Ever wonder what books Jane Austen read, who her relations were, where she lived and traveled, or what were her pet peeves? Well, what true Janeite doesn't? Do you want to learn more about your favorite author than you ever expected to discover all packed up and neatly arranged in one tidy volume? Then read... Continue Reading →
What Matters in Jane Austen?: Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved, by John Mullan – A Review
From the desk of Sarah Emsley “The closer you look, the more you see,” writes John Mullan in What Matters in Jane Austen? Elizabeth Bennet learns this lesson in Pride and Prejudice when she reads and rereads Mr. Darcy’s letter “with the closest attention” to understand why he separated Bingley from Jane and why he... Continue Reading →
Celebrating Pride and Prejudice: 200 Years of Jane Austen’s Masterpiece, by Susannah Fullerton – A Review
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” Besides being trotted out for the opening of every news article containing anything vaguely related to Pride and Prejudice, its author, its characters, its plot... Continue Reading →
Top Jane Austen-inspired Books of 2012
2012 was a banner year for Jane Austen-inspired books. From historical fiction to self-help to mysteries, Austen was visible in several genres and as popular as ever. Here are our top favorites reviewed here at Austenprose.com in 2012 with a bonus category, Readers Choice Awards. Top 5 Historical sequels, prequels or retellings: ♥ The Three... Continue Reading →
Matters of Fact in Jane Austen: History, Location, and Celebrity, by Janine Barchas – A Review
From the desk of Br. Paul Byrd, OP “I aim to resituate her work nearer to the stout historical novels of her contemporary Sir Walter Scott, or even the encyclopedic reach of modernist James Joyce, than to the narrow domestic and biographical readings that still characterize much of Austen studies” (Barchas, 1). In Matters of... Continue Reading →
A Preview of Celebrating Pride and Prejudice: 200 Years of Jane Austen’s Masterpiece, by Susannah Fullerton
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: On January 28, 1813, Jane Austen’s most popular novel Pride and Prejudice was published in three volumes by T. Egerton, Whitehall, London. 2013 will mark the Bicentenary anniversary—200 years of the classic story of Mr. Darcy’s pride and Elizabeth Bennet’s prejudice—and all of her other very memorable characters.... Continue Reading →
The Marriage of Faith: Christianity in William Wordsworth and Jane Austen, by Laura Dabundo – A Review
From the desk of Br. Paul Byrd, OP: “What I want to examine in this study is how the poet Wordsworth and the novelist Austen represent a marriage of interests, an economy of literary sympathies, and a shared thematic melody that plays across their often-disparate works” (Dabundo, 9). Laura Dabundo joins a number of scholars... Continue Reading →
A Preview of A Dance with Jane Austen, by Susannah Fullerton
That the Miss Lucases and the Miss Bennets should meet to talk over a ball was absolutely necessary; and the morning after the assembly brought the former to Longbourn to hear and to communicate. – Pride and Prejudice, Chapter 5 A very special book is in the queue for fans of Jane Austen, Regency history,... Continue Reading →
Jane Austen’s Cults and Cultures, by Claudia L. Johnson – A Review
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 →
All Roads Lead to Austen: A Yearlong Journey with Jane, by Amy Elizabeth Smith – A Review
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 →
The Jane Austen Guide to Life: Thoughtful Lessons for the Modern Woman, by Lori Smith – A Review
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 →
A Preview & Exclusive Excerpt of Jane Austen’s Cults and Cultures, by Claudia L. Johnson
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: On May 18th the highly anticipated new book, Jane Austen’s Cults and Cultures, by the eminent Jane Austen scholar, Dr. Claudia Johnson, releases from The University of Chicago Press. Described as an “insightful look at how and why readers have cherished one of our most beloved authors” Johnson... Continue Reading →