Put on you party hats and rip open the streamers. Today is Jane Austen’s 235th birthday! Even Google is getting into the spirit. Isn’t the banner they are displaying today lovely?
Welcome to the Happy Birthday Jane Blog Tour sponsored by Maria Grazia of My Jane Austen Book Club blog. If you have joined the party in progress, you have landed on one of the fifteen Austen bloggers or Austenesque authors that are honoring our favorite author today. The full list of participants is listed at the bottom of this blog post.
In addition to celebratory posts in honor of our dear Jane, there are tons of giveaway prizes. Just leave a comment before December 22, 2010 on one or all of the blog posts on the tour to multiply your chances of winning more of the prizes. Full details of the giveaway can be found on the My Jane Austen Book Club blog who will be announcing the winners.
The Birth of a Genius
Born on the 16 of December in 1775 at Steventon Rectory near Alton Hampshire, Jane entered this world during a record snow storm. She was the seventh child and second daughter born to Reverend George Austen and his wife Cassandra nee Leigh. Here is an excerpt from a letter written on 17 December, 1775 from Jane Austen’s father to his sister-in-law Susannah Walter:
‘You have doubtless been for some time in expectation of hearing from Hampshire, and perhaps wondered a little if we were in our old age grown such bad reckoners but so it was, for Cassy certainly expected to have been brought to bed a month ago: however last night the time came, and without a great deal of warning, everything was soon happily over. We have now another girl, a present plaything for her sister Cassy and a future companion. She is to be Jenny, and seems to me as if she would be as like Henry, as Cassy is to Neddy.’
It is the only remaining written reference to Jane Austen being called Jenny.
Early Education
Educated briefly at The Abbey School in Reading, Jane was basically a home schooled girl. At the knee of her Oxford educated father Reverend Austen she read extensively from her father’s diverse personal library of classics and, wait for it, NOVELS. Books would be her biggest influence in forming her education. Yes. The Austen’s were novel readers. This dramatic emphasis may sound inconsequential today in the age when novels outsell nonfiction hand over fist, but in the late eighteenth-century when Austen was being educated, poetry was the preferred medium. Novels were considered low-brow fare. The novel as we know it today was only yet taking flight on the wings of Samuel Richardson, William Defoe and Henry Fielding. Austen was exposed to these writers through her father, and other more adventurous prose from Gothic fiction writer Anne Radcliffe and her favorite romantic novelist Fanny Burney. Another early influence upon her education was the family’s interest in theatricals. Many popular plays were produced by the Austen children setting the stage, so-to-speak, for her later talent in her novels for creating drama and emotion in her dialogue and building arcs in her plots.
“Run mad as often as you chuse; but do not faint.” Love and Freindship
A Writer in the Making
Reverend Austen encouraged both of his daughters to develop their talents and nurtured their creativity by giving them expensive supplies for writing and drawing. From 1787 to 1793, Jane wrote several poems, stories and plays for the amusement of her family. These were later reassembled into her personal writing journals given to her by her father and transferred into a “fair copy” in three bound notebooks. These are now called her Juvenilia. They contain many comical, far-fetched and boisterous tales of murder, death and romantic melodrama. Exuberant and high-spirited, this was Austen as a writer in the making, totally unbound, experimenting with style, content and letting loose with her wildest imaginings. Among my favorites in this collection are Love and Freindship (yes, note the spelling of e before i), The History of England and The Beautiful Cassandra. You can view scanned images of the original manuscripts at Jane Austen’s Fiction Manuscripts Digital Edition online website. They are a real treat.
Visit the other Happy Birthday, Jane Blog Tour posts today:
- Adriana Zardini, at Jane Austen Sociedad do Brasil
- Laurel Ann, at Austenprose – A Jane Austen Blog
- Vic Sanborn, at Jane Austen’s World
- Katherine Cox, at November’s Autumn
- Karen Wasylowski, at Karen Wasylowski Blog
- Laurie Viera Rigler, at Jane Austen Addict Blog
- Lynn Shepherd, at her Lynn Shepherd Blog
- Jane Greensmith, at Reading, Writing, Working, Playing
- Jane Odiwe, at Jane Austen Sequels Blog
- Alexa Adams, at First Impressions Blog
- Regina Jeffers, at her Regina Jeffers Blog
- Cindy Jones at First Draft Blog
- Janet Mullany at Risky Regencies Blog
- Maria Grazia at My Jane Austen Book Club Blog
- Meredith at Austenesque Reviews
Get Your Free, Free, and did I say Free, Ebooks, for two days only!
In celebration of Jane Austen’s Birthday, Sourcebooks, the world’s leading publisher of Jane Austen fiction, is offering free digital downloads of ten of their popular sequels for two days only, December 16 and 17, 2010. I have placed links to the NookBook editions of each of the books being offered. Follow this link to my previous post listing all ten novels and six of the Jane Austen illustrated editions being offered today. Enjoy!
Here is a link to Sourcebooks for the free Jane Austen eBooks with all of the links to download for Kindle, Nook, iBooks, Sourcebooks, Google eBookstore and Sony eBookstore.
Happy Birthday Jane. Thanks for many, many hours of enjoyment.
Cheers,
Laurel Ann
© 2007-2010 Laurel Ann Nattress, Austenprose
Laurel Ann (Austenprose)
Virginia Claire
Christina B.
RegencyRomantic
shelleydewees
Br. Paul Byrd, OP
Aia A. Hussein
Lucy Warriner
Jeffrey
Lisa Galek
Loving all the Jane Austen blogs today!
I love Jane Austen! She brightens my life. Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday, Jane Austen! So glad to be part of this blog tour, Laurel Ann!
Happy Birthday!!! what a lovely tribute and enjoy life!!!
Happy Birthday, my dear Jane!
I love reading about Jane’s education. How fortunate she was to have access to an extensive library and to be able to read Novels!!
I enjoyed being able to read her early works in her own hand. I wish my handwriting was that elegant.
Happy Birthday Jane!
I own that I am more than a little envious of the education and freedom Jane’s family provided her with… If only my parents had been readers!
Happy birthday Jane Austen! Thanks for the event:)
I love reading about Janes education!!!
It was my love of Jane Austen and a dare of one of my students who led me to my writing career. Thank you, Jane Austen, for the inspiration you give to each of us.
I love the link to the digital edition of her manuscripts. Happy Birthday Jane Austen!
What a great event this is. Can’t believe how large the Austen-family worldwide is. Am very happy to be a tiny part of it, all thanks to that girl that was born so many years ago. Happy birthday, Jane!
Thank you for doing this. I can never have too much Austen.
I love Jane Austen! Happy Birthday!
It’s such a great pleasure to celebrate our dear Jane in such good company! Thanks Laurel Ann for joining and good luck to all commenters for the final draw. Last but not least, Happy Birthday, Jane!
You really do learn something new every day. I had NO idea Jane was called Jenny by her family (even if only temporarily). Happy Birthday, Jenny-Jane!
Happy birthday to greatest woman of all time!
Thanks Laurel Ann for participating with us in this fantastic day!
Jane was great with her stories!
PS. I guess people should have written their email addresses, isn’t it?
Big hugs,
Adriana Zardini
Hi Adriana – they do not need to leave their email address in the body of the comment. I refer that they do not to protect their privacy. I can retrieve it from the admin side.
I’m so thrilled Jane Austen has so many fans around the world. I will always think that she is the best woman author and my favourite! She has inspired me in so many ways and it’s because of her lovely masterpieces that I want to become an author.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JANE!
Great post!!
~Sara S.
What a lovely site this is, and your comments were excellent. Thank you for providing those links to the manuscripts. It’s a pleasure to be a part of such a wonderful day.
Thank you so much for providing a link to the scans of her original Juvenilia manuscripts! Such a treasure for us!
Happy 235th birthday, Jane!
What a wonderful day and what wonderful prizes! Thank you to give us this chance!
Happy B.Day Jane!
Lovely tribute to Jane’s Birthday and a lovely celebration on the many blogs taking part. I enjoy reading your blog each day. Happy Birthday to our dear Jane !!!
Happy Birthday Jane!
Great post, and the picture from Love and Freindship was the best. :)
A fabulous celebration! Thanks for making Jane’s birthday even more fun today, Laurel Ann ;).
What a pleasure to see so many posts dedicated to Jane Austen today!
Happy Birthday, Jane!
But your link doesn’t take us to the post you cite. Here’s the one you want:
http://austenprose.com/2010/12/14/download-free-jane-austen-inspired-ebooks-on-her-birthday-december-16-2010/
Thanks for finding my mistake Rhonda. It has been duly updated. *blush*
Happy birthday to a wonderful lady.
Thanks for all the happy hours of reading.
Terie
Lovely post, Laurel Ann, as ever! I wanted to join your party too!
Wonderful post! Enjoying celebrating Jane today!
What a lovely idea! Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!
How fortunate she was to have such a wonderful education. I truly think it played a huge role in her becoming such a splendid writer and observer of human nature!
I love the illustration you picked for my favorite Austen quote, “Run mad as often as you chuse; but do not faint.”
I also love Cassandra’s drawings for Austen’s early stories. I’ve often wondered if she did any drawings for the later novels.
I’ve also regretted that Jane wasn’t called Jenny beyond her birth, but I could be alone in that :)
Great post about the early works of a great artist.
Enjoy the day!
I do so enjoy re-reading through her Juvenalia writings! She was so full of imagination and exciting ideas even from a young age!
Happy Birthday dearest Jane! You are loved! :)
Great post, Laurel Ann. I love the little tidbit that Jane was to be called Jenny, and that she was exposed to NOVELS as she was growing up. A fun blog adventure today.
Happy happy Birthday to our darling Jane. A pleasure to be celebrating with so friends.
Great post–I didn’t know that she was to be called Jenny, either! Happy birthday, Jane!
Loved the quote from from Friendship, now that show why Jane is my hero. Love her timeless wisdom! Happy Birthday, Jane!
Vidya
Happy Birthday, Jane Austen.
Is anyone else having trouble finding the free books on Amazon.com. I am! I really hope they show up as free soon!
Jennifer
[...] 7. Austenprose – Not only posts a blog in “A Celebration of her Legacy – Her Juvenilia” [...]
Loving this blog tour!! Happy Birthday Jane Austen!
Laurel Ann, thank you for this. I have never read Jane’s Juvenilia. I will search it out.
Thanks once again,
Tony
Happy Birthday, dear Jane!
I’m loving the blog tour! All the post are wonderful!
Priscila Murlik
loved learning more about jane in this post, especially the bit about jenny!
FYI Amazon ebooks are now showing up as free.
Jennifer
Happy Birthday, Jane Austen!
Thank you for introducing me to the wonderful world of english literature!
Natallie Chagas
natallienazareth.ac @ bol.com.br
[...] [...]
Thanks for sharing this info, images and links! So glad I found so many great Jane Austen blogs tru this birthday event!
Happy Birthday to the author whose status among literary immortals ranks with Shakespeare, Dickens, and Faulkner.
Happy 235th birthday, dear Jane!!
Thank you for this very interesting read!
Happy Birthday, Jane! You have given me so much through your writings… thank you.
I’d love to join the giveaway.
My email address is cassie(at)literaryladies(dot)com
I am enjoying the blog hop today as well!
Happy Birthday Jane! Thank you for writing books that I can share with loved ones and read over and over again.
Happy Birthday, dear Jane!
I’m enjoying the celebrations on all the sites!
wow, lots of good information! Thanks!
Happy birthday Jane Austen! A genius of literature!
Happy Birthday Jane!!
<3
How interesting that her father called her Jenny. I guess it works as a nickname for Jane, but I can’t picture it. Happy birthday Jane!
Happy Birthday Jane! Thanks to this blog. I have all of her books on my new Kindle. What fun!
That picture made me smile, thanks for posting it!
Happy Birthday, Jane! Thanks for all the sweet memories you have given me over the years – i.e. Mr. Darcy.
Margay
Happy Birthday to Jane, and thanks for the enjoyable tribute, Laurel Ann. I hadn’t known that Jane was Jenny to her family.
Abigail
Happy Birthday Jane, and my thanks to all who continue to pass on her legacy. Your efforts are appreciated more than you know.
Fabulous post! Love the Google banner. Happy birthday Jane!
I don’t know the Juvenilia as well as I know the big six. I look forward to dipping into the Cambridge Edition, which my husband gave me for a present.
Happy birthday to our dear Jane Austen. :)
We took a client to lunch today and the first order of business was to toast Jane’s birthday.
I didn’t know about the Jenny thing either! I’d like to read some of her early work.
I enjoyed reading all of this information, too!
Happy Birthday, Dear Jane! Thanks for the gentle reminder about the Austen’s love of novels. So important, indeed!
Happy Birthday Jane! This blog tour has been the highlight of this Holiday Season for me & I am so grateful to all of you who contributed.
For fans of Jane this doesn’t get any better!
Laurel Ann, Your work here is beautiful & is a gift to all of us!
Grazie mille!
Thank you Sophia. What a lovely gift in return.
Happy Birthday to Our Beloved Jane! The Janeite family continues to grow:)
[...] Laurel Ann at Austenprose [...]
Happy Birthday Jane. You have so many Janeites, I am sure you would be thrilled.
Happy Birthday dear Jane. The Google doodle made my day :) Thanks for this great post!
P.S Laurel Ann, I have contacted you with my id as requested.
You know…except for a few basic facts, I know close to nothing about Jane Austen save what comes through of her in her novels. After reading this review I am sorely tempted to get ahold of a biography of hers!
Juvinillia sounds like a treat!….I’m off to book mark your links and go through them leisurely!
Happy Birthday, Jane. You are truly an inspiration for all of us.
Thanks Laurel for summing up Jane’s early life. Really enjoyed reading your post.
evangelineace2020(at)yahoo(dot)com
The older Jane gets, the better she looks!
Happy B’day Jane! A wonderful way to bring in the Jane community in a single page..
Happy Birthday, Jane. You are truly an inspiration for all of us. Thanks Laurel for summing up Jane’s early life. Really enjoyed reading your post. evangelineace2020(at)yahoo(dot)com
Happy Birthday, Jane. You are truly an inspiration for all of us. Thanks Laurel for summing up Jane’s early life. Really enjoyed reading your post. evangelineace2020(at)yahoo(dot)com
Happy Birthday Jane!