A return to civility, as long as you’re devoted to Jane Austen

They came together for five days, living in a lavish hotel in downtown Los Angeles. Most of them were in high spirits and good humor, and of steady age and character. They made feathered turbans, danced in Regency ball attire and chatted late into the night at pajama parties, discussing the one thing they all had in common: an affinity for Jane Austen.

It’s been nearly 200 years since Austen’s six novels -- among them “Emma,” “Sense and Sensibility” and “Pride and Prejudice” -- were written. Yet Austen’s popularity continues to grow, especially among young women searching for a respite from the incivility of modern life. That was evident over the last few days at the annual conference for the Jane Austen Society of North America, a literary and social group of more than 3,000 members.

If you were a guy looking for a smart date in L.A., the Millennium Biltmore was the place to be: Nearly 500 women and just a few dozen men from across the United States and Canada converged on the hotel to immerse themselves in the traditions and lifestyle of Austen’s early 19th century England. (They also took breaks to go to Disneyland and to Philippe’s restaurant for French dip sandwiches.)

By the time the conference wrapped up on Monday, the Austen devotees -- known as “Janeites” -- had covered many topics: Was Austen happy in Bath, England? Who makes a better Emma, Gwyneth Paltrow or Kate Beckinsale? What kind of car would the haughty Mr. Darcy drive?

James Ashley, of Fountain Valley, Ariz., had a question of his own. He wanted to ask his longtime love and avid Austen fan, Mary Graff, to marry him. Dressed in Regency-era breeches and a waistcoat, Ashley decided that the conference was the perfect place to propose. And while he might have chosen a more romantic spot, he couldn’t have picked a more encouraging moment. He asked Graff to marry him during a seminar called “Finding Exactly the Right Spot to Pop the Question: Proposing Out of Doors in the Novels of Jane Austen.”

Graff, of course, accepted. She gushed: “You’re my combination of Knightley and Wentworth,” two of Austen’s handsome heroes.

Later, the couple made an appearance at an English country-style ball, where dozens of women wore long empire-waist dresses (and a few inexplicably dressed up as 1920s flappers.) Most of the men wore puffy white shirts and cropped pants -- George Washington style. One man, however, showed up in Dockers. No one seemed to mind. He danced until the music stopped, right before midnight.

This was the third Jane Austen conference for Rob Fischer of San Bernardino, though he didn’t attend last year’s event in Winchester, England. Fischer said he is drawn to the annual meeting because of the smart, yet sometimes unexpected, things that go on there.

“There are no pretensions and yet there is no absence of thought,” he said. And no one questions his vocabulary. “I notice that nobody goes, ‘Huh?’ or ‘What?’ ”

So will he be at next year’s conference in Milwaukee? “Indubitably,” Fischer said.

Experts believe that the latest wave of Austen popularity has been fueled over the last decade by a variety of movies and miniseries. Certainly, the Jane Austen Society has reaped the benefits of Hollywood’s interest in the English author, who published her first book in 1811. Founded more than 20 years ago, the literary group’s membership shot up in the late 1990s and continues to rise.

“People love Jane Austen because her characters are so real,” said Claire Bellanti, one of the organizers of the Los Angeles event. “She knew what people were like, and people haven’t changed in 200 years.”

Austen’s descriptions and observations of human behavior are straight on -- and often wickedly funny. Take, for example, Austen’s description of “Sense and Sensibility” heroine Marianne: “She was sensible and clever; but eager in every thing; her sorrows, her joys, could have no moderation. She was generous, amiable, interesting: She was every thing but prudent.”

As for the conceited Sir Walter Elliot, a character in the book “Persuasion,” Austen writes: “Vanity was the beginning and the end of Sir Walter Elliot’s character.... Few women could think more of their appearance than he did....”

“I love Jane Austen because she pokes fun at ridiculous behavior that people still do,” said Lynda Jakovich of Santa Monica. “She has real strong moral standards, but she doesn’t take herself too seriously.”

Kathy Lovin of Los Angeles believes that people these days are interested in Austen’s work because they want a respite from the rudeness of modern-day life. “Many of us long to revisit a time when telemarketers didn’t call during dinner, able-bodied people didn’t park in the handicapped spot and airline travelers didn’t crowd in line before their row is called,” Lovin said. “Austen’s power teaches us how to live again in her gentle world.”

Even so, don’t expect everyone at an Austen convention to be polite. If you go to one of these meetings, you had better be prepared to keep up. If you haven’t read every word in Austen’s books, the Janeites will know in an instant. And they can be downright snobbish about it.

At a pajama party Thursday night, a male attendee in a long white nightgown and a gold hat quizzed a visitor. “Quick, name the six titles? What are they?”

Here’s a clue: “The Sorcerer’s Stone” and “The Goblet of Fire” are not on the list. (And that answer could get you thrown out of the building.)

One way to catch up on Austen fast is to watch the recent movies based on her work.

Kate Winslet played Marianne in Hollywood’s version of “Sense and Sensibility” in 1995. A year later, Colin Firth made his appearance as Mr. Darcy in the BBC’s version of “Pride and Prejudice.” Gwyneth Paltrow played Emma in the 1996 movie. And Alicia Silverstone played an Emma-like character in the modern-day “Clueless.”

Although the movies are charming, nothing compares to reading the books.

“I have pondered and puzzled on why I find the books so satisfying,” Jakovich said. “I think part of it is that people can make amends and misunderstandings can be worked out and there’s always hope.”

Hollywood couldn’t write a better ending.