—no, I’m not going to do it—miniature.

Thought this was an interesting article.  Perhaps we can persuade @merry-chase to include it as one of her Foray discussions!

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

I quite enjoyed Big Little Lies (Movie Tie-In)  both the book and the TV adaptation.

The different media offered different pleasures as they so often do.  I thought that The "real" story, from the book of course, was better than the TV version but it was most enjoyable to see the characters brought to life. Then there was THE OCEAN.  I spent most of my time watching those waves - I mean how can anybody live a sad life when they live right on THE OCEAN!

When I came across the article mentioned in the OP it gave me more to consider including:

"exposing the classless struggle of compartmentalization and internalization that women in general—and mothers, in particular—are forced into."

and

"In addition to being a key marker of Austen’s stories, miniaturism was also invoked by the Brontë sisters, George Eliot, Edith Wharton and anyone else whose contemporaries would be shelved in the “women’s fiction” section of Barnes & Noble."

Most of the time I like to blithely go about my life agreeing with Stephen King that a good story is a good story but I also love digging a bit deeper and seeing all these connections.

What do you think?

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

I was just at the library today, gravitating as usual to my favorite female authors, and wondering what other women novelists I should learn about. I guess I've got my recommendation right here! I'll look into Big Little Lies. 

I'm not sure about it as a Foray title, since we're focusing on the Regency era---written during, or about, the Regency era---but we could certainly talk about miniaturism, and about the male gaze for that matter, at a Foray meeting. 

Exactly, Merry.  Sorry I wasn't very clear but I was thinking of a discussion about the ideas in the article (not the book itself), including miniaturism as you say.

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site

Oh I am an old goose. Yes, of course, we could read and discuss the article! I would like that!

We talked about the article today, and agreed to read it and reference it in discussion of future reads! Thanks Tatiana! 

Excellent!  Thank you very much

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Proprietress of Tatiana's Tea Room ~ Owner of the Provence Coeur Estate ~ Webmistress of this site