Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
Review by Lisa Galek If you’ve always loved Pride and Prejudice, but wish it had a few more vampires in it than Pulse and Prejudice might just be for you. The novel follows the events of Jane Austen’s classic, except for one tiny difference – Mr. Darcy is a vampire. Within the first few pages,... Continue Reading →
This charming journal completely missed my radar when it was released last November. Not surprising, really. Who would know from the title listed online that it was inspired by Jane Austen? The actual cover is more helpful; it has a subtitle, 365 Witticisms by Jane Austen, that was unfortunately omitted in the online listings. Bingo!... Continue Reading →
Review by Kimberly Denny-Ryder In the entire spectrum of Pride and Prejudice sequels, variations, retellings, and what-if’s I’ve seen Darcy as a vampire, werewolf, zombie, ranch owner, and rock star. I’ve seen Elizabeth as a master zombie fighter, scientist, doctor, sleuth, and time traveler. I’ve seen them in WWII England, Colonial America, Thailand, Texas, and... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Aia Hussein-Yousef: In chapter five of Claudia L. Johnson’s new book Jane Austen’s Cults and Cultures, she notes that in the first Jane Austen Society Report for the years 1943 – 46, a memory belonging to an elderly village woman named Mrs. Luff was recorded in which she remembers watching Jane... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Syrie James: Amy Elizabeth Smith, an English professor at a private California university, uses her development leave to test a theory: how do Jane Austen’s novels resonate with readers in Latin America? Do people identify with her characters and storylines? In other words, does Austen translate across time, distance, and language?... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Jeffrey Ward: Is it a truth universally acknowledged that a woman of forty, with nothing left to lose, could commit random acts of desperation against her normal sensibilities? Meet Kate, the heroine of Kim Izzo’s debut novel, who is considering marriage for money and is charged to write a feature magazine... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Christina Boyd: There is something so satisfying about reading the third book in a trilogy. We have become personally entrenched in the characters and we know that important events will be resolved soon. Book 3, The Lady Must Decide, of author Laura Hile’s Mercy’s Embrace series does not disappoint; resolving some... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: If you could be swept back in time two hundred years ago to have a cup of tea with Jane Austen, what would you ask her? Any question. No bars held. If I had the courage, I might ask her how did she become so wise in the... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Christina Boyd: Author Laura Hile's So Lively a Chase, Book 2, in her lovely Mercy's Embrace trilogy, continues with Miss Elizabeth Elliot struggling to manage her feckless, frivolous father and dwindling finances, all the while contriving to make a most propitious match for herself. In this follow-up to Jane Austen’s Persuasion,... Continue Reading →
Review by Kimberly Denny-Ryder If you enjoy Persuasion, Downton Abbey, or even Gossip Girl, you’re going to want to pay attention to this review. Abby Grahame’s debut novel, Wentworth Hall, is a combination of all of the above and more. Filled with themes and story lines that involve the mixing of social classes, lies, deceit,... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Christina Boyd: In a sea of Darcy, Darcy, Darcy, I regret to admit that I may have over-indulged this winter and now suffer from post-Pride and Prejudice fan fiction fatigue. While perusing a generous stack of novels sent to me from our blog mistress, Laurel Ann, I was delighted to discover... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Jeffrey Ward: Many readers may think a contemporary retelling of Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility the ‘lazy way’ to a debut novel. Just hang everything on the framework of the classic original since Jane Austen did all the work. Easy? Not! Can you imagine the adjustment difficulties in making the two-century... Continue Reading →
Austenprose