Lady Susan is frequently dismissed by scholars as a youthful creation of Austen, not worthy of inclusion among her mature works. Many point to it as an example of her younger self experimenting with an epistolary novel, which she abandoned, and which she did not revisit in her later writing. She revised Elinor and Marianne,Continue reading “Rereading Lady Susan by Jane Austen”
Category Archives: Austenalia
Chawton House Reading Group Titles
The Nobleman by Isabelle de Charriere and Tales of Fancy v. 1, The Shipwreck by Sarah Burney I recently joined the Chawton House Reading Group when it went virtual and it has been a great pleasure to meet once per month with people who love books and who also love Austen. The group includes manyContinue reading “Chawton House Reading Group Titles”
Jane Austen Embroidery: Regency Patterns Reimagined for Modern Stitchers
by Jennie Batchelor & Alison Larkin This delightful book is a combination of Austen adjacent writing and embroidery instruction. Though I knew Austen to be occupied with needlework since it figures in some of her letters and family stories, I had not considered more deeply any connection between artistry with a needle and artistry withContinue reading “Jane Austen Embroidery: Regency Patterns Reimagined for Modern Stitchers”
Summer of Covid Austen fan fiction round up…
Okay, maybe 2 books isn’t really a “round up,” but I have been on an Aaron Burr kick, so I only got two Austen fan fiction books read this summer…Plus, I am pretty picky when it comes to Austen fan fiction, so a lot of titles never make it past me reading the synopsis. IContinue reading “Summer of Covid Austen fan fiction round up…”
The Heroine by Eaton Stannard Barrett
As I continue my quest to read the Gothic novels that Austen read, I came to this gem. Technically speaking, it could not have been an inspiration for Northanger Abbey, since it was published in 1813 and read by Austen in February and March of 1814, however, it provides a fascinating look at Gothic parodyContinue reading “The Heroine by Eaton Stannard Barrett”
Darkness at Pemberly by T. H. White
If you have read my earlier post about the Austen in Austin exhibit at the Ransom Center in Austin, you will have seen a reference to this book in my comments. After I visited the exhibit and heard Janine’s talk, I had to find the book and read it. This little book combined two ofContinue reading “Darkness at Pemberly by T. H. White”
The Making of Jane Austen by Devoney Looser
The Making of Jane Austen by Devoney Looser Johns Hopkins University Press (2017), 295 pages Paperback (2019), $19.95 First published in 2017, I am reviewing the 2019 paperback version with a new afterword. For those interested in reception history and Jane Austen reception in particular, this well-researched book contains much that is original and highlyContinue reading “The Making of Jane Austen by Devoney Looser”
Review of new Emma directed by Autumn de Wilde
You can read a professional review here. While I am a professional with regard to book reviews, I am not a professional movie critic, so this is just the opinion of one Janeite, take it for what it is worth. Overall, I found the new Emma very enjoyable. The costumes and scenery–both the exteriors andContinue reading “Review of new Emma directed by Autumn de Wilde”
A Secret Sisterhood by Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney
Full disclosure: I bought this book because of the subtitle: The Literary Friendships of Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, George Eliot and Virginia Woolf. I should have known that I wouldn’t like it from the lack of an Oxford comma in the subtitle, but I pressed on. The authors are academics, and there are endnotes andContinue reading “A Secret Sisterhood by Emily Midorikawa and Emma Claire Sweeney”
The Regency Years by Robert Morrison
The full title is The Regency Years: during which Jane Austen writes, Napoleon fights, Byron makes love, and Britain becomes modern. Morrison’s book is highly readable and engaging, while maintaining a level of scholarly rigor not often seen in works marketed to a lay audience. For those interested, there is a wealth of endnotes andContinue reading “The Regency Years by Robert Morrison”
