The Jane Austen book sleuth is happy to inform Janeites that many Austen inspired books are heading our way in May, so keep your eyes open for these new titles. Fiction (prequels, sequels, retellings, variations, or Regency inspired) What Would Jane Austen Do? by, Laurie Brown Are you ready for an historical romance laced with Jane... Continue Reading →
Austenprose on mini-break
Austenprose is on a mini-break. Enjoy the book review archives or check out the continued battle of the Darcy's and vote for which Mr. Darcy has the noble mien for you. The battle is close. Of the 1243 votes casts so far, Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen are neck and neck with 34 and 35% of the... Continue Reading →
Pride and Prejudice in One Minute or Less!
If zombies, time portals, aliens and sequels have recently overwhelmed your genteel sensibilities, here's a quick Austen fix to bring you back to our roots. Pride and Prejudice in one minute or less, by Jane Austen It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be want... Continue Reading →
Little Dorrit Recap & Review of Episode Two on Masterpiece Classic PBS
Affairs of the heart populate episode two with hopes and aspirations for all of the unattached characters in Masterpiece Classic's miniseries of Little Dorrit. The episode opens with a wrenching blow to John Chivery (Russell Tovey), when Amy Dorrit (Claire Foy) rejects his tender marriage proposal. The touching scene played out with chilling sadness as... Continue Reading →
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, by Jane Austen & Seth Grahame-Smith – A Review
We'll confess all right up front. We don't quite understand what the fuss is over Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. Jane Austen ate our brain long ago and we have been an Austen zombie ever since, attentively working away for 200 years for her cause in pursuit of more brains to initiate into the holy... Continue Reading →
Austenland: A Novel, by Shannon Hale – A Review
From the desk of Christina Boyd: Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy. What is it about Jane Austen's male protagonist in Pride and Prejudice -- this aloof, arrogant man -- that draws women to him like a moth to a flame? The mere mention of Mr. Darcy, sighs and dreamy-eyed, flushed expressions flourish. But enough... Continue Reading →
Austen Book Sleuth: New Books in the Queue for April
The Jane Austen book sleuth is happy to inform Janeites that many Austen inspired books are heading our way in April, so keep your eyes open for these new titles. NONFICTION Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World, by Claire Harman This highly anticipated cultural biography of Jane Austen's rise to fame and admiration... Continue Reading →
Little Dorrit Recap & Review of Episode One on Masterpiece Classic PBS
And so the mystery begins as the opening episode of Masterpiece Classic's Little Dorrit puts us on the trail of whodunnit. Arthur Clennam (Matthew Macfadyen) the anti prodigal son returns home from abroad after several years to fulfill the mysterious death bed wish of his father "to put it right" by promising to place his... Continue Reading →
Pemberley Manor: Darcy and Elizabeth, for better or for worse, by Kathryn L. Nelson – A Review
When a new Pride and Prejudice sequel lands on my doorstep, I freely admit that the Austen geek in me goes into adrenalin rush. Usually after the third chapter I can see the lay of the land. Is the language reminiscent? Are the characters respectfully rendered? Is the tone appropriate? Is the storyline plausible? By... Continue Reading →
The Darcys Give A Ball: A Gentle Joke, Jane Austen Style, by Elizabeth Newark – A Review
From the desk of Christina Boyd: In Jane Austen's masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice, our story ends with the lovely Miss Elizabeth Bennet marrying Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy in a double wedding ceremony alongside her beloved sister, Miss Jane Bennet to Mr. Charles Bingley, and we all close the novel satisfied knowing that all will turn out... Continue Reading →
Mansfield Park: Mary Crawford – that peculiarly becoming temptress with a harp
The harp arrived, and rather added to her beauty, wit, and good-humour; for she played with the greatest obligingness, with an expression and taste which were peculiarly becoming, and there was something clever to be said at the close of every air. Edmund was at the Parsonage every day, to be indulged with his favourite... Continue Reading →
The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy, by Mary Street – A Review
Book review of The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy, by Mary Street. In this parallel story to Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, we see Mr. Darcy's side of the story.