Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
Welcome to Sanditon, an 1819 Regency seaside community in Sussex England—the fictional site of the new ITV/PBS television adaptation/continuation of Jane Austen’s final unfinished novel. For those who are watching the eight-part series currently airing in the US on PBS, The World of Sanditon, by Sara Sheridan will be catnip to heighten your addiction. A... Continue Reading →
I am happy to share a new Austenesque novel with you all today. It is inspired by one of our favorites of Jane Austen’s canon. Devoted readers of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice are familiar with the story’s critical peaks and valleys—the emotional rise and fall of its narrative. One point that has always intrigued... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:Â Cornwall + Gothic = scintillating reading! There has been a long tradition of Gothic novels set in Cornwall. The southern-most county of England has more miles of rocky coastline, windswept cliffs, mysterious manor houses, and menaced heroines than any other location in literary history. Author Daphne du Maurier... Continue Reading →
Good things come in small packages! My regular readers will know that I adore a well-written short story and edited an anthology of them myself inspired by Jane Austen. Falling for Mr. Thornton is a new collection of “little gems” inspired by another classic author, Elizabeth Gaskell. Based on her Victorian-era novel North and South,... Continue Reading →
Pride and Prejudice variations are the most popular Austenesque books in print. There are thousands of them now. I kid you not. While the genre can credit Abigail Reynolds as a pioneer in the Darcy and Elizabeth redux, there are always new authors with new stories breaking into the throng to add to the mix.... Continue Reading →
Happy New Year Janeites! I am starting off the new decade by introducing you to a fabulous forthcoming book in the Austenesque genre, Miss Austen, by Gill Hornby. I had the great pleasure of reading an early manuscript of Hornby's new novel Miss Austen last year. If like me, you have always been baffled by... Continue Reading →
Hey-ho-ho Jane Austen fans. How are your holiday festivities and shopping shaping up? My neighborhood has decked their houses with lights and a few Santa’s on the rooves. One even sports a giant green Grinch. Ouch! They could use a good dose of holiday cheer, like watching one of the billion Hallmark Holiday movies airing... Continue Reading →
Did you know that contemporary fiction outnumbers historical fiction by tenfold in the young adult genre? I have never understood this trend. I have been told that teens prefer to read about heroes and heroines their own age and set in their own time. When I was younger, I read many historical novels and adored... Continue Reading →
The holiday season is upon us once again with all the joys of gift giving for loved ones and friends. To make it easy for you, here is a handy gift guide for the Jane Austen fan in your life. COLLECTOR’S EDITIONS OF JANE AUSTEN’S NOVELS The Jane Austen Collection from the Folio Society... Continue Reading →
Hey-ho Janeites! May I introduce you to a newly released Regency romance fantasy novel today? By Time Divided, by Elaine Jeremiah is a time-travel story that takes us back into Jane Austen’s England. Time-travel in fiction is a creative literary technique. It allows characters and readers to be transported to a different era. The Time... Continue Reading →
How many contemporary Austenesque books have you read? If you are like me, my bookshelves and Kindle are packed with stories set in the Regency era with just a few set in modern times. It is a challenge to transport Austen’s characters and plots into contemporary settings. Authors must tweak much of it to fit... Continue Reading →
Hey-ho Gentle Readers! The holiday season is quickly approaching with all of its delights. My local radio station started playing Christmas music the day after Veterans Day. Retailers are hanging garland and stocking their tables with gift-giving fare. A friend told me that they are finished with their shopping and have already mailed their gifts.... Continue Reading →
