Your online source for Jane Austen and her legacy
The Jane Austen book sleuth is happy to inform Janeites that many Austen inspired books are heading our way in August, so keep your eyes open for these new titles. Fiction (prequels, sequels, retellings, variations, or Regency inspired) Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, by Amanda Grange Amanda Grange, the best selling author of Mr. Darcy’s Diary continues... Continue Reading →
Jane Austen’s novel Mansfield Park really gets a bum rap from critics and readers. Sometimes I think that I am its only advocate, campaigning to an empty room. Granted, it is not as emotionally charged as Sense and Sensibility or as light, bright and sparkly as Pride and Prejudice, but it does have an admirable... Continue Reading →
As for ourselves we’re very well; As unaffected prose will tell. – Cassandra’s pen will paint our state, The many comforts that await Our Chawton home, how much we find Already in it, to our mind; And how convinced, that when complete It will all other Houses beat That ever have been made or mended,... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress: Gentle Readers: In yet the third announcement in less than a week, another publisher is jumping on the classic literary re-imagining/mash-up band wagon and hitching their star to Austen’s prose. Independent publisher Norilana Books has announced today a new novel entitled James Fairfax, combining Jane Austen’s original text... Continue Reading →
Gentle Readers: Today is the anniversary of Jane Austen’s death at Winchester in 1817. She was only 41 years old, succumbing to what most believe was Addison's disease. Here is my tribute to her passing In Memoriam: Jane Austen. Even though this is a day of solemn reflection for Janeites, it is also a day to pay homage... Continue Reading →
This beautiful oil portrait circa 1800 of a lady (Mrs. Walter Learmouth?) is attributed to Sir Henry Raeburn, R.A. (Scottish, 1756-1823). He is one of my favorite artists of the Georgian and Regency era, producing powerful, stark and realistic paintings of his subjects. This portrait of Mrs. Learmouth in a white dress against a dramatic... Continue Reading →
Newsweek magazine has evaluated all the book lists being bantered about and arrived at their own Meta-list of Top 100 Books of All Time. Declaring the best book ever written is tricky business. Who's to say what the best is? We went one step further: we crunched the numbers from 10 top books lists (Modern Library,... Continue Reading →
We are so happy to see that the Everything Austen Challenge at Stephanie’s Written Word blog has had such an outstanding response. As of today, there are over 115 participants ready and willing to read and or watch six Austen or Austen inspired books, or view movie adaptations and spinoffs over the next six months. Sign-ups... Continue Reading →
From the desk of Laurel Ann Nattress:  Jane Austen was very proud of her heroine Elizabeth Bennet from Pride and Prejudice. In a letter to her sister Cassandra, shortly after publication, she shares her confidence in her creation.  "I must confess that I think her as delightful a character as ever appeared in print,... Continue Reading →
More vampires. Sourcebooks Landmark announced a major new release by the popular author of Mr. Darcy's Diary, Amanda Grange entitled Mr. Darcy, Vampyre, available August 11th. It is a continuation of Pride and Prejudice after the wedding, and may explain some of Mr. Darcy's cold and distant noble mien in the original novel. We recieved the scoop from Amanda Grange herself... Continue Reading →
The world has truly gone vampire crazy! Blame it on the Stephenie Meyer Twilight series which made hearts and flowers all over a genre which had traditionally been more bloody and less appealing to tweenage girls, and *ahem* ladies. Her aloof and pensive vegetarian vampire Edward Cullen may make hearts swoon by the thousands, but... Continue Reading →
Gentle Readers: More zombies you ask? Yup! Just when you thought it was safe to go back into a bookstore, Quirk Books officially announced today a Deluxe Heirloom Edition of its New York Times bestselling Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, now with 30% more zombie action – yes – that’s 30% more bone crunching and... Continue Reading →
