Gentle Readers, Vic from Jane Austen's World and I both freely admit to being passionate Jane Austen fans, which tends to infiltrate our everyday world in ways that have us viewing friends and ourselves through Austen's unique prism. Here is a bit of fun today for your amusement: LA: Vic and I were chatting on... Continue Reading →
Jane and the Genius of the Place: Being a Jane Austen Mystery (Book 4), by Stephanie Barron – A Review
In the summer of 1805, we find Jane Austen visiting her wealthy brother Edward and his large family at their palatial country estate Godmersham Park in Kent, enjoying the comforts of living above “vulgar economy,” and the privileges of ease and splendor. Her father Rev. Austen had passed away the following January, displacing herself, her... Continue Reading →
Upstairs Downstairs: Part One: The Fledgling, on Masterpiece Classic PBS – A Recap & Review
After a thirty-four year wait, many faces will be beaming and hearts gladdened by the concluding scenes of the first episode of Upstairs Downstairs’ triumphant return to Masterpiece Classic tonight. As the camera panned the front façade of the stately Georgian townhouse at 165 Eaton Place, my heart was in my throat, and Goosebumps covered... Continue Reading →
The Trouble with Mr. Darcy, by Sharon Lathan – A Review
Guest review by Kimberly Denny-Ryder of Reflections of a Book Addict The happily-ever-after at Pemberley takes a sharp left in The Trouble with Mr. Darcy, the fifth book in Sharon Lathan’s lush, romantic Darcy Saga. Darker and more complex than the preceding novels in the series, Lathan tackles deeper elements in Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam Darcy’s... Continue Reading →
A Preview of Persuasion: An Annotated Edition, edited by Robert Morrison
Where are my aromatic vinegars? Harvard University Press really knows how to make this Janeite book lover swoon. Next November we will be treated to another sumptuous annotated edition of one of Jane Austen’s classic novels. Last year they gave us Pride and Prejudice: An Annotated Edition, edited by Patricia Meyer Spacks, and now Persuasion,... Continue Reading →
4th Edition of Jane Austen’s Letters Due Out in November
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... Continue Reading →
Chatting with Beth Pattillo: Author of The Dashwood Sisters Tell All
Please welcome Austenesque author Beth Pattillo today to chat about her new novel. LAN: Welcome Beth. Congratulations on the launch of The Dashwood Sisters Tell All on April 1st. Following Jane Austen Ruined My Life (2009) and Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart (2010), this is the third novel in your “Formidables Series,” inspired by the... Continue Reading →
Wickham’s Diary, by Amanda Grange – A Review
Austen’s bad boy George Wickham gets top billing in this prequel to Pride and Prejudice that will surprise readers for more reasons than one first imagines. Anyone who has read Jane Austen’s original novel or seen one of the many movie adaptations knows that Wickham is a bad man: a charming rogue, a gamester and... Continue Reading →
Evenfall, by Liz Michalski – A Review
From the desk of Shelley DeWees: “In summer the trees are full, but in fall they drop their leaves, and the valley surrounding land crouches below the house like a cat before it springs. If someone searched very hard, they could just see, from that attic window, the things they hold most dear: the faintest... Continue Reading →
What Would Mr. Darcy Do? Blog Tour: Chatting with Author Abigail Reynolds & a Giveaway!
Please join us today in welcoming Austenesque author Abigail Reynolds for the official launch of her blog tour of What Would Mr. Darcy Do, a new Pride and Prejudice variation that was released on April 1, 2011, by Sourcebooks. LAN: Hi Abigail. It is such a pleasure to have this opportunity to chat with you... Continue Reading →
What Would Mr. Darcy Do, by Abigail Reynolds – A Review
Guest review by Christina Boyd Hard on the heels of Kara Louise’s Only Mr. Darcy Will Do and Mary Simonsen’s The Perfect Bride for Mr. Darcy, comes another Pride and Prejudice “what if” from P&P variations pioneer, Abigail Reynolds. What Would Mr. Darcy Do is her latest re-imagining to be re-issued by Sourcebooks. Part of... Continue Reading →
A Preview of Wickham’s Diary & Interview with Author Amanda Grange
Please join us for the first stop on Austenesque author Amanda Grange’s blog tour of Wickham’s Diary, a new novella focusing on the early years of Jane Austen’s infamous ne’er-do-well from Pride and Prejudice, George Wickham, due out today from Sourcebooks. BOOK DESCRIPTION 11 July 1784 "Why should I be beneath Fitzwilliam? I am just... Continue Reading →