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Archive for the ‘Jane Austen’s Letters’ Category

Austenprose’s Jane Austen Birthday Soiree – December 16, 2011 – with tons of Giveaways!

Posted in Austenesque Authors, Austenesque Books, Jane Austen Inspired, Jane Austen Quotes, Jane Austen's Letters, Jane Austen's Works, tagged , , , , , , on 16 December 2011 | 120 Comments »

Jane Austen Warhol Banner

HAPPY 236th BIRTHDAY JANE AUSTEN!

Welcome to our contribution to the Austen’s Birthday Soiree!

Austen's Birthday Soiree 2012We are participating in the Austen’s Birthday Soiree, hosted by Katherine Cox of November’s Autumn & Maria Grazia of My Jane Austen Book Club. The daylong blog hop will feature a post in celebration of Jane Austen, her life, her novels and the era in which she lived at each of the 31 blogs!

Quick links to participants in Austen’s Birthday Soiree

  1. Blog: Sharon Lathan
  2. Blog: O! Beauty Unattempted
  3. Blog: Austenprose
  4. Blog: SemiTrue Stories
  5. Blog: First Draft
  6. Blog: Regency Skethes
  7. Blog: Brant Flakes
  8. Blog: Mesmered’s Blog
  9. Blog: The Heroine’s Bookshelf
  10. Blog: vvb32 reads
  11. Blog: The Fiction vs. Reality Smackdown
  12. Blog: ReginaJeffers’s Blog
  13. Blog: Alyssa Goodnight   
  14. Blog: Jane Austen in Vermont
  15. Blog: Jane Started It!
  16. Blog: Choc Lit Authors’ Corner
  17. Blog: Reading, Writing, Working, Playing
  18. Blog: The Jane Austen Film Club 
  19. Blog: El Salón de Té de Jane
  20. Blog: Kaitlin Saunders
  21. Blog: One Literature Nut
  22. Blog: Patrice Sarath
  23. Blog: Jane Austen Brasil
  24. Blog: Jane Austen Sequels 
  25. Blog: Stiletto Storytime
  26. Blog: Jennifer W. Becton
  27. Blog: Urban Girl Takes Vermont
  28. Blog: Pemberley Variations 
  29. Blog: AustenAuthors
  30. Blog: November’s Autumn
  31. Blog: My Jane Austen Book Club

Our Tribute to her Letters

Jane Austen's Letters, Fourth Edition, collected and edited by Deirdre Le Faye (2011The fourth edition of Jane Austen’s Letters, collected and edited by Deirdre Le Faye was just released in October in the UK and December in the US by the good folks at Oxford University Press. It has some new additions to the text, including a new preface by Le Faye, subject index (huzzah), but sadly no new letters were discovered.  What remains of her correspondence is all here – and for those who have not delved beyond her prose, her letters might surprise you. They start in 1796 and continue until her death in 1817.

Here are some choice quotes from her letters:

Here I am once more in this scene of dissipation and vice, and I begin already to find my morals corrupted. 23 August 1796

What dreadful hot weather we have! It keeps one in a continual state of inelegance.         18 September 1796

Next week I shall begin my operations on my hat, on which you know my principal hopes of happiness depend. 27 October 1798

I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal. 24 December 1798

You deserve a longer letter than this; but it is my unhappy fate seldom to treat people so well as they deserve. 24 December 1798

We have been exceedingly busy ever since you went away. In the first place we have had to rejoice two or three times everyday at your having such very delightful weather for the whole of your journey. 25 November 1800

You will have a great deal of unreserved discourse with Mrs. K., I dare say, upon this subject, as well as upon many other of our family matters. Abuse everybody but me. 07 January 1807

I begin already to weigh my words and sentences more than I did, and am looking about for a sentiment, an illustration, or a metaphor in every corner of the room. Could my Ideas flow as fast as the rain in the Storecloset it would be charming. 24 January 1809

How horrible it is to have so many people killed! And what a blessing that one cares for none of them! 31 May 1811

I will not say that your mulberry-trees are dead, but I am afraid they are not alive. 31 May 1811

I could not sit seriously down to write a serious romance under any other motive than to save my life; and if it were indispensable for me to keep it up and never relax into laughing at myself or at other people, I am sure I should be hung before I had finished the first chapter. 01 April 1816

The little bit (two inches wide) of ivory on which I work with so fine a brush as produces little effect after much labour. 16 December 1816

Single Women have a dreadful propensity for being poor—which is one very strong argument in favour of Matrimony. 13 March 1817

SUPER SPECTACULAR JANE AUSTEN BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Jane Austen Made Me Do It, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress (2011)In celebration of Jane Austen’s birthday, we are offering readers a chance to win twenty Austen items:

And…just for the heck of it…advance reading copies of:

To qualify for one of the giveaway items (one item per person) please leave a comment stating which of the giveaways you are dying to read and wish Jane Austen a happy birthday! Contest ends on 11:59 pm, Wednesday, December 21, 2011. Winners announced on Thursday, December 22, 2012. To claim your prize, please respond by contacting us with the name of the book that you won in the subject line and your full name and address by Wednesday, December 28, 2011. Shipment to US and Canadian addresses only.

Good luck to all.

Happy Birthday Jane Austen!

Cheers,

Laurel Ann

© 2007 – 2011 Laurel Ann Nattress, Austenprose

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4th Edition of Jane Austen’s Letters Due Out in November

Posted in Jane Austen Book Sleuth, Jane Austen's Letters, Jane Austen's Life & Times, Jane Austen's Works, tagged , , , , , on 9 April 2011 | 6 Comments »

Jane Austens Letters, edited by Deirdre Le Faye, 4th Edition (2011)Exciting news for Janeites! Deirdre Le Faye’s incredible scholarship on Jane Austen and her family continues in this new edition of Jane Austen’s Letters.

Many will be thrilled to learn that this 4th edition not only includes a new cover, but updates! Here is the description from Oxford University Press:

Jane Austen’s letters afford a unique insight into the daily life of the novelist: intimate and gossipy, observant and informative–they read much like the novels themselves. They bring alive her family and friends, her surroundings and contemporary events, all with a freshness unparalleled in modern biographies. Most important, we recognize the unmistakable voice of the author of such novels as Pride and Prejudice and Emma. We see the shift in her writing from witty and amusing descriptions of the social life of town and country, to a thoughtful and constructive tone while writing about the business of literary composition.

R.W. Chapman’s ground-breaking edition of the collected letters first appeared in 1932, and a second edition followed twenty years later. A third edition, edited Deirdre Le Faye in 1997 added new material, re-ordered the letters into their correct chronological sequence, and provided discreet and full annotation to each letter, including its provenance, and information on the watermarks, postmarks, and other physical details of the manuscripts. This new fourth edition incorporates the findings of recent scholarship to further enrich our understanding of Austen and give us the fullest and most revealing view yet of her life and family. In addition, Le Faye has written a new preface, has amended and updated the biographical and topographical indexes, has introduced a new subject index, and had added the contents of the notes to the general index.

Teachers, students, and fans of Jane Austen, at all levels, will find in these letters remarkable insight into one of the most popular novelists ever.

“These are the letters of our greatest novelist. They give glances and hints at her life from the age of 20 to her death at 41, the years in which she wrote her six imperishable books.”

–Claire Tomalin, Independent on Sunday

Features

  • An unparalleled and irresistible insight into the life of Jane Austen
  • A complete and accurate transcript of all Austen’s letters as known to date
  • Integrates the discoveries of recent Austen scholarship to reveal more about her life and family
  • 2011 marks the bicentenary of the publication of Sense and Sensibility, the first of Austen’s novels to appear in print

About the Author

Deirdre Le Faye , now retired, worked for many years in the Department of Medieval & Later Antiquities at the British Museum. She started researching the life and times of Jane Austen and her family in the 1970s, and since then has written several books about them, the latest being A Chronology of Jane Austen and her Family 1600-2000 , as well as numerous articles in literary journals.

The bit that really got my attention was the incorporation of new scholarship and a new preface. Huzzah!

Jane Austen’s Letters, edited by Deirdre Le Faye
Oxford University Press (2011)
Hardcover (688) pages
ISBN: 9780199576074ISBN10

Due to be released on 1 November 2011

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Penelope Hughes-Hallet, Author of My Dear Cassandra Succumbs at 82

Posted in Jane Austen Inspired, Jane Austen's Letters, Jane Austen's Life & Times, Jane Austen's Works, tagged , , , , , , , , , on 3 June 2010 | 4 Comments »

My dear Cassandra, Where shall I begin? Which of all my important nothings shall I tell you first? – Jane Austen, June 15, 1808

Two years ago I purchased the lovely illustrated volume My Dear Cassandra by Penelope Hughes-Hallet (1990). Inspired by Jane Austen’s close relationship with her sister Cassandra, it is chockablock full of her letters embellished with beautiful Georgian and Regency-era color illustrations of landscapes, portraits and buildings mentioned in her correspondence. Sadly, the book is out of print, but can still be purchased online through book dealers at Amazon and Advanced Book Exchange. It was also issued under The Illustrated Letters of Jane Austen in 1996. It is a treasure trove of information on the era and a wonderful glimpse into two famous sister’s correspondence.

On April 1 of this year, Penelope Hughes-Hallet passed away at age 82. Born Penelope Fairbain in London in 1927, she spent her early childhood at Patience Close in Steventon, Hampshire (formerly known in Austen’s time as Glebe Farm). Since Steventon was also Jane Austen’s town of birth, we can imagine that the famous authoress’ life permeated her early life and later inspired her interest in the Regency-era leaving us with four fascinating books, two of which are richly illustrated editions: My Dear Cassandra (1990) and Home at Grasmere: The Wordsworths and the Lakes (1994). Her final book was a novel The Immortal Dinner (2000) inspired by the 1817 dinner-party given in London by the painter Benjamin Haydon whose guests included poets Wordsworth and Keats, author Charles Lamb and other significant men arts and science of the day. It received high praise from critics when it was released and is on my to be read list.

Regretfully, as in many cases with living authors who wish to remain in the background, there was very little information about Hughes-Hallet online when I researched her when I purchased the book. Her obituary in the Telegraph online fills in quite a bit more than we usually see for a minor author and is written with reverence and personal insight, almost like it was from a family member or personal friend. Though it answers my questions about her life and career, I am still craving more sumptuous illustrated editions and clever prose from this author. I think I am so drawn to her work and life because I admire her choices, enthusiasm, perspective and legacy. She seems to have had it all. Raised in Steventon, married with a lovely family and her final years as a respected author. Life does not get much better. R.I.P.

My Dear Cassandra, or The Illustrated Letters of Jane Austen is one of my favorite editions in my Austen library. Please seek it out and take a gander. You will not be disappointed.

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Jane Austen Selected Letters (Oxford World’s Classics) – A Review

Posted in Book Reviews, Jane Austen's Letters, Jane Austen's Novels & Letters Book Reviews, Jane Austen's Works, tagged , , , , , on 31 May 2009 |

Jane Austen Selected=“You deserve a longer letter than this; but it is my unhappy fate seldom to treat people so well as they deserve.” Jane Austen, 24 December 1798 

Jane Austen’s personal correspondence has stirred up controversy since her untimely death in 1817 at age 41. The next year her brother Henry Austen wrote in the ‘Biographical Notice of the Author’ included with the publication of her novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion that she ‘never dispatched a note or a letter unworthy of publication’. Years later, a niece Caroline Austen did not agree, ‘there is nothing in those letters which I have seen that would be acceptable to the public.’ In comparison to her published works, the letters do dwell upon ‘little matters’ of domestic life in the county, but to the patient reader we begin to understand Austen’s life and experiences beyond the minutia and realize through her clever descriptions and acerbic observations how this simple parson’s daughter became the author of novels that are so valued and cherished close to 200 years after their publication. 

This reissue by Oxford University Press of their 2004 edition of Jane Austen Selected Letters is more than worthy of a second printing. Not only does it include two thirds of the known surviving letters and a thoughtful introduction by scholar Vivien Jones chronicling the history of the letters stewardship with the family, its supplemental material alone makes it an incredible value for the price. As with the other Oxford World’s Classics of Austen’s major and minor works that have been reissued this past year, it includes a brief biography, notes on the text, a select bibliography, a chronology of Jane Austen’s life, and explanatory notes. Unique to this edition, and by far the highlight are the glossary of people and places and the detailed index for quick reference. 

For students and Austen enthusiast seeking a compact edition in comparison to the comprehensive and hefty Jane Austen’s Letters edited by Deirdre Le Faye, this reissue is a sleek and densely informative package. Usually I abhor abridged editions of anything, but in this instance we are given an excellent selection of letters and a lively introduction at less than a third of the price of its competitor. In this economy, I say better and better.   

4 out of 5 Regency Stars 

Jane Austen Selected Letters (Oxford World’s Classics)
Selected, introduced and notes by Vivien Jones
Oxford University Press, USA (2009)
ISBN: 978-0199538430

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Austen at Large: Jane Reads Pride and Prejudice to Miss Benn – the luckiest woman in the world

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, Jane Austen's Works, tagged , , , on 21 March 2009 | 10 Comments »

Pride and Prejudice first edition (1813)I have been reading Austen’s letters this week that have to do with Pride and Prejudice, and in them I have found a very intriguing story. When Pride and Prejudice was first published, Jane and her mother read the story aloud over several nights to Miss Benn who was dinning with them. Jane read the first half one night, and her mother read the second half on another evening. In letters to her sister Cassandra on 29 January 1813 and then again on 4 February 1813, Jane Austen explains…

“Miss Benn dinned with us on the very day of the Books coming, & in the evening we set fairly at it & read half the first volume to her – prefacing that having intelligence from Henry that such a work would soon appear we had desired him to send it whenever it came out – & I believe it passed with her unsuspected.“

I don’t know if Miss Benn knew how lucky she was. It is slightly unclear whether Miss Benn ever knew that Jane Austen was the author or not, but I got the impresTitle page from a first edition of Pride and Prejudice (1813)sion that at least at first she didn’t. What a lucky lady! Who would not kill to have Jane Austen read the part of Mrs. Bennet or Elizabeth? It would have been a truly magical experience.

Miss Benn was the younger sister of the Reverend John Benn who was the rector of Farringdon. She was unmarried and living in very poor circumstances in Chawton, close to the Austen’s. She dined with them frequently, as we can see in some of Jane’s letters and is often remembered by Cassandra who gave her a gift of a shawl. Though she was a very poor ‘old maid’, I think she has an enviable situation because she got to hear Jane Austen read Pride and Prejudice aloud.

Jane Austen also writes about Miss Benn’s enjoyment of the novel. “She was amused, poor soul! That she could not help you know, with two such people to lead the way; but she really does seem to admire Elizabeth.” Then we get to the famous quote about Jane Austen’s view of Elizabeth saying…

“I must confess that I think her as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print & how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like her at least, I do not know.”

The second night of reading did not go over as well as the first because Jane writes in the February 4th letter remarking, ”I had had some fits of disgust.” Miss Benn was again at the second reading for Pride and Prejudice but Jane tells Cassandra of some problems with their mother’s reading of the novel. She says, “I believe something must be attributed to my Mother’s too rapid way of getting on.” I can just imagine Mrs. Austen rushing through one of Jane’s favorite passages and how annoying that would have been to her. I am sIllustration of a morning dress from La Belle Assemblee (1813)ure she had specific voices in her head for characters and specific ways that conversations would have happened, but Mrs. Austen must not have been doing the best job. Jane explains to Cassandra, “& though she perfectly understands the characters herself, she cannot speak as they ought. Upon the whole however I am quite vain enough & well satisfied enough.”

We can only imagine what it would have been like to be a fly on the wall that evening and what a great thing it must have been. To hear Jane Austen read her own beloved characters the day that she received the text in the mail, whoa! I can only dream in my head how wonderfully witty that would have been. (NOT ANYTHING LIKE THE READING IN THE MOVIE BECOMING JANE AT THE VERY END!!! ) She must have been thrilled, exuberant, excited and yet able to conceal it all from Miss Benn who did not know that Jane was the author, and how lucky she was to be hearing the first reading of the newly published Pride and Prejudice. If only there was such a thing as a time machine, I would go back to that night just to be a fly on the wall.

Until next week,

Virginia Claire

Virginia Claire, our Austen at Large roving reporter is a college student studying English literature and history who just returned from her time studying abroad in Bath England and working as an intern at the Jane Austen Centre. She is the Regional Coordinator of JASNA North Carolina and a lifelong Janeite. She will be sharing her thoughts on all things Austen this semester and remembering her travels in Austenland.

Further reading 

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Jane Austen’s Letters: What a bit of pewter will supply

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, Jane Austen's Works, tagged , , , , , , , on 17 March 2009 | 4 Comments »

Illustration from Ackermann's Repository, a Walking Dress (1817)My Dearest 

The parcel arrived safely, & I am much obliged to you for your trouble. It cost 2 shillings 10 but as there is a certain savings of 2 shillings 4 ½ on the other side, I am sure it is well worth doing. I send 4 pair of Silk Stockings but I do not want them washed at present. In the 3 neckhandfs, I include the one sent down before. These things perhaps Edward may be able to bring, but even if he is not, I am extremely pleased with his returning to you from Steventon. It is much better – far preferable. I did mention P.R. (Prince Regent) in my note to Mr. Murray, it brought me a fine compliment in return; whether it has done any good I do not know, but Henry thought it worth trying. The Printers continue to supply me very well, I am advanced in vol. 3 to my arra-root, upon which peculiar style of spelling, there is a modest query in the Margin. I will not forget Anna’s arrow-root. I hope you have told Martha of my first resolution of letting nobody know that I might dedicate &c for fear of being obliged to do it & that she is thoroughly convinced of my being influenced now by nothing but the most mercenary motives. I have paid nine shillings on her account on her account to Miss Palmer; there was no more owing. Well, we were very busy all yesterday; from ½ past 11 to 4 in the Streets, working almost entirely for other people, driving from Place to Place after a parcel for Sandling which we could never find, & encountering the miseries of Grafton House to get a purple frock for Eleanor Bridges. Letter to Cassandra, 26 November 1815 from Hans Place, London 

1815 were heady times for Jane Austen. Her novel Emma had been accepted for publication by John Murray, one of the most important and influential publishing houses in London. She would be in fine company with Sir Walter Scott, Washington Irving, Lord Byron, George Crabbe (her personal favorite) and many others on Murray’s roister of prestigious authors. She had learned that the Prince Regent so admired her first three novels that he would endorse her new effort by allowing her to dedicate it to him. Though she did not agree with this lifestyle, she did not decline the honor, knowing full well what the publicity and sales would generate. “…but tho’ I like praise as well as anybody, I like what Edward calls Pewter too.”(Letter to Cassandra, 30 November 1814). Even though she has book royalties coming in, she is still keenly aware of how much a shilling is worth! 

You can feel her energy and confidence in her letters of this period. As a spinster, she was dependent on her family for financial support. Emma would be her fourth novel to earn her ‘pewter’, and even though it would be published at her expense, she would realize the profits after the payment of a 10 percent commission was paid to Murray. [1] With money coming in and further recognition of her talent, she was experiencing a bit of pride and self-assurance in her life. In this letter to her sister Cassandra from her brother Henry’s residence of Hans Place in London, we see her bustling about town to purchase or collect items for neighbors and family, and a few niceties for herself. The bit about the 4 pairs of silk stockings always makes me smile. It pleases me to think of Jane Austen able to purchase such a luxury items from her own hard earned funds and so concerned over their care. Silk does shrink when you wash it! 

Reading her letters brings her life closer to heart. Even the smallest enjoyment of silk stockings, or her kindness in running errands for her in-law Eleanor Bridges, who was the wife of a Baronet and far richer than Austen would ever be, is enchanting. I can just envision her calling at Grafton House, a stylish linen-drapers on New Bond Street to collect Mrs. Bridges frock, and being amazed at the choice of the color purple. One can only imagine what she had to say to her sister Cassandra in private over her color choice! Oh what a bit of pewter can supply! 

Further reading 

1. David Gilson, A Bibliography of Jane Austen, 2nd ed., Oak Knoll Press, New Castle, Delaware (1997) pp 67

Vintage flourish urn

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Sarah Chauncey Woolsey an admirer of Jane Austen

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, Victorian Authors, tagged , , , , on 28 December 2008 | 1 Comment »

Image of Sarah Chauncey WoolseyIt would have excited in her an amused incredulity, no doubt, had any one predicted that two generations after her death the real recognition of her powers was to come. Time, which like desert sands has effaced the footprints of so many promising authors, has, with her, served as the desert wind, to blow aside those dusts of the commonplace which for a while concealed her true proportions. She is loved more than she ever hoped to be, and far more widely known. Sarah Chauncey Woolsey, Jane Austen’s Letters (1892). 

This quote is from the preface to Jane Austen’s Letters: Selected from the Compilation of her Great Nephew, Edward, Lord Brabourne (1892) by the famous American children’s author Sarah Chauncey Woolsey. As the editor, she selected about seventy eight of the original ninety six letters from the 1884 English edition and wrote the insightful short preface praising Austen and celebrating her recent revival. 

Like Jane Austen, Woolsey wrote under a pen name, was a bit forward thinking in women’s rights and never married. She greatly admired Austen’s character Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. I can feel a bit of Lizzy’s independence and wish to marry only for love in this passage from her poem Of Such As I Have. 

“Love me for what I am, Love. Not for sake

Of some imagined thing which I might be,

Some brightness or some goodness not in me,

Born of your hope, as dawn to eyes that wake

Imagined morns before the morning break.” 

Read Sarah Chauncey Woolsey’s complete preface to Jane Austen’s Letters (1892) in the Opinions section right here at Austenprose.

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Jane Austen and the Modesty of Genius

Posted in Jane Austen Inspired, Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , , , , , , , on 13 July 2008 | 5 Comments »

I would not let Martha read First Impressions again upon any account, and am very glad that I did not leave it in your power. She is very cunning, but I saw through her design; she means to publish it from memory, and one more perusal must enable her to do it. Letter to Cassandra Austen, 11 June 1799 

Jane Austen’s Biographer Claire Tomalin has a nice article in the Guardian today about how modesty and secrecy fueled Austen’s genius. Tomalin’s bio Jane Austen: A Life was published in 1997 and is one of my favorites. It’s good to see that she is still interested in writing about Austen after the publication of her book over ten years ago. It’s a short piece, but packed full of historical nuggets of Janeisms, and centered around Jane Austen’s now famous small writing table. 

This fragile 12-sided piece of walnut on a single tripod must be the smallest table ever used by a writer, and it is where she established herself as a writer…having no room of her own, she established herself near the little-used front door, and here “she wrote upon small sheets of paper which could easily be put away, or covered with a piece of blotting paper”.  

Reading her insights made me reflect on Jane Austen’s unique writing environment, and the odds of anyone ever producing anything of merit under such restrictions. It is amazing to think that the majority of her writing and re-writing transpired on one small wooden table, and that upon her death it passed to her sister Cassandra, and then out of the family to a servant. How it made its way back to Chawton Cottage intact must be a very interesting tale indeed! 

I have not had the pleasure of seeing Jane Austen’s writing table personally, but for those of you who have made the pilgrimage, I would love to hear your story of your visit to Jane Austen’s last home in Chawton, how it felt to see her personal environment, and gaze upon the biggest little table in literary history. 

Writer Claire Tomalin is an English biographer and journalist who was educated at Cambridge University. She has written several biographies; notably Thomas Hardy (2007), Samuel Pepys (2002), The Life and Death of Mary Wollstonecraft (1992) and Shelley and His World (1992). She is married to playwright Michael Frayn and lives in London. Of course, her most important work to date is Jane Austen: A Life!

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Jane Austen and The Battle of Waterloo

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, Jane Austen's Life & Times, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 18 June 2008 | 3 Comments »

Illustration of the Allies entering Paris after Napoleons defeat at Waterloo, October 1815

Allied troops entering Paris after the defeat of Napoleon Bonaparte

“the little bit (two inches wide) of ivory on which I work with so fine a brush, as produces so little effect after so much labour” Letter to Edward Austen, 16 December 1816, The Letters of Jane Austen

Today marks the anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, which is generally credited as Napoleon Bonaparte’s final defeat; – a significant event in European history that deeply affected the lives of every Englishman and the World. Bonaparte would soon surrender his troops and abdicate the throne, ending a seventeen year conflict between Britain and France, and other European nations. You can read a complete account of the battle here.  

Jane Austen had very little to say about the Battle of Waterloo or any aspect of the Napoleonic War, and that really irritated some of her critics. For some reason, the fact that she did not discuss politics or war in her novels makes her somehow negligent and narrow as an authoress. Her surviving personal correspondence is a bit better, with dribs and drabs of comment to her sister Cassandra about their two brothers Frank and Charles who served as sailors in his Majesties Navy, and were deep into the thick of the fighting. 

She lived almost her entire life in the shadow of the Napoleon’s tyranny. To criticize her because she chose not to include mention of it or other external political events in her novels is a misunderstanding of her intensions. Author David Nokes in his biography Jane Austen: A Life, touches upon this point and offers a logical explanation. 

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Breaking News: Tornado Tom Lefroy Hits Austenland

Posted in Jane Austen Humor, Jane Austen in the News, Jane Austen's Letters, Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 12 June 2008 | 2 Comments »

Image of miniature portrait of Tom Lefroy, (1798)“At length the day is come on which I am to flirt my last with Tom Lefroy … My tears flow as I write at the melancholy idea” Jane Austen Letter to Cassandra Austen, 16 January 1796, The Letters of Jane Austen

My Dear Miss Austen,  

Our tears flow too dear Jane. A tornado has hit the gentle shores of your Austenland, and it’s not a pretty sight. We would be remiss if we did not mention that they are at it again; - the ladies and gentleman of the press; – yes - they are claiming that your youthful flirtation with Tom Lefroy inspired you to create your character Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice! Sigh. 

It appears that the day has not yet come on which the press is to flirt thier last with Tom Lefroy. Just when we thought that the brouhaha created by last year’s wobbly bio-pic of your youth, Becoming Jane, had settled down a bit, the present owners of a miniature portrait of your ‘puppy love’ Mr. Lefroy have offered it for sale at the Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair, June 12th to 18th, in London. The online news agencies have been aflutter with the news my dear Jane, and I fear the gossip is less than kind. 

  • THE real-life inspiration for TV sexbomb Mr Darcy has been revealed – as a skinny GEEK, The Sun
  • Austen’s Real-life Mr. Darcy a Frail Wimp, NineMSN
  • Jane Austen’s real Mr. Darcy had Girlish Looks, The Telegraph 
  • The Real Mr. Darcy is no Colin Firth, UPI Entertainment News

Some poor misguide souls have even gone so far as to claim that Mr. Lefroy looks like a “skinny geek“, “a pale wimp“, “limp lettuce“, “and a wispy-haired girlie, who looks so delicate that he might even weigh less than Elizabeth Bennet.”

(more…)

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Jane Austen’s Dearest Friendship with Miss Sharp Still Resonates Today

Posted in Jane Austen Book Sleuth, Jane Austen's Emma, Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , on 7 June 2008 | 5 Comments »

You would have held the memory of your friend Jane too in tender regret I am sure. – But the Providence of God has restored me – & may I be more fit to appear before him when I am summoned, than I sh’d have been now! – Sick or Well, beleive me ever your attached friend. J. Austen Letter to Anne Sharp, 22 May 1817

Image of three volumes first edition of Emma, presented to Ann SharpJaneites with deep pockets and warm hearts will be winging their way to London for the June 24th auction of a first edition of Emma being offered at Bonham’s Auction House. The rare three volume presentation copy of Jane Austen’s fourth and final novel to be published in her lifetime was a gift from the authoress to Anne Sharp, a dear friend and previous governess to her brother Edward Austen Knight’s daughter Fanny at Godmersham, Kent.

Bonham’s online catalogue description contains some interesting facts.

Jane Austen was allocated twelve presentation copies by the publisher John Murray. Of these, nine were sent to family members (including Jane herself), one to the librarian of the Prince Regent (to whom the work was dedicated), and one to Countess Morley, these last under obligation from the publisher. The present copy is the only one given to a personal friend, testament to the strength of Jane’s feelings for Anne.

First editions of Jane Austen’s novels can garner healthy prices. A November 2007 article in Antiquarian Books listed a recent sale of a three volume set of Sense and Sensibility by Bloomsbury Auctions in New York for $48,000.00. (1) Because the ‘Anne Sharp’ edition of Emma has unique provenance, and no known presentation copies of Emma have ever hit the market before, Bonham’s is anticipating a sale price between £50,000 to £70,000. This could be quite a windfall for its present UK owner who had the volumes shelved in their family library for three generations without a clue as to how their ancestors acquired them. One wonders what else they have loitering about, and why they chose this moment to dispose of them!

Illustration of Godmersham Park, Kent, England

Godmersham Park, Kent, home of the Edward Austen Knight family circa 1804

Anne Sharp served as governess to Fanny Knight (1793-1882) Jane Austen’s niece, at Godmersham from 1804 to 1806, resigning for health reasons. (2) She is mentioned fondly several times in Jane Austen’s letters to her sister Cassandra and in this wonderful passage from Claire Tomalin’s biography of Jane Austen.  (more…)

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My Personal Austen: Does Reading Jane Austen Make Me a Better Person?

Posted in Jane Austen Inspired, Jane Austen's Letters, Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , on 30 May 2008 | 7 Comments »

Image of a Silhouette of Jane AustenIf anyone out there has ever wondered where I get my inspiration to write continually about one subject – Jane Austen – for six months and counting, you might be amused at what from time-to-time inspires those brain cells into action. Many times, I will be Googling along and happen upon something that I was not searching for in the first place. Serendipity and all that! Often I get an inspiration while driving in my car! Go figure. Here is a meanderin’ tale of my trail of discovery and inspiration for this post today!

Recently I purchased the most amazing book My Dear Cassandra: The Letters of Jane Austen, selected and introduced by Penelope Hughes-Hallet, Clarkson, Collins, New York (1990). I had been aware of this book for years, but had never had the pleasure of seeing it first hand. A few months ago I read a beaming review of it by Book Chronicle whose opinions I respect and admire, resulting in it being pushed up to the top of my ‘must have’ Austen book queue. Yes, gentle readers; – I keep a list! La! 

Image of the cover of My Dear Cassandra, edited by Penelope Hughes-Hallet, Clarson & Potter, New York (1990)

The book is sadly no longer in print, which is *never* a deferent to this obsessive used book lover! I was able to track down an American first edition in ‘like new’ condition at Advance Book Exchange (www.abe.com). Hurrah! It arrived last week, and it is an eye popper; beautifully designed, copiously illustrated and reverently edited. It was a spiritual experience for me, like one of those beautiful Medieval illuminated manuscripts that monks laboured over for years to glorify the Bible! The holy grail of Austen books. Wow! Serious book swoon here!  (more…)

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Buying Austen Books a Disagreeable Duty? Never!

Posted in Austenesque Books, Jane Austen Book Sleuth, Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 14 May 2008 | 2 Comments »

Illustration of Jane Austen by J. BoneSince I wrote last, my 2nd edition (Sense and Sensibility) has stared me in the face. Mary tells me that Eliza means to buy it. I wish she may. It can hardly depend upon any more Fyfield Estates. I cannot help hoping that many will feel themselves obliged to buy it. I shall not mind imagining it a disagreeable duty to them, so as they do it. Mary heard before she left home that it was very much admired at Cheltenham, and that it was given to Miss Hamilton. It is pleasant to have such a respectable writer named. I cannot tire you, I am sure, on this subject, or I would apologise. Letter to Cassandra Austen, 6 November 1813, Jane Austen’s Letters 

Jane Austen jokes to her sister Cassandra that it is a disagreeable duty for her public to buy her books. If so, then we should all be so unhappy to bear such a burden. 

Being the attentive Austen book buyer, I felt compelled to fulfill my duty to Miss Austen and purchase a few volumes with a Barnes & Noble gift card that happened my way. I could not be happier with my recent selections. Here is a peek at my choices.  (more…)

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Austen’s Regretted Mischance to See Mrs. Siddons

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, Jane Austen's Life & Times, tagged , , , , , , , , , , , on 10 May 2008 | 1 Comment »

Image of the painting Sarah Siddons by Thomas Gainsborough“I have no chance of seeing Mrs. Siddons.  – She did act on Monday, but Henry was told by the Boxkeeper that he did not think she would, the places, & all thought of it, were given up. I should have particularly liked to see her in Constance, & could swear at her with little effort for disappointing me. Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra, 25 April 1811, London, The Letters of Jane Austen 

Jane Austen took every opportunity to enjoy the London theatre scene when she stayed in town with her brother Henry Austen. In 1811, she was looking forward to seeing the great tragedienne actress of the day, Mrs. Siddons, who was currently playing Constance in King John at Covent Garden. Imagine her excitement at the prospect of seeing the icon of British theatre who was nearing the end of her long and infamous career. When their best laid plans were spoiled by a misinformed Boxkeeper, (an attendant at the theatre who was responsible for managing the box seats), I pity poor Henry the arduous task of breaking the bad news to his sister. Their disappointment must have been doubled when they later learned that Mrs. Siddons had performed, but in another production! No wonder Jane Austen wants to swear at her! 

Illustration of Mrs. Siddons as Lady MacbethSarah Siddons (1755-1831) and Jane Austen (1775-1817) share three coincidences together; 1.) They both resided in Bath and Southampton, but not at the same time; – Mrs. Siddons lived in Bath early in her career and in Southampton after her retirement in 1812. 2.) They also shared an affinity for Shakespeare; – Siddons by her portrayals of his tragic heroines such as Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Desdemona in Othello, Rosalind in As You Like It, and Ophelia in Hamlet, and Austen by reading and studying of his works, and referencing them in her novels. 3.) They are both considered by critics and the public to be early icons of their genre; Mrs. Siddons as the first modern ‘star’, and Miss Austen as the first modern novelist.   (more…)

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See Jane Austen Sell, – and sell, and sell…

Posted in Austenesque Books, Jane Austen Book Sleuth, Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , , , , on 10 March 2008 | 2 Comments »

Image of What Would Jane Say greeting cardPROFIT

Walter Scott has no business to write novels, especially good ones. It is not fair. He has fame and profit enough as a poet, and should not be taking the bread out of the mouths of other people. Letter to Cassandra Austen, The Letters of Jane Austen, 28 September 1814

Newsflash from the book trenches! Jane Austen is a popular author. Really, you say?

This will of course not be a surprise to any Janeite, but it appears that it is to the suits and skirts at book publishing headquarters. She has caught them off guard, and the shelves are empty! Three of the major collections of her novels that were recently released in anticipation of The Complete Jane Austen series airing on PBS, are now out of stock. Gone, nada, zip. Sold out!

Seven Novels, Barnes & Nobel, (2007)Recently, I announced the release of the new deluxe edition of Jane Austen: Seven Novels. Within a month it was sold out! This exceptionally beautiful volume is in high demand, and now that new copies are temporally unavailable until the next printing arrives, it is garnering incredibly absurd prices on eBay. If you have not snapped up you copy already, I have it on good authority that they are in production now, so hold on to your bonnets, and please be patient.

Image of the cover of Jane Austen Seven NovelsThe other two editions were Jane Austen: Seven Novels, part of the Library of Essential Writers Series, which were complete and unabridged, and Jane Austen: Complete Novels, part of the Collector’s Library Editions Series, which were also complete and unabridged and included the humorous Hugh Thomson line illustrations from the 1890′s. Since both of these editions are published by Barnes & Noble, the chance of additional printings is very good.

Since Jane Austen has been proclaimed the “it” girl of the 21st-century, her selling power can even surprise the pros at Barnes & Noble, who have been selling books since 1873. Let’s hope that there is not too much delay as they ‘retrench’!

On the local book front, the top 10 selling Austen or Austen-esque books of February in my Alderwood Barnes & Noble store resulted in a few surprises.

  2. Pride and Prejudice (Barnes & Nobles Classics)

The store is pretty main stream as far as a snap shot of American book buyers, so you can take it from that perspective. Oh, and having an Austen enthusiasts on staff does skew things a a bit. ;) Happy reading to all.

*image of greeting cards, “What Would Jane Say”, available at the Pemberley Shoppe at Cafepress.com

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Fanny Knight: Jane Austen’s Niece, without affection?

Posted in Jane Austen Inspired, Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , , , , on 4 February 2008 |

Image of watercolor painting of Fanny Knight, by Cassandra AustenAFFECTION

“And now, my dear Fanny, having written so much on one side of the question, I shall turn round and entreat you not to commit yourself farther, and not to think of accepting him unless you really do like him. Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without affection.” Letter to her niece Fanny Knight, 18 November 1814, The Letters of Jane Austen

The airing of the new biopic Miss Austen Regrets has refreshed my interest in the relationship between Jane Austen and her niece Fanny Knight. You can read about a recent post that I wrote on her family background and relationship with her aunt Jane here.  In re-reading some of their correspondence, I came across some interesting lines that you might recognize in the movie.

“Only one comes back with me tomorrow, probably Miss Eliza, & I rather dread it. We shall not have two ideas in common. She is young, pretty, chattering, & thinking chiefly (I presume) of dress, company, & admiration.”  November 30, 1814

“Nothing is to be compared to the misery of being bound without Love, bound to one, & preferring another. That is a Punishment which you do not deserve.” November 30, 1814

“Do not be in a hurry; depend upon it, the right Man will come at last; you will in the course of the next two or three years, meet with somebody more generally unexceptional than anyone you have yet known, who will love you as warmly as ever He did, and who will so completely attach you, that you will feel you never really loved before.” March 13, 1817

“Single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor-which is one very strong argument in favor of matrimony.” March 13, 1817

“Do not oblige him to read any more. Have mercy on him, tell him the truth, and make him an apology. He and I should not in the least agree, of course, in our ideas of novels and heroines. Pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick and wicked.”  23 March 1817

“There are such beings in the world perhaps, one in a thousand, as the creature you and I should think perfection, Where grace & spirit are united to worth, where the manners are equal to the heart & understanding, but such a person may not come in your way, or if he does, he may not be the eldest son of a man of fortune, the brother of your particular friend & belonging to your own country.”  November 18, 1814

You can read further about their relationship at this post at Jane Austen’s World, and Jane’s Advice to Fanny Knight, at the Becoming Jane Fansite. In addition here are some excellent books for your consideration.

Image of book cover of The Letters of Jane Austen, (2006)Jane Austen’s Letters, by Deirdre Le Faye

Almost Another Sister: The Story of Fanny Knight, Jane Austen’s Favorite Niece, by Margaret Wilson

Jane Austen: Her Life and Letters: A Family Record, by William Austen-Leigh    

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Sick and wicked

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , , , , on 8 January 2008 | 2 Comments »

Image of Godmersham Park, by W. Watts (1799)WICKED

Do not oblige him to read any more. Have mercy on him, tell him the truth, and make him an apology. He and I should not in the least agree, of course, in our ideas of novels and heroines. Pictures of perfection, as you know, make me sick and wicked; but there is some very good sense in what he says, and I particularly respect him for wishing to think well of all young ladies; it shows an amiable and a delicate mind. And he deserves better treatment than to be obliged to read any more of my works. Letter to her Niece Fanny Knight, 23 March 1817, The Letters of Jane Austen

Fanny Knight was Jane Austen’s first and most favoured niece. She was born when Jane was 17 years old in 1793, the eldest daughter of Jane’s brother Edward (Austen) Knight. She adored her and she was like a younger sister.

Image of the front cover of Almost Another Sister, by Margaret Wilson (1998)Much has be discussed and written about their relationship, including this book Almost Another Sister: The Story of Fanny Knight, Jane Austen ‘s Favourite Niece, by Margaret Wilson (1998), which is sadly out of print in the US, but can be ordered second hand through those wonderful people at AbeBooks.com.  Search here . Happily, there is an excellent review of the book by author Marilyn Sachs at the JASNA on-line journal Persuasions, entitled Austen’s Ungrateful Niece.

Five letters that Jane wrote to Fanny between 1814 and 1817 are filled with wise and eloquent advice on love, and openly acknowledge the deep affection she felt for her niece.

When one reads their correspondence, one often feels through their affection and concern for each other that Fanny Knight was the daughter that Jane Austen did not have.

So it is not surprising that Janeites are outraged by a letter written by Fanny, now Lady Knatchbull, in 1869, describing Jane as “very much below par as to good society and its ways.” Fanny believes that it was only due to her rich father and his superior connections that her aunt was rescued from “commonness and a lack of refinement.”

Image of a watercolour painting of Chawton CottageWell, well. The reference to Fanny’s rich father is of course Jane Austen’s brother Edward (Austen) Knight who was not wealthy until he was adopted in 1798 by Thomas and Catherine Knight, Austen family cousins who were titled gentry and childless. They owned the vast estates of  Godmersham Park, Kent and Chawton, Hants, which Edward inherited. He would later suppy his widowed mother and sisters Cassandra and Jane a cottage in the village of Chawton in 1809. Here is a listing for the (Austen) Knight family at Peerage.com. Sir Walter Elliot, Baronet of Jane Austen’s novel Persuasion would take express interest in the Knight family listing in A Genealogical and Heraldic Dictionary of the Landed Gentry of Great Britian.

Of note is the fact that Lady Fanny (Knight) Knatchbull was 77 years old when she wrote the letter in 1869, and from family accounts never expressed herself as eloquently as her aunt Jane, and was quite senile and forgetful for some years prior. This may have been the families way of dismissing this disparaging remark by a niece who Jane dearly loved. My thought is that Jane would have laughed at the comment since “pictures of perfection” made her “sick and wicked“! Further reading on that ungrateful niece Fanny and her infamous slam can be found on these excellent links and books.

*Image of a hand tinted engraving of Godmersham Park, by W. Watts, from Edward Hasted’s History of Kent (1799)

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Too ill to be endured

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , , , , on 29 December 2007 |

Illustration of costume Parisien, plate 11, The Journal des Dames et Desmodes (1808)ENDURED 

I danced with Mr. John Wood again, twice with a Mr. South, a lad from Winchester, who, I suppose, is as far from being related to the bishop of that diocese as it is possible to be, with G. Lefroy, and J. Harwood, who, I think, takes to me rather more than he used to do. One of my gayest actions was sitting down two dances in preference to having Lord Bolton’s eldest son for my partner, who danced too ill to be endured. Letter to Cassandra Austen, 8 January 1799, The Letters of Jane Austen 

It is amusing to envision a young Jane Austen at a ball, dancing away the night, besieged by the charms of bad dance partners with leaden feet!

Too funny. Has the world changed so much in 200 years? I think not. In a not so distant past, I remember attending a college dance at a Frat party where my dance partner thought John Travolta’s moves far too refined; – - and attempting a spin into a mis-directed bump, missed my hip by a foot and landed in the punch bowl! A moment in disco dancing infamy that my Sorority sisters still squeal about today!

I was astounded to read in the on-line JASNA Persuasions article The Felicities of Rapid Motion: Jane Austen in the Ballroom, that in the Regency era it was felt that the skill of a person’s dancing expressed the quality of his or her soul or spirit. Hmm? Jane Austen often had her most foolish characters dancing like clods. Is there an ironic revelation afoot? Her choice of clergyman Mr. Collins dancing in Pride & Prejudice seems to support this. Ha!

*Illustration of costume Parisien, plate 11, from the Journal des Dames et Desmodes, (1808) 

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Solitary elegance

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , , , , , on 10 December 2007 | 1 Comment »

Illustration by Hugh Thomson, Chapter 12 Heading, Pride & PrejudiceELEGANCE 

I had great amusement among the pictures (Somerset House); and the driving about, the carriage being open, was very pleasant. I liked my solitary elegance very much, and was ready to laugh all the time at my being where I has. I could not but feel that I had a naturally small right to be parading about London in a barouche. Letter to Cassandra Austen, 24 May 1813, The Letters of Jane Austen

Well this is an amusing vision of Jane Austen, the gad-about of London, parading in an open carriage in the month of May with the breeze pulling at her bonnet! She seems quite in raptures! In modern day terms, cruising in a barouche-landau would be the equivalent of a convertible Bentley 2008 Silver Tempest . Not bad.

According to the Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen, the definition of a barouche is as follows…

Barouche: accommodating two couples facing each other, the barouche was considered a very exclusive carriage – accounts state that the Prince Regent owned one drawn by six horses. Vulgar Mrs. Elton cannot cease to publish her rich brother-in-law’s ownership of a barouche-landau (Emma, Volume 2, Chapter 14).

Elegance indeed, to be transported about with such pomp and finery! But one of the most remarkable parts of this passage is the phrase, solitary elegance. It evokes such promise of pleasure and enjoyment, that I was not surprised to find an entire web site on-line named the same, and dedicated entirely to Jane Austen. Oh joy! And to top off, it is beautifully designed and packed with an incredible amount of useful and informative information. Be sure to visit the gallery of Jane Austen book illustrations by C.E. Brock circa 1908. They are stunning! A big thank you to the accomplished web-mistress, Heather L. for all of her excellent work.

*Illustration by Hugh Thomson, chapter 12 heading, page 41, Pride & Prejudice, published by Robert Frederick, Ltd., Bath (1998)

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Pecuniary emolument

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , , , , on 3 December 2007 |

Photo of Mod Jane “I Dream of Darcy” Article story imageEMOLUMENT 

I am very much flattered by your commendation of my last letter, for I write only for fame, and without any view to pecuniary emolument. Letter to Cassandra Austen, 16 January 1796, The Letters of Jane Austen

Sometimes I take Jane Austen for granted. She is just there, – - like Starbucks and under-wire bras. But in her day, she was an unknown celebrity, modestly publishing her novels merely “By a Lady”, and collecting pecuniary emolument by post. She didn’t have a publicist or an literary agent touting her work, no book tours with interviews and signings to promote sales. Just Jane at home with her privacy and anonymity.

Today, she is everywhere. Like Shakespeare and the Bible, she is part of our cultural and entertainment identity. So, as I was lunching with two co-workers yesterday, it came as a jolting shock to me when one young and very bright student asked me if “she was a real person?” *%#^*?  I just about fell out of my chair and choked unintelligibly for a good 15 seconds. Luckily, the other co-worker was able to fill her in while I composed myself, and we had a good laugh about it.

In retrospect, it was just as Jane had wanted it. Her paying public knew and appreciated her work, but she remained removed from fame as “By a Lady”.

Are you interested to know what other celebrities, authors and family members thought of Jane Austen’s fame? Check out the dish at A Memoir Of Jane Austen by her nephew J.E. Austen, on-line at Google books.

*Photo of mod Jane, from I Dream of Mr. Darcy article, Salon.com, 27 June 2007 

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Melancholy idea

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , , , , on 26 November 2007 | 1 Comment »

Portrait of Tom Lefroy, circa 1800MELANCHOLY

At length the day is come on which I am to flirt my last with Tom Lefroy, and when you receive this it will be over. My tears flow as I write at the melancholy idea. Wm. Chute called here yesterday. I wonder what he means by being so civil. There is a report that Tom is going to be married to a Lichfield lass. Letter to Cassandra Austen, 16 January 1796, The Letters of Jane Austen

With this year’s release of the major motion picture Becoming Jane, Jane Austen’s love life, or more specifically the love life that others might wish that she had, has brought her relationship with her suitor Tom Lefroy under very close scrutiny. And so, I am touched by this passage in a letter to her sister Cassandra during Austen and Lefroy’s brief time together in Hampshire. She has received a rumor of his impending marriage, and with suspicious brevity, states that she will flirt with him no more. Is she protecting herself, letting go or being sarcastic?

The movie screenplay was based on the biography by Jon Spence, Becoming Jane Austen, and even though Mr. Spence presented new evidence to support his claim of a deeper involvement between Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy, the movie producers chose to push the story from what had been historically believed as a serious flirtation into a romantic dalliance. Lately, much has been discussed of the truth behind the romance, and this passage in the letter eludes to her deep regret at the loss of the possibility. Unfortunately, from the details in surviving letters and family stories, we may never know the complete truth.

If you are curious about the possible romance between Tom Lefroy and Jane Austen, you can purchase the DVD of Becoming Jane which will be available in the US on 12 February 2008. The screenplay is a hopeful and fanciful notion, and one which I view as a melancholy idea.

*Portrait of Thomas (Tom) Langlois Lefroy (1776-1869) circa 1800

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Overburdened genius

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , on 19 November 2007 | 2 Comments »

Jane Austen bookmark, by Mike CaplanisGENIUS 

Expect a most agreeable letter, for not being overburdened with subject (having nothing at all to say), I shall have no check to my genius from beginning to end. Letter to Cassandra Austen, 21 January 1801

This excellent example of Jane Austen’s style of applying tongue-in-cheek commentary on her talent is a side-ways complement to her own skills, or lack of them as she would wish one to believe. Humbly, she claims to have nothing to say at all, but her letter to her sister continues at length to discuss family and friends quite openly and in detail. To understand her object, one must interpret her implied meaning, which I confess, if not wholly obvious on the first reading, may go right over this dull elve’s head!

If we can summarize Jane Austen’s particular genius, it would be her unique accomplishment as a writer to under-lay wit, irony and humour in her novel’s plots, characters and family letters. She may modestly joke about not needing to check her own genius (which I interpret as her claiming to be dull, and quite the opposite), but in all honesty, one would be hard pressed to overlook it.

Talented comedic illustrator Mike Caplanis is no dull elf himself, and has captured Jane Austen’s dry and wity spirit beautifuly with this colourful bookmark available at Amazon.com

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Agreeable enough

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , on 12 November 2007 |

Portrait of Jane Austen by Y.H.AGREEABLE 

“Miss Blackford is agreeable enough. I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal”. Letter to Cassandra Austen, 24 December 1798 

Do you know people who have adopted this philosophy? Civility is getting short shrift these days, and I fear that even though Jane Austen may have been making ‘light’ of the effort of social civility, that two hundred years later her wishes may have become reality.

It certainly takes more effort to be considerate and civil in our lives, but the outcome can make a profound difference for us in our personal, professional and public lives; – -  and also for the people we encounter. As a bookseller, I have experienced many different approaches to being agreeable, and I can tell you that a little common courtesy and kindness go a long way; – - making life so much more pleasant.  

So to all of you out there that think talking on your cell phone whilst others are attempting to help you is agreeable enough behaviour, please remember that Jane Austen was just kidding!

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Delicacy of Mr. D.

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , , , , , on 5 November 2007 | 2 Comments »

Princess Augusta by William Beechey, 1802DELICACY

We have been both to the exhibition and Sir J. Reynolds’; and I am disappointed, for there was nothing like Mrs. D. at either. I can only imagine that Mr. D. prizes any picture of her too much to like it should be exposed to the public eye. I can imagine he would have that sort of feeling, – that mixture of love, pride, and delicacy. 24 May 1813, The Letters of Jane Austen

This endearing passage appears in a letter written to her sister Cassandra regarding her visit to an exhibition in London of the artist Sir Joshua Reynolds (1723-1792), who has been exalted as one of the greatest portraitist prior to the Regency era. Austen’s disappointment in not recognizing any characteristics of Mrs. D. within any of the portraits is in reference to her character Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy nee Bennet, – - her heroine of Pride & Prejudice.

Jane Austen speaks so warmly of her characters, one would think that they were her children! She lovingly rationalizes that the omission is owing to Mr. Darcy’s delicacy toward his wife. Can we assume that the pride-full and arrogant characteristics that he presented at the beginning of the novel have continued to evolve in marriage into a different and more productive type of pride?

Has Mr. Darcy become a delicate and thoughtful husband? No doubt in my mind that this is Austen’s wish for their future happiness.

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Vanity or vexation?

Posted in Jane Austen's Letters, tagged , , , on 29 October 2007 | 1 Comment »

Watercolour portrait of Jane Austen by James Stanier Clarke, 1815VANITY

I think I may boast myself to be, with all possible vanity, the most unlearned and uninformed female who ever dared to be an authoress. The Letters of Jane Austen, 11 December 1815

Unlearned? Uninformed? Vanity? I think NOT!

This one line from a letter written to the Rev. James Stanier Clarke, librarian to the Prince Regent of England, expounds Austen’s sly charm and passive wit!  How humble, how unpretentious, how insignificantly she promotes herself to the Rev. in an attempt to put him off his absurd request for her to write a historical romance formed around the House of Saxe Coburg (Germany). Little he knew what made our Jane tick!

I will concede that Austen was correct on one level. As an author in comparison to some of her learned contemporaries, her education and experiences were indeed unlearned and uninformed. She had little formal education beyond the influences and guideance of a traditionally educated father who augmented his income as a tutor. In her defence, she had the sense to understand her limitations, and the intelligence to write within her scope of knowledge and experience.

In response to Rev. Clarke’s request of topics for her writing, I feel that her reply was more a vexation to his suggestions, than vanity on her part about her ability.

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