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From The Times
June 14, 2008

Jane Austen's romance

Sir, Thank goodness the romance between Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy fizzled out almost before it had begun (The Wednesday profile, times2, June 11).

Although Lefroy became a successful lawyer in Ireland, he was a conservative reactionary who staunchly opposed Catholic emancipation and almost every other proposal to improve the lot of the Irish people in the first half of the 19th century. In short, he was not a suitable match for someone of Miss Austen’s intelligence, sense of humour, and independence of spirit.

A life spent shackled to Mr Lefroy might well have denied us the pleasure of Emma Woodhouse, Fanny Price and Anne Elliot.

Robin Kempster
Brighouse, W Yorks

To S. Burnett: There's a simple solution for you. I'm surprised it has never occurred to you: don't read the books. Don't bother to talk about them. Don't read articles about them. Nobody is forcing Jane Austen down your throat, and her writing has endured for 200 years without your good opinion.

Lizzy, Lahore, Pakistan

What a shame they didn't marry. Then we would have been saved from those mimsy books.

Sue Burnett, Pontypridd, Wales

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