Julian writes: A Modest Proposal for a Festive Literary Observance

From: Julian Pilkington-Sterne
To: Maja Jović

My dear Miss Jović,

I trust this message finds you in good health and untroubled spirits, notwithstanding the recent disturbances of a technological and celebratory nature, for which I continue to reflect with appropriate humility.

In light of Jane Austen’s anniversary this week, it occurred to me—quite suddenly, and with a warmth of conviction I could not ignore—that our forthcoming Christmas gathering might be enriched by a brief homage to her enduring genius.

Specifically, I wondered whether we might honour her most emotionally tempestuous work, Withering Heights, whose examination of passion, restraint, and unspoken feeling seems—if I may be bold—particularly suited to the present season, and perhaps, to certain circumstances within our office.

I envision nothing ostentatious.
Merely a reading.
A mood.
Possibly a candle.

I should very much value your opinion on this matter, as I know your judgement to be both discerning and, when necessary, corrective.

Yours sincerely,
Julian Pilkington-Sterne

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Re: A Modest Proposal for a Festive Literary Observance

From: Maja Jović
To: Julian Pilkington-Sterne

Dear Mr Pilkington-Sterne,

I am grateful for your thoughtful message and for the evident care with which it has been composed.

It is indeed true that Jane Austen’s anniversary presents a most fitting occasion for reflection, particularly in a workplace where misunderstandings, suppressed feeling, and unnecessary dramatics are not entirely unknown.

However, I must gently observe—with all due respect and no desire to wound—that Withering Heights is not, in fact, a work of Jane Austen.

This is not a matter of interpretation, but of authorship.

That said, I do not doubt that your intention was sincere, nor that you are drawn, quite understandably, to stories of brooding emotion and unresolved attachment.

Should you wish to celebrate Austen, I would suggest Persuasion, whose quiet intensity and emphasis on what is felt but not spoken might offer a more… accurate reflection of her sensibility.

As for candles, I advise caution.

Yours faithfully,
Maja Jović

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Re: Re: A Modest Proposal for a Festive Literary Observance

From: Julian Pilkington-Sterne
To: Maja Jović

My dear Miss Jović,

I thank you for your correction, which I accept with the grace befitting a man who has, on more than one occasion, mistaken enthusiasm for scholarship.

You are quite right.
Withering Heights—
(Wuthering, as I now understand)—
belongs elsewhere.

Yet I cannot entirely regret the confusion, for it has prompted me to reflect upon Persuasion, which you mention with such discernment.

Is it not a novel that concerns itself deeply with what is left unsaid?
With feelings postponed, deferred, and—one hopes—not entirely lost?

I wonder whether such themes might resonate, not only as literature, but as lived experience.

I would not presume to suggest that you see matters as I do. Still, I cannot help but feel that a shared reading, however brief, might offer a moment of… mutual understanding.

If this proposal causes you the slightest discomfort, I beg you to say so at once.
Your ease is of the utmost importance to me.

Awaiting your thoughts,
with sincere regard,
Julian Pilkington-Sterne

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Re: Re: Re: A Modest Proposal for a Festive Literary Observance

From: Maja Jović
To: Julian Pilkington-Sterne

Mr Pilkington-Sterne,

You are correct in your assessment of Persuasion. It is a novel that rewards patience, reflection, and the courage to recognise one’s feelings, particularly when they arrive later than expected.

I agree that its themes are appropriate, and that a short reading would not be misplaced at a Christmas gathering, provided it is undertaken with restraint and without excessive interpretation.

As to whether such a reading might offer mutual understanding, that is a more delicate question.

Some things, Mr Pilkington-Sterne, are best left to be discovered gradually, rather than declared with enthusiasm or accompanied by candles.

Still, I will consider your suggestion.

I trust you will understand if my reply is not immediate.

Yours,
M. Jović

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(No further reply is received that evening.)