An article examining how punctuation shapes our reading experience, using Jane Austen's work as a case study. It reviews Florence Hazrat's book 'On the Mark,' which argues that punctuation history is human history, though the book makes some questionable claims, including linking Hebrew punctuation to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Television's Jane Austen adaptations dominate, but five other 18th-century writers deserve screen attention. Works like Eliza Haywood's Fantomina, Samuel Richardson's Pamela, and Charlotte Lennox's The Female Quixote contain contemporary themes of reinvention, consent, and fandom that resonate with modern audiences.