Jane Austen fans outraged at new £10 note blunder
The Bank of England has revealed the new £10 note featuring Jane Austen that will be entering circulation on September 14.
However, fans of the famous author are disappointed with the quote that appears under the portrait of Jane Austen.
The note, unveiled exactly 200 years after Jane’s death on July 18, includes the quote, “I declare after all there is no enjoyment but reading!”
The issue fans have with the quote is that it wasn’t said by Austen, but by the “detested” character Caroline Bingley in Pride and Prejudice, who hated reading.
In the book, the line is not to be taken literally but it was said in a sarcastic tone.
The outraged fans have expressed their disappointment on Twitter at the selection of the quote.
One fan wrote, “Should we ask a Jane Austen expert for a good quote?'
'Nah, just ctrl+F for "reading" in Pride & Prejudice.'"
Another expressed, “This is what happens when people don't actually READ Jane Austen's works. Just slap a quote on there and call it quits."
One fan said, “You know what's a great idea, using a Caroline Bingley quote to celebrate Jane Austen' – said no one ever."
Some fans have defended the choice of the quote and one tweeted, "Perhaps they chose the quote tongue-in-cheek, as a tribute to Jane Austen's use of irony."
The Governor of the Bank of England, Mark Carney, defended the use of the controversial choice of quote.
He said, “It's two things; it captures much of her spirit, that is the quote, you can read it straight, there is no enjoyment like reading, and we agree with that."
"If you know her work, you can enjoy the irony of that, it draws out some of the aspects of her social satire, it works on many levels."
The Bank of England has begun replacing all paper notes, starting with the £5 note at the beginning of the year, £10 this year and the £20 in 2020.
The new notes will be more secure, resilient to counterfeiting and more resistant to damage as they are made of polymer plastic.
It is the first note from the Bank of England with tactile features such as raised Braille dots to help those with vision impairments.
Do you agree with the outraged fans? Let us know in the comments below.