When being well-read doesn't pay off, and other problems of main character syndrome.

The problem of reading books instead of letting them read you.

It was the late 1990s, and Jane Austen was hot.

Every movie was either based on Austen, Alcott, Gaskell, James, one of the Brontes, Trollope, or the like. It was all Merchant Ivory and Miramax productions. It was wonderful and also introduced me to the concept of main-character syndrome.

Main character syndrome is the belief that you are the central prota…