Pride & Prejudice & the Magic 8-Ball

Magic 8 ball with packageWhen I was a kid, I had a fascination with Tyco Toys/Mattel’s Magic 8-Ball. The anticipation as I waited for the answer to reveal itself in that murky blue fluid left me breathless – it was just so cool and mysterious. When my son was given one as a gift a few years back, I’m pretty sure I ended up playing with it more than he did.

“Oh, c’mon!” I’d plead with him, hugging the ball to my chest and holding it tight. “I just want to ask it a few more questions.”

“Like what, Mom? About your book again?”

“Yes! I mean, no, no… Hey, kid, you’re not supposed to pressure people into telling you their questions. It’s against the rules. Like forcing your friends to share what they wished when they blew out their birthday candles. It’s just not done,” I’d say, trying to cleverly divert his attention and sneak out of the room with his toy.

“You’re so weird, Mom.” (Insert eye roll.) ”And give me back my ball.”

I know, I know. I should just get one of my own. But that’s kind of like admitting aloud to my fellow shoppers that I still read my horoscope, believe in the wisdom of fortune cookies, consider pennies found on the sidewalk to be ”lucky” and make wishes on fallen eyelashes. I don’t need everyone in line at Toys R Us looking at me like I’m stranger than they think I am already.

But it doesn’t stop me from wanting the answers to my questions, even if no one will vouch for the veracity of the responses. Even the Magic 8-Ball makers can’t, although I know what the percentiles are for their answers. Yes, I researched this: According to some experimenters, who were quite possibly even more obsessed with the little black orb than I was, the answer device inside the ball is a plastic “icosahedron” (20 identical equilateral triangular faces), and the distribution of answer types equals 50% Positive (e.g. “Yes – Definitely”); 25% Negative (e.g. “My Sources Say No”); and 25% Vague (e.g. “Better Not Tell You Now”).

So…when I asked it if my upcoming novel, A Summer in Europe would someday hit the New York Times Bestseller List, and it said, unequivocally, “YES!” I knew I’d had a delightful 50% chance of it telling me so. (As opposed to the non-icosahedron reality, which, ummm, doesn’t usually give odds that are quite that high, LOL. :) )

However, I also have my grown-up version of the Magic 8-Ball in the form of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Sometime in college, I got the idea that for any interpersonal/relationship question I had, I needed only to ask it aloud and, then, open my copy of the novel to a random page and JA’s wisdom would prevail. For example, when I asked it, “Should I keep pining after that guy in my Geography 110 class, who doesn’t seem to know I exist, or just try to move on?”

The scene I opened to in response was the one where Elizabeth, visiting Netherfield while her sister Jane was ill, was forced to spend altogether too much time in the company of Caroline Bingley, Louisa Hurst and Mr. Darcy. Caroline and Darcy have been strolling outside. The former, showing off her jealousy by saying negative things about Elizabeth, was then interrupted when Louisa and Elizabeth happened upon them on the walking path. Louisa quickly left Elizabeth’s side to stand next to Darcy and Caroline, and Darcy, who realized the rudeness of this action at once (since the path only has enough room for three), commented that they’d better leave the narrow path and “go into the avenue.”

But Elizabeth just laughed and said, “No, no; stay where you are. You are charmingly group’d and appear to uncommon advantage. The picturesque would be spoiled by admitting a fourth. Goodbye.”

See? In my opinion, JA’s answer to me via P&P was as immediate and clear as any 8-Ball: “Move on, Marilyn!” I craftily interpreted. “Say goodbye…” ;)

Well, who knows if this method actually works any better than playing with my son’s special black ball, but you all have copies of the novel somewhere, right? Why not ask it a question and see what you get in response?! Or, if you’re so inclined, you can play with an electronic version of the Magic 8-Ball, too, and no shopping in toy stores is required. There’s an online site here.

If you try either method — or have a fondness for asking questions of unusual oracles, LOL – I’d love to hear about it!!

007 Marilyn Brant--clipped

Marilyn Brant

Marilyn Brant is a USA TODAY Bestselling Author of Contemporary Women’s Fiction and Romantic Comedy. She’s published eight novels to date, including ACCORDING TO JANE, which was a #1 Kindle Bestseller, won RWA’s Golden Heart Award and was named one of Buzzle.com’s “100 Best Romance Novels of All Time.” She also wrote PRIDE, PREJUDICE AND THE PERFECT MATCH, which was a Top 100 Bestseller on both Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And her latest novel, a coming-of-age romantic mystery called THE ROAD TO YOU, is just out!

34 comments on “Pride & Prejudice & the Magic 8-Ball by Marilyn Brant”

    1. Sophia Rose
      Hilarious! I remember playing with one of those too. If I recall, it was borrowed at a friends slumber party and we were asking it questions about boys.I never thought to use a Jane Austen book to do it. (-;

        1. Marilyn Brant
          Sophia,Honestly, until I became an author and suddenly had a million questions about the publishing industry, it never occurred to me to ask the Magic 8-Ball about anything OTHER than boys!!:razz:Hope you try it with one of Jane’s novels sometime!

    1. Monica P
      That is cool idea! I decided to try it just now. I asked “will I ever find the right guy to marry?” (yes, really. Pathetic but true lol). I opened my P&P to ch 49 and the first line I read is:“Is it possible?” cried Elizabeth, when she had finished. “Can it be possible that he will marry her?” Ha! What do you think of that? Too bad the “he” she means is Wickham. I could do without a Wickham.I used to have a Mr Darcy’s Magic 8 Ball app on my phone. Fun post, Marilyn!

        1. Marilyn Brant
          Monica,So glad you enjoyed the post, and I *love* that you tried the experiment with the book!! I think you got an excellent answer ;) . See, to me, it’s all about the kind of feeling that’s expressed in the scene. Elizabeth is saying, “Is it possible?” which means she’s surprised, but she’s seriously considering it. There’s an openness to the idea, which is a really positive emotion! So, maybe you’d be surprised to find just the right guy, but you’re definitely open to it, right?!BTW, I asked myself that same question about finding the right man to marry *countless* times… It is NOT pathetic! It’s a sign of our health and our humanity that we want to connect with someone. Yes, really. :)

        1. Monica P
          Thanks Marilyn! My first thought was, at least she admits there is a “he”. At least I didn’t get a flat-out “no” or an “I never saw such a [person]. I never saw such capacity, and taste, and application, and elegance, asyou describe, united.” Lol

    1. Susan Mason-Milks
      I love the “Ask Mr. Darcy” app on my android phone! It makes me smile. All answers are Darcy quotes.

        1. Marilyn Brant
          Susan, I had no idea there was such a thing as an “Ask Mr. Darcy” app!!! I’ve never really desired getting a smart phone, just because there would be so many new features to learn. (Hey, I’m still really proud of myself for having figured out how to text and to take pictures, LOL.)But now I’m reconsidering…I want one of those apps! :razz:

    1. Lúthien84
      I did not play Magic 8-ball in my childhood, so your post is interesting. It reminds me about the last chapter of The Jane Austen Book Club but I couldn’t recall much. I need to reread the book again.

        1. Marilyn Brant
          Lúthien,It’s been a while since I read The Jane Austen Book Club, too, so I should flip through it again as well…I have the film and watched it a few months ago, but I know there were some significant differences between the novel and the movie ;).As for the Magic 8-ball, it’s very much an American pop-culture item, like the Slinky or Mr. Potato Head. I don’t know who comes up with these things, but they were endlessly entertaining when I was a kid! :razz:

    1. Jakki L.
      What a fun post, Marilyn! I remember my friends and I asking the magic 8 ball if so-and-so liked us. We would spend hours with that thing! We even had one in the dorm room in college for a while!So, I tried the P&P “eight ball,” asking Dear Jane if I was going to lose my mind before the Holidays are over. My response was about as clear as “Better not tell you now!” I opened the book to the part where Jane just finished reading Caroline’s letter and and Elizabeth is telling her that there can be a different opinion on the subject. Even though I didn’t get a clear answer, it was still quite fun! :lol:Thanks, Marilyn! This was a great way to begin my morning!

        1. Marilyn Brant
          LOL, Jakki!!!I’m glad you tried it — love your sense of adventurousness, especially in the midst of a busy morning :) — and I hope the reality will be that NONE of us will lose our minds before the holidays are over! They’re coming upon us so fast, aren’t they?! I don’t even want to think about all the things I need to get done before Thanksgiving…let alone Christmas…ack!!

    1. Jill Thomas
      My sister and I would huddle together for hours on end, throwing one life-altering question after another at the omniscient orb. But, if it had truly been all-knowing, my name would be Mrs. Shaun Cassidy. :sad:I’m funny about signs or omens or whatever you want to call them. I believe in them. I think we can find real answers in some of the most unlikely of places. Horoscopes, books, toys–who’s to say? And if those tiny tidbits give us the confidence we are so desperately seeking, I say more power to the sphere!! :wink:Another great, thought-provoking post, Soul Sister! xoxo

        1. Marilyn Brant
          Ohhh, Jill,I *so* remember those days of The Hardy Boys and “Da Doo Ron Ron” (“Somebody told me that her name was JILL”!!), and what’s not to love about shimmery white bell bottoms? Hey, if anyone could pull that look off, Shaun could! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHSADyRR8x8And I agree with you on the “signs” that we find in the world around us. It’s not so much about what they say, but about how they help us clarify what we really want. xo :grin:(Can’t get that song out of my head now…LOL!)

    1. Debbie
      Marilyn, wow pretty soon all of etherworld will know all your secrets, it’s like authors gone wild, only you leave your shirt down and are shown fondling your toy javascript:grin(‘:grin:’), but I also loved that you asked it about your chances of making it to the bestseller list. This time I happen to agree with the little black ball.For all of you who want to start December with a memorable, remarkable and well, amazing novel, pre order A Summer in Europe. You can even read my review, yes I’ll share http://thereadingfrenzy.blogspot.com/2011/11/review-of-summer-in-europe-by-marilyn.htmlMarilyn, I also hope you’re feeling better.deb

        1. Marilyn Brant
          Deb, thank you SO, SO much!! Your review of A Summer in Europe is one of the highlights of the month for me so far! And I just adore you for agreeing with the Magic 8-Ball on its prediction… I would dearly love for you both to be right! :razz: And thanks for the get-well wishes, too. I’m definitely improving (I’m always grateful when I reach the stage in a bad cold when I can breathe again, LOL), and your “authors gone wild” comment made me laugh so hard that it had to help, too!

    1. JoanneMM
      this is absolutely delightful! What a great story. Definitely made me smile this morning! I always have my copy of Pride and Prejudice near me so maybe someday I will ask it a question for fun and see what happens :lol:Oh and congrats on your book!! 3 weeks seems to long for me!

        1. Marilyn Brant
          Thanks, Joanne!!If I made you smile today, then I did my job. :grin:Thank you for the congrats on the book — I so excited for its release! — and I hope that if you ask P&P a question someday that you’ll let me know what happens!!

    1. Susan Adriani
      Marilyn, it looks like we are kindred spirits on so many levels here, lol! Many, many thanks for the smile today. Your post was delightful.Best,Susan

        1. Marilyn Brant
          A fan of the Magic 8-Ball, too, Ms. Adriani?!! :razz:Susan, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post — thank you! — and took the time to stop by. I appreciate it!

    1. Susan Kaye
      As a child I was a Slinky girl myself, but am game to try some 8 Ball wisdom. I hope you will understand that I used a copy of Persuasion. My writing copy is so full of Post-it notes that I had to toss it into a chair so that it fell open to make this work. Anyway, it fell open to the latter scenes of the Walk to Winthrop. In these pages, Frederick notices Anne is tired and asks that the Crofts take her home. The interesting thing is, I am going with another writer of Austen fiction to meet past Austen Author, Pamela Aidan, for lunch. We will be discussing the coming writing year and what we can do to help one another achieve our goals. I glean from the passage that we will be observant of one another’s needs, and willing to go out of our way to help one another, and that we can rest in the knowledge that we have thoughtful friends.I’m glad I didn’t open to the Hazelnut scene, I don’t think I could have scratched anything useful out of that one!Interesting post, Marilyn.

        1. Marilyn Brant
          Susan, I’m thrilled that you used a copy of Persuasion!! JA was older and wiser when she wrote that novel, so I’m sure her wisdom runs very strong between its pages ;). Best of all, I really enjoyed your interpretation of that “walk” scene and how you related it to your life — that was just lovely! I hope the three of you will enjoy your lunch together. :wink:

    1. Mary Simonsen
      My daughter bought a ouija board. I honestly don’t believe in these things, but when it spelled out my grandmother’s name, something my daughter did not know, I left the room. :)

        1. Marilyn Brant
          Mary,A friend of mine in college made us try out a ouija board once… I’m pretty sure my friend was pushing, but we were using it for boy questions (as usual :) ). Your experience with your daughter sounds far more interesting, though!!

    1. Pamala Knight
      My fondness for oracles knows no bounds and to combine it with P&P is just tossing chocolate into the mix :). Thanks for sharing (unlike your son, lol).

        1. Marilyn Brant
          Pamala, my friend, oracles + chocolate = my kind of fun, too!! We’ll have to get together some night and do THAT instead of Mah-jongg, LOL. :razz: xox

    1. Regina Jeffers
      What a delightfully entertaining post. It was exactly what I needed on a rainy afternoon to chase the clouds away.

        1. Marilyn Brant
          I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Regina!! It was great fun to write ;) . And might I say, I’m a little envious that you got to have a rainy afternoon…here, we had SNOW! (Ahhhhhhh!!!)

    1. Vera Nazarian
      What a great story Marylin! :-)It made me smile and remember my own college days, when I used to program silly little oracle-like programs similar to this on the old IBM mainframe, and we would all play similar question games, starting with WHAT and WHY, to get silly random answers imbued with occult “meaning.” Ooooh! ;-)Love your idea of making us open P&P at random to get similar shots of wisdom!

        1. Marilyn Brant
          Vera, thank you!!!And I’m so impressed that you were able to program games and things back then — wow! I took one semester of computer programming back in the mid-1980s and was not very skilled at it, LOL. (Not that I’m any more skilled today… :) )

    1. Candy Morton
      Too funny! We had an eight ball when I was a kid. I remember asking it various question. I also had I ouija board, still have it. It turn into the best lap table, I use it all the time when I’m sewing!Your new book sounds great! I look forward to reading it.

        1. Marilyn Brant
          Ha!! Candy, I love that you turned your ouija board into a mini table for sewing! That’s very clever. And if ever you find yourself wondering, “Which color thread should I use next?” you’ve got the perfect device — right at your fingertips — to help you figure it out :razz: .

    1. Alyssa Goodnight
      I like your version better, Marilyn! I’m going to have to give this a shot. I had both a Magic 8 Ball and a Ouija Board, but I never really believed. I wanted to, but I never really did. :)

    1. BeckyC
      Hilarious Marilyn! (ahem…and a bit familiar) We all love a bit of Magic 8Ball. I must say that I had never thought to use JA in the same way. I will have to try it out.

3 comments

    • Chanpreet on February 13, 2014 at 11:09 pm
    • Reply

    I got an 8 ball when I was a teen and kept it around for much longer than I should have. I can recall asking it about my various crushes and the like. When I tossed it out a few years ago the letters were no longer legible. I haven’t yet replaced it but wonder if P&P would be better at predicting outcomes. I never got past talking to any of my crushes. :/

    1. Chanpreet,
      I love that you had a Magic 8-Ball and asked it about your crushes, too! Honestly, as a teen, all I did with that thing was ask it questions about some boy or other. As a now-married adult, I only ask it questions about my books, LOL, but I still play with it more often than my son does 😀 .
      Fingers crossed that if you give the P&P version of this test a try, it’ll lead to good predictions and even better results!!
      xox

  1. Love it!

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