Product Description
In a publishing career that spanned less than a decade, Jane Austen used the romantic endeavours of her well-plotted characters as a stage from which to address issues of gender politics and class-consciousness rarely expressed in her day. The novels included in this beautiful leatherbound collection, "Sense and Sensibility", "Pride and Prejudice", "Mansfield Park", "Emma", "Northanger Abbey", "Persuasion" and "Lady Susan", represent all of Austen's mature work as a novelist and provide the reader with an introduction to the world she and her memorable characters inhabited. "Jane Austen: Seven Novels" is part of "Barnes & Noble"'s series of quality leatherbound volumes. Each title in the series presents a classic work in an attractively designed edition bound in genuine bonded leather. These books make elegant additions to any home library. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

A Beautiful Book!!
I love this book!!It is a beautiful novel.It is over 2.5" thick and it brings in the mystery of the 1800's..I can not wait to finish all of the novels.This is the perfect gift for any Austen lover.

Austen Novel Collection
A beautifully bound book, it could have come from the time of Jane herself, perhaps would have had a place on the shelves at Pemberley!The illustrations move right back to a time of formality and good manners.I like to just hold this book and think of all that goes into the making of a good novel, the writng, the pictures, and the important art of bookbinding.And the price of the book would be a very good one for just one novel.I am happy with my purchase of this collection.

Beautiful book but did not hold up
I bought this book as soon as I saw it. It is beautiful. The page edges are painted gold. There is an attached gold ribbon. Unlike most hardcover books, the book was not glued to the center of the hardcover backing/binding. The book is held in place by the first and last page of the book. After 1.5 weeks of on and off reading, the book tore from the hardcover. Such a disappointment... The content is of course fantastic.

A Beautifully bound book though print is small
I am grateful to have this collective edition, which I later found at my local B&N for a little less than I paid for it on this site. However, it is beautifully bound and contains seven of Austen's novels, including the "big six." The only complaints I have are: 1) Re. the book itself--the print is a bit smaller than my poor middle-aged eyes are comfortable with. I definitely need reading glasses with this one. 2) The seller wrapped this relatively weighty and lovely book VERY POORLY...a book of this quality should be properly wrapped and prevented from moving and bumping around during shipping...as a result, one edge of the front cover is slightly bent (no big deal, it's just the principle of the matter) and upon opening, the book is slightly coming apart from its binding (fixable and not new to B&N special edition books). From this Amazon seller, the book came wrapped in an over-sized, thinly bubble-lined envelope. Don't recommend sending any books, much less any precious items of literature in this manner. Otherwise, I wish there were other/more publishers out there who would put together, in beautiful binding, classic authors' collective works, and make it affordable to the public. B&N currently has this market cornered.

A beautiful edition.
The "Jane Austen Seven Novels" leather-bound book is a beautiful edition, highly recommended if your an Austen-fan and like to have one book to carry with you that gives you a sense of simple luxury in otherwise non luxurious settings (a ride on a bus, in a subway, or at the college cafeteria all come to mind). ... Read more

Product Description
This volume contains the six major novels: "Emma", "Mansfield Park", "Northanger Abbey", "Persuasion", "Sense and Sensibility", "Pride and Prejudice".Amazon.com Review
Collected together in one volume, The Complete Novelsshow the development of Austen as a writer and social commentator.From the early optimism and youthful energy of Northanger Abbey to thequiet and subtle art of Persuasion, this collectionreveals the breadth of one of the best loved novelists of all time. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (83)

Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery
Jane Austen. Her name is practically synonymous with classic, understated romance, as well as comedies of manners with a subtle, sly sense of humor.

And Austen's "The Complete Novels" brings together the full complement of her finished novels, from the little-known "Lady Susan" to the classic bestseller "Pride and Prejudice" (and everything in between). This collection is flled with lovably flawed heroines, beautiful formal prose, and some rather unconventional love stories.

"Pride and Prejudice" become a problem when Elizabeth Bennett takes a dislike to the handsome, aloof Mr. Darcy, helped by his own aloofness and the devious Mr. Wickham's stories about him. But Mr. Darcy isn't quite the villain -- he's the hero. And "Sense and Sensibility" clash when the two very different Dashwood sisters, smart Elinor and romantic Marianne, both fall in love -- one with a man she can't have, and the other with a guy who may be horribly unsuitable.

Anne Elliott has a problem with "Persuasion," since she was once briefly engaged to the impoverished sailor Frederick Wentworth. Now he's returned from war as a wealthy hero... and Anne still loves him. "Mansfield Park" is the backdrop for shy Fanny's life with her rich relatives, who usually treat her as a servant -- except for her kindly cousin, Edmund. But when the flirtatious, fashionable Crawfords arrive in the neighborhood, it unbalances the lives of everyone at Mansfield Park.

And "Northanger Abbey" is a fitting location for Austen's spoof on gothic romances, in which the hyperimaginative Catherine Moreland has to learn a lesson about the difference between fantasy and reality. "Emma" is a frothy romantic comedy about a rich, somewhat spoiled young lady who tries to arrange the lives of people around her so that everyone is happy.And there's "Lady Susan," who is sort of the evil sociopathic twin of Emma -- a brilliant and manipulative widow who seduces, plots and schemes. Yummy stuff.

The omnibus collection displays the range and depth of Austen's writing skill beautifully; though each story is very unique they're laced together by common themes. Except for "Lady Susan," each story is a love story, tempered with some clever commentary on the society of Austen's day (example: entailment, which plays a part in several plots), and a biting, sharp-edged wit (the mockery of the toadying Mr. Collins and the obnoxious Elliott family).

And despite the formal stuffiness of the time, Austen painted her stories vividly -- there's a bit of roughness in "Lady Susan" and "Persuasion," but nothing too dramatic. Each one has powerful emotions and vivid splashes of prose ("The wind roared round the house, and the rain beat against the windows"), as well as deliciously witty dialogue ("I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine"). But she also weaves in some intensely romantic moments as well ("Dare not say that man forgets sooner than woman, that his love has an earlier death. I have loved none but you").

Austen also had an interesting range of heroines -- quiet ones, melodramatic ones, intelligent ones, naive ones, and mildly spoiled ones who think they know best. But each one has a major character flaw that must be overcome before she can find true love and happiness And she has an equally fascinating range of love interests: the quiet shy Colonel Brandon, the sexy and clever Henry Tilney, the blunt Mr. Knightley, the generous and honest Edmund, and especially the smart, sexy Mr. Darcy (who has a flaw of his own to overcome alongside Lizzie).

Jane Austen's "Complete Novels" draws together all her finished novels, and let readers explore the mannered society and obstacle-filled love lives of her heroines.

looks good but contains so many ommissions and mistakes
This book looks good but there are an incredible amount of typos as well as words missing - such as in Pride and Prejudice the editor mustn't have know what shire they were in, because it is written as ___________ shire, repeatedly throughout the book.This isn't the only time this __________ is used - obviously the editor should have gone back to add the words!!Unbelievable.There are also scenes missing from Pride and Prejudice - such as the scene where Mr. Darcy dives into the water!!What the ?????Very, very disappointing.

Incomplete Edition from Bloomsbury as pictured above
This book is certainly not as advertised.The dust jacket AND cover clearly state that it contains the complete novels of Jane Austen. It enumerates all seven in both locations.It never gives any indication whatsoever that this might be the first volume of two.Indeed the first printed page declares that it is in one volume.

Despite all this, the table of contents only lists the first four books from the cover.That is all that is contained within.No 'Persuasion.'No 'Lady Susan.'And most important to me, no 'Northanger Abbey' -- the book I was planning to read immediately.Amazing.

Please be aware that the Bloomsbury Books edition (Under license from Penguin dated 1994) with the cover as shown on this page (with the customer image from Dilli) has these substantial defects. [ISBN 1-854-71406-6][1002 pages]

Not what I wanted. Not listed as a compendium.
I was searching for the collected works in separate volumes.This failed to mention that it was a compendium and therefore I was stuck buying this and also the books I really wanted somewhere else.

Great book, good price
I love jane Austen. This book is such a good deal considering you get all of her stories. ... Read more

Product Description
Jane Austen's natural world--real and fictional--comes to life in this colorful, illustrated stroll through the gardens, parks and great estates of Regency England. With lush photos, social history, excerpts from Austen's novels, biographical information, drawings and diagrams, this book brings the great outdoors to readers eager to understand more details of Austen's environment. Also featured are instructions on how to create your own English garden and on where to see sites mentioned in the book. Gardens from movie adaptations of her novels are included. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

jane austen
Pretty little book (114 pages) about gardens around the homes of Jane Austen and gardens of the type she would have enjoyed. There are parts of family letters and other facts about her family in the book. Every page has excellent photos, drawings and addresses where you can find the gardens. Great treasure of a book. It would make a nice gift.

Lovely pictures!!!Interesting facts
If you love Jane Austin you will love this book.This is for the history buffs out there.Very interesting facts and beautiful pictures!!

Enter Jane Austens garden
Kim Wilson has done it again- created a window into Jane Austen's world this time thru the garden gate. Any Jane Austen addict will love this book and anyone traveling to England with an interest in Jane will love to step into those gardens she loved and visited.

I look forward to another book about another aspect of Jane's life from Ms. Wilson.

Beautiful! Inspiring! Informative! Every Jane Austen Fan will Love it!
"To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure, is the most perfect refreshment." Fanny Price, Mansfield Park, Chapter 9

It seems quite fitting that a quote from Jane Austen's character Fanny Price, who is an astute observer of natural beauty, should open this book with such a succinct statement expressing her delight in being planted on the bench in Sotherton's parkland to enjoy the serene beauty of the green landscape around her. Verdure is not a word that one runs across very often in contemporary writing but we should, because it vividly describes a scene and sensations in one word. It is no leap of the imagination that Fanny's creator Jane Austen gave her such sentiments, for Jane dearly loved nature herself and included references to it and gardening in her novels and letters.

Author Kim Wilson must be a Fanny Price too, sensitive and observant to natures beauty as her new book In the Garden With Jane Austen is a verdurous delight, introducing us to Austen's affinity to nature through the gardens she would have experienced in her own homes, family members and public gardens of Georgian and Regency England. This beautiful little volume is packed full of quotes from her novels and letters referencing her characters experiences in the garden and her own love of garden cultivation. It has always appeared to me that some of the best plot development in her novels happened while her characters were walking and I am reminded that her heroine's Elizabeth Bennet, Catherine Morland, and Emma Woodhouse were all proposed to in a garden or on a woodland path. Hmm? Should we take a clue from this ladies and get your men outside?

Ms. Wilson has certainly done her research collecting many quotes and antecedents from Austen's novels, letters and family lore effectively placing them in historical context and illustrated with beautiful photographs of the actual locations mentioned. I felt like I was on a personal garden tour of Austen's life as I traveled from the cottage gardens of her home in Steventon and Chawton, to the manor house gardens of her family such as brother Edward at Godersham Park, Goodnestone Park, and Chawton House, and the estate of Stoneleigh Abbey owned by her cousins the Leigh's. We are also treated to views of other famous estates that might have inspired settings in her novels such as Chatsworth House reputed to be the inspiration for Pemberley in Pride and Prejudice and Cottesbrook Hall for Mansfield Park.

Even though this is a lovely pictorial edition, the text is what really shines with so many facts and observations on how nature and gardens influenced Jane Austen's life and writings. I will admit to a more than slight disappointment in the book's small size and paperback format though in comparison to other comparably priced larger sized hardcover editions on the market.

I must confess a large prejudice in favor of this book even before it was published since it combined two of my passions, Jane Austen and gardening. When I finally had the book in hand, I was happy to discover that the last chapter is devoted to re-creating a Jane Austen inspired garden yourself reminiscent of a Regency or Georgian era. What a fanciful thought that plants that Austen admired can be obtained and grown either in a classic presentation, a few simple pots of garden herbs or her favorite flowering shrub the syringa placed by your front door to remind you everyday that looking upon verdure in the perfect refreshment. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1999, two amateur Jane Austen scholars staying at an English estate stumbled upon a hidden cache of manuscript pages and made the literary discovery of the century -- the lost sex scenes from Jane Austen's novels. Published here for the first time, the lost pages display Emma taking self-satisfaction to a whole new level, and reveal Henry Crawford's thorough exploration of "brotherly love" at Mansfield Park. If you've ever wondered what really happened in the drawing rooms of Austen's beloved characters, Pride and Promiscuity will satisfy your curiosity...and a whole lot more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

Pride and Promiscuity misses the mark...
This week's review is Pride and Promiscuity, The Lost Sex Scenes of Jane Austen by David Auburn (pen name of Dennis Ashton) and Arielle Eckstut.

The book is set up as a conglomeration of papers found by the author and verified by an Austen scholar.Complete with introduction, the `scholar' lets us know her feelings on Austen addicts.Something the book makes an effort at poking fun of.

`These people who made them were usually non-professional, and sometimes rather deranged, Austen fanatics who after spending years rereading Pride and Prejudice (or more likely watching the BBC miniseries version) had decided the novel was, in fact, a disguised allegory of the Life of Christ or that Jane Austen was actually a homosexual man writing under a pseudonym, or some other outré interpretation.'

When you pick this book up, realize that you are not going to be coddled with love-making and courtship.Auburn and Eckstut wanted to have fun with the idea that Austen was writing sex scenes.As ludicrous as that sounds, it does get a few chuckles in a few places, falls completely flat in some and in others, the read becomes horrifically uncomfortable.

An interesting aspect of the book is the fact that it takes on a few of Austen's issues head on.Mansfield Park is sometimes criticized for being incestuous. (Did I write `sometimes?'I meant to write `all the time.')The author seems to take the bull by the horns by creating a love scene between the Crawfords while having them discourse over Fanny and Edmund.By no means is the author drawing any great literary comparisons.It is simply fairly amusing she chose this approach.

Her treatment of Mr. and Mrs. Collins is perhaps the book's saving grace.This would be a favorite, if forced to choose.Charlotte is given a riding crop and works out some frustrations on Mr. Collins.The icing on the cake is who gave her the crop.Oh raptures!

The author does a well enough job tying Austen's voice into the `newly found pages.'I found it humorous that a riddle was used in Mr. Churchill's scene with Mr. Knightley.Riddle's being such a favorite pastime in Austen's Emma.However that was the only thing I found amusing about the scene.

Part of the book's failing is the author's attempt at trying every sexual proclivity in each of Austen's novels.Variety is the spice of life, but perhaps using it to overshadow a subpar writing style is not the way to go.I found myself wondering what form of sexual deviancy I would find when I next turned the page, but was not looking forward to whether or not any witty or inventive writing would get me there.This was a failing.

The book is not believable, but the author does not even make the merest attempt at this endeavor.It is truly a lark, a silly one in some places and naughty one in almost all of it.Jane Austen would definitely NOT approve.This is NOT for purists.

I give it a 2 out of 5 stars.

You can read more of my reviews and interviews with authors by searching for my column... Jane Austen Sequel Examiner.

Nice effort... but not good enough to tempt me.
Let me start off by saying how much I really really really wanted to like this book. It was a great idea, but falls short of the mark.Not only were the characters incestuous in some cases but I also couldn't enjoy it because of the unbelievability of the situations (Jane sick at Netherfield park because Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingly coerce her into lesbian sex???)

If you are at all interested in the more intimate side of Elizabeth and Darcy I recommend the Pemberley series by Abigail Reynolds.Otherwise, save your money.

Terrible waste of money
This book was a huge disappointment.The story lines made no sense whatsoever and it truly detracted from the original stories.

Tripe.
I bought this under the mistaken impression that it was factual. Yes, I read the introduction and faux authentication by "Elfrida Drummond" who it turns out is the author's husband. Nowhere before the commencement of the book did it say that this was a farce. That's what upset me. Once I found out the truth there was no reason to continue reading it. If it wasn't written by Ms. Austen, why continue? If Ms. Eckstut had been forthright about how she billed the book, I think many of us would have been more forgiving.

Not worth my time.
I was hoping to find this book amusing, and, well, I didn't. I pride myself on a fairly decent sense of humor, and I guess that if you're going to "go there" (as in, write up "lost sex scenes" from Jane Austen's novels) you might as well go all the way, and this book simply did not do so. ... Read more

Product Description
These three short works show Austen experimenting with a variety of different literary styles, from melodrama to satire, and exploring a range of social classes and settings. The early epistolary novel "Lady Susan" depicts an unscrupulous coquette, toying with the affections of several men. In contrast, "TheWatsons" is a delightful fragment, whose spirited heroine - Emma - finds her marriage opportunities limited by poverty and pride. Meanwhile "Sanditon", set in a seaside resort, offers a glorious cast of hypochondriacs and spectators, treated by Austen with both amusement and scepticism. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

A delightfully wicked anit-heroine enchanced by a quality audio production
Jane Austen's epistolary novel Lady Susan has never received much attention in comparison to her other six major novels. It is a short piece, only 70 pages in my edition of The Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen: Minor Works containing forty-one letters and a conclusion. Scholars estimate that it was written between 1793-4 when the young author was in her late teens and represents her first attempts to write in the epistolary format popular with many authors at that time. In 1805, she transcribed a fair copy of the manuscript but did not pursue publication in her lifetime. The manuscript would remain unpublished until 54 years after her death with its inclusion in the appendix of her nephew James Edward Austen-Leigh's biography of his aunt, A Memoir of Jane Austen in 1871.

Lady Susan's greatest fault lies in its comparison to its young sisters. Since few novels can surpass or equal Miss Austen's masterpieces, it should be accepted for what it is - a charming melodramatic piece by an author in the making. Not only are we presented with interesting and provocative characters,Austen reveals an early understanding of social machinations, wit, and the exquisite language that would become her trademark. Its greatest challenge appears to be in the limitations of the epistolary format itself where the narrative is revealed through one person's perspective and then the other's reaction and reply, not allowing for the energy of direct dialogue or much description of the scene or surroundings. Withstandingits shortcomings, it is still a glistening jewel; smart, funny, and intriguing wicked.

Given the obvious challenges of converting a novel written in letter format into audio recording, I was amazed and delighted at how listening to the novel enhanced my enjoyment. Naxos AudioBooks has pulled together a first rate production presenting a stellar cast supported by beautiful classical music. Casting British stage and screen actress Harriet Walter as the fabulously wicked Lady Susan was brilliant. She offers the appropriate edge and attitude necessary to complement the text. With Walter's, we are never in any doubt of Lady Susan's full capacity to scheme, manipulate and ooze immorality and deception. Unlike many audio recording where one narrator uses many voices to portray each character, this recording offers 7 simlar to a stage or radio production with each part cast with a unique actor offering variety and interest. We truly connect to each portrayal of the character as they write their letters, inflect emotion into their train of thought, and personalize the production. The addition of period music by Romberg and Mozart equally enhance the setting.

Running two hours and thirty minutes, this audio recording of Lady Susan actually enhanced my understanding and enjoyment of this often neglected yet highly amusing novella. I recommend it highly.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Jane Austen, always good
This is a great audiobook for the car. Jane Austen's stories never get old. This audiobook is read well. It's also a good value for the money.

Satisfied my curiosity
Unlike most of these reviewers I could not really get into Lady Susan. Maybe at a later date. The Watsons was like an introduction to some published works but short and unfinished. However there is a note at the end describing by JA herself how it would end. the best version of Sanditon is found in the book, Sanditon by Jane Austen and another Lady.Sanditon By Jane Austen and Another Lady (New American Library) It is finished charmingly!

"Teazers..."
Jane Austen is rightly esteemed for her six excellent published romance novels.She wrote throughout her life; this book captures the completed but never published short novel "Lady Susan" and two uncompleted novel fragments: "The Watsons" and "Sanditon."Jane Austen fans will find them tantalizing reminders of what Austen might have been capable of had she enjoyed a longer life.

"Lady Susan", reportedly drafted in the 1790s' but completed about 1804, concerns the mischief of the title character, a recently widowed but attractive and manipulative woman who enjoys trifling with the emotions of men.The story is told in a series of letters between different characters.As the story opens, Lady Susan and her daughter Frederica depart the home of the Manwarings after Lady Susan has enticed both Mr. Manwaring and a Mr. James Parker, much to the consternation of Mrs. Manwaring.Lady Susan visits the home of her brother Mr. Vernon, where she attracts the young and wealthy Mr. De Courcy while keeping the other two men on the hook.Her attempts to force her daughter to marry Mr. Parker draw the fortunate interference of her sister-in-law Mrs. Vernon.Lady Susan's schemes will finally come undone, leaving her to make the best of the wreckage.The letter style creates a strong sense of suspense about the outcome.The beautiful but cynical Lady Susan is an unusual leading character, a ruthless sexual manipulator not glimpsed again in Jane Austen's fiction until "Mansfield Park".

The novel fragment "The Watsons" was reportedly begun sometime after Jane Austen's parents moved the family to Bath in 1801.She may have ceased work on it due to her father's death in 1805.The story centers around Emma Watson, one of several sisters in a family of limited means, who is raised by a wealthier aunt and uncle.The death of the uncle places her, penniless, back with her original family, headed by an ailing father.The novel proceeds far enough for us to recognize Emma is accomplished and attractive, and will be sought after by the three eligible men introduced in the fragment.It has the makings of a very good story.Jane Austen apparently hinted to her sister Cassandra how the novel might play out, and those hints are included here.

Jane Austen started on "Sanditon" in early 1817, before her own fatal illness sapped her strength.The surviving fragment suggests a rather elaborate plot concerning a small seashore community seeking to become the next popular watering place of England.Among the large numbers of characters introduced, the Parker family seems to figure prominently.The potential heroine appears to be Charlotte Heywood, a young and attractive guest of the Parkers at Sanditon.The fragment ends early, before the plot is properly developed.

While "Lady Susan" is a complete story; both "The Watsons" and "Sanditon" are really very rough partial drafts.The three items will be of interest to Jane Austen fans who have already consumed her published novels and wish a taste of what might have been.This book is highly recommended to those fans with the caution that Austen had not intended them for publication in the form in which they are offered here.

Lady Susan/the Watsons/Sandition: Three small and incomplete works by genius Jane Austen
Lady Susan/the Watsons/ Sandition are all contained in one slim Penguin volume. This edition has a fine introduction by British scholar Margaret Drabble. She explores their genesis, importance and plot.
Lady Susan is an epistolary novel written in imitation of Jane's favorite author Samuel Richardson. Lady Susan is the most flirtatious woman who is portrayed in Austen's works. This is a complete novel but it is very short running over just 100 pages. Susan is a nymphomaniac who like the black widow spider is eager to lure unsuspecting males into her sable web. She is even jealous of her daugher Fredrica's as she seeks to force the fautuous girl into an arranged marriage. Ironically it is Susan whoweds the stupid, but wealthy Sir James Martin! Susan's first husband died before the beginning of the novel; her efforts to infatuate the married Mr. Manwaring fails to materialize. Susan Vernon also fails to win the handsome young nobleman Lord De Courcy.He has his roving eye momentarily focused on Fredrica. Lady Susan does not have much of the witty conversation and social setting which makes Austen's completed novels classics. It is an apprentice work.
The Watsons is concerned with a poor girl Emma Watson. Emma attends a ball and meets handsome Lord Osborne. This incomplete novel reminds the reader of the rocky courtship between Miss Elizabeth Bennett and the aloof, aristocratic but good Fitzwilliam Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice."
The best part of the book, for me, was the description of an early nineteenth century ball and the preparations required to pull it off. The witty talk between Emma and her sister Elizabeth sparkle with light brio for which Austen is peerless! The novel was never completed.
Sandition is the book Jane Austen was working on when she died at the age of 42. Sandition is a new resort town on the south coast of England. As the novel begins Mr. Parker is involved in a carriage accident. Parker is nursed back to health by Mr. Heywood. Heywood permits his daughter Charlotte to visit the Parkers home in Sandition. Jane Austen hated her residence at Bath and in this novel pokes considerable fun at hypochondriachal characters such as Diane Parker. It is ironic in that Austen wrote the novel as she was slowly dying from an untreatable kidney malady that would kill her on July 18, 1817. A very funny and idiotic character is the absurd Sir Edward Denham. Denham loves to talk in long and poetic passages seeking to win the heart of Charlotte. This unfinished novel begins well and promised to be one of her best books.
Jane Austen is the first great female novelist and one of the greatest authors of fiction who ever lived. Her regency romances of courtship and marriage is small rural English towns in the early nineteenth century are unsurpassed in their examination of the rites and complexities of love.
These three short works are not the place to start with Miss Jane but they are worthy to be savored by Janeites worldwide.
... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

perfect story, perfect size
I love this book, and it's the perfect size to fit in a purse to carry with you wherever you go.

Great book, but this copy is so tiny.
I love this book, but this copy is not even 4 x 6 inches.The print is very small. I would buy a bigger copy if I had the chance again. ... Read more

Product Description
This title contains introduction and notes by Dr Ian Littlewood, University of Sussex. Adultery is not a typical Jane Austen theme, but when it disturbs the relatively peaceful household at Mansfield Park, it has quite unexpected results. The diffident and much put-upon heroine Fanny Price has to struggle to cope with the results, re-examining her own feelings while enduring the cheerful amorality, old-fashioned indifference and priggish disapproval of those around her.Amazon.com Review
Though Jane Austen was writing at a time when Gothic potboilers such asAnn Ward Radcliffe's TheMysteries of Udolpho and Horace Walpole's The Castleof Otranto were all the rage, she never got carried away by romancein her own novels. In Austen's ordered world, the passions that ruledGothic fiction would be horridly out of place; marriage was, first andforemost, a contract, the bedrock of polite society. Certain rules appliedto who was eligible and who was not, how one courted and married and whatone expected afterwards. To flout these rules was to tear at the basicfabric of society, and the consequences could be terrible. Each of the sixnovels she completed in her lifetime are, in effect, comic cautionary talesthat end happily for those characters who play by the rules and badly forthose who don't. In Mansfield Park, for example, Austen gives usFanny Price, a poor young woman who has grown up in her wealthy relatives'household without ever being accepted as an equal. The only one who hastruly been kind to Fanny is Edmund Bertram, the younger of the family's twosons.

Into this Cinderella existence comes Henry Crawford and his sister, Mary,who are visiting relatives in the neighborhood. Soon Mansfield Park isgiven over to all kinds of gaiety, including a daring interlude spentdabbling in theatricals. Young Edmund is smitten with Mary, and HenryCrawford woos Fanny. Yet these two charming, gifted, and attractivesiblings gradually reveal themselves to be lacking in one essentialAustenian quality: principle. Without good principles to temper passion,the results can be disastrous, and indeed, Mansfield Park is rifewith adultery, betrayal, social ruin, and ruptured friendships. But thisis a comedy, after all, so there is also a requisite happy endingand plenty of Austen's patented gentle satire along the way. Describing theswitch in Edmund's affections from Mary to Fanny, she writes: "I purposelyabstain from dates on this occasion, that everyone may be at liberty to fixtheir own, aware that the cure of unconquerable passions, and the transferof unchanging attachments, must vary much as to time in different people."What does not vary is the pleasure with which new generations cometo Jane Austen. --Alix Wilber ... Read more

Customer Reviews (92)

Another wonderful novel by Jane Austen
Another wonderful novel by Jane Austen containing her penetrating, acute observations about the foibles of human nature.

Everybody likes to go their own way
Even the best authors in the world sometimes put out something that... well, isn't up to their usual standards. For Jane Austen, that book was "Mansfield Park" -- her prose is typically excellent, and she weaves a memorable story about a poor young lady in the middle of a wealthy, dysfunctional family. But put bluntly, Fanny Price lacks the depth and complexity of Austen's other heroines.

As a young girl, Fanny Price was sent from her poor family to live with her wealth relatives, the Bertrams, and was raised along with her four cousins Tom, Edmund, Maria and Julia.

Despite being regarded only little better than a servant (especially by the fawning, cheap Mrs. Norris), Fanny is pretty happy -- especially since Edmund is kind and supportive of her at all times. But then the charming, fashionable Crawford sibilings arrive in the neighborhood, sparking off some love triangles (particularly between Maria and Henry Crawford, even though she's already engaged.

And the whole thing becomes even more confused when Henry becomes intrigued by Fanny's refusal to be charmed by him as the others are. But when she rejects his proposal, she ends up banished from her beloved Mansfield Park... right before a devastating scandal and a perilous illness strikes the Bertram family. Does Fanny still have a chance at love and the family she's always been with?

The biggest problem with "Mansfield Park" is Fanny Price -- even Austen's own mother didn't like her. She's a very flat, virtuously dull heroine for this story; unlike Austen's other heroines she doesn't have much personality growth or a personal flaw to overcome. And despite being the protagonist, Fanny seems more like a spectator on the outskirts of the plot until the second half (when she has a small but pivotal part to play in the story).

Fortunately she's the only real flaw in this book. Austen's stately, vivid prose is full of deliciously witty moments (Aunt Norris "consoled herself for the loss of her husband by considering that she could do very well without him"), some tastefully-handled scandal, and a delicate house-of-romantic-cards that comes crashing down to ruin people's lives (and improve others). And she inserts some pointed commentary on people who care more about society's opinions than on morality.

And the other characters in the book are pretty fascinating as well -- especially since Edmund, despite being a virtuous clergyman-in-training, is an intelligent and strong-willed man. The Bertrams are a rather dysfunctional family with a stern patriarch, a fluttery ethereal mother, a playboy heir and a couple of spoiled girls -- Maria in particular develops a crush on Henry, but doesn't bother to break off her engagement until it's too late. And the Crawfords are all flash and sparkle: a pair of charming, shallow people who are essentially hollow.

"Mansfield Park" suffers from a rather insipid heroine, but the rest of the book is vintage Austen -- lies, romance, scandal and a dance of manners and society.

Complex, boring, or just not Jane Austen's best novel?
Mansfield Park has been called Jane Austen's most controversial novel. Modern readers may wonder what in the world could possibly be controversial about what some people call Austen's most boring novel. The Bertram's family slavery based fortune caused a bit of a sensation when the novel was first published. Other than the reference to slavery, Mansfield Park is most Austen readers least favorite novel due to the timid disposition of the book's main protagonist, Fanny Price.

When Fanny was only ten years old, her aunt, Lady Bertram, decided to help her destitute sister who had the misfortune to fall in love with a lowly sailor with no fortune, by taking in one of her many children. The idea of removing Fanny from Portsmouth to Mansfield came not from Lady Bertram, but from her meddlesome sister, Mrs Norris, who is probably the most annoying character in this book. Fanny is brought to Mansfield under the suggestion of Mrs Norris, who believed removing the child from the oppressive conditions of her family, would bring her advantages her family could never possibly provide. Mrs Norris, however, takes every opportunity to humiliate Fanny. Her presence becomes a constant reminder to Fanny that she is not an equal to her spoiled cousins, Maria and Julia.

The only person Fanny develops a deep bond with at Mansfield is with her cousin Edmund. As a child, he consoles her when she is removed from the only home she has ever known, but as they grow into adults, Fanny falls in love with him.

Fanny's love for Edmund is dashed with the entrance of Miss Mary Crawford and Mr Henry Crawford. Mary and Henry are the half brother and sister of Mrs Grant, the wife of Mansfield's parson. Maria and Julia are in awe of Mr Crawford good looks and manners. Edmund, however, begins to fall in love with Mary.

I did not find this novel as boring as some people, but it did seem that Fanny was hardly noticed by any characters until the middle of the novel. She is just lurking in the background watching her cousins making questionable decisions. Out of all the Mansfield household, Fanny is the only one not completely enraptured by the Crawfords. She realizes Henry's intentions with her cousins are not good, and she knows that Mary is not the person Edmund believes she is.

Besides, Mrs Norris, who I found absolutely annoying, Edmund was also not my favorite character. He knows Mary's values are entirely different than his own, yet he persists in hoping Mary will someday accept him. Mary ridicules Edmund's decision to become a clergyman, yet he still hopes they will someday have a future together. Why? I enjoyed the novel, but I did not enjoy the romance between Fanny and Edmund. The ending made it seem like Edmund picked Fanny because he couldn't have who he really wanted the entire novel. Fanny's dream only came true when Mary made it impossible and I do mean impossible for Edmund to make excuses for her.Only in the end did Edmund Bertram realize that the woman he has been seeking all his life has been right under his nose.

Slow
Having a hard time with this book.I love anything Jane Austen, however this book is hard for me to keep an interest in.I have picked it up and put it back down several times.Almost a chore to finish it.

Excellent :)
Item came in great condition in good time. I couldn't even tell it was used, outside of a small smear on the removable cover. ... Read more

Product Description
In her latest spellbinding escapade, Jane Austen arrives in London to watch over the printing of her first novel, and finds herself embroiled in a crime that could end more than her career. For it is up to Jane to tease a murderer out of the ton, lest she—and her country—suffer a dastardly demise.…

On the heels of completing Sense and Sensibility, Jane heads to Sloane Street for a monthlong visit with her brother Henry and his wife, Eliza. Hobnobbing with the Fashionable Great at the height of the Season, Jane is well aware of their secrets and peccadilloes. But even she is surprised when the intimate correspondence between a Russian princess and a prominent Tory minister is published in the papers for all to see. More shocking, the disgraced beauty is soon found with her throat slit on Lord Castlereagh’s very doorstep.

Everyone who’s anyone in high society is certain the spurned princess committed the violence upon herself. But Jane is unconvinced. Nor does she believe the minister guilty of so grisly and public a crime. Jane, however, is willing to let someone else investigate—until a quirk of fate thrusts her and Eliza into the heart of the case…as prime suspects!

Striking a bargain with the authorities, Jane secures seven days to save herself and Eliza from hanging. But as her quest to unmask a killer takes her from the halls of government to the drawing rooms of London’s most celebrated courtesan, only one thing is sure: her failure will not only cut short her life. It could lead to England’s downfall. A compulsively readable, uncommonly elegant novel of historical suspense, Jane and the Barque of Frailty once again proves Jane Austen a sleuth to be reckoned with.


From the Hardcover edition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (13)

murder
Another book in the series of Jane Austin solving crime. Historically well done. I am waiting for more!

Jane Austen: Detective!
I love this series.It's well written and imaginative.Stephanie Barron does a wonderful job bringing to life the history of this time period and melding it with her fictional creations.I look forward to each new publication.

A decent read
This was the first of Stephanie Barron's books I've read.It was a decent period mystery.I found her to be better at imitating the writing of this time period than some other writers who I've seen attempt it.The footnotes provided some interesting historical facts.I found the storyline to be reasonably entertaining, if not all that hard to figure out.I found it a little bit implausible that Jane and her sister-in-law are quite so calm in the face of a murder accusation.I had trouble keeping straight some of the secondary characters, but I must blame this partially on my not paying as close attention as I probably should have early on in the book.

I read the Kindle version (on my K1).It had some minor formatting problems.There were a handful of places were two words were strung together.There were quite a few more place where there were paragraph breaks that shouldn't have been there (usually between two proper nouns).It was mainly problems of that nature.I wouldn't say to stay away from the Kindle version.It wasn't horrible, but the occasional errors were distracting.

Not on par with other titles in the series
I usually enjoy Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen mysteries but am finding that, as the series progresses, it seems to be losing something.Though Barron still has a gift for the period that makes the book sound like it could be told by Jane, I feel that this latest attempt is delving a bit into the realm of the Gothic, which I don't think is very much in keeping with Austen's personality.

The mystery itself isn't particularly well constructed.Jane and her sister-in-law Eliza are implicated in the death of a Russian princess and must work to clear their names.I didn't much buy this aspect of the book because the "motive" that was assigned to the two women was very flimsy.This, however, wasn't the part that bothered me the most.What did bother me the most were the things that Jane did in order to clear her name.To be specific about them would be to reveal something of the plot so I'll simply say that I didn't feel that the actions of the book Jane were in keeping with the character of the real Jane.

I also found Jane's attitude toward her manuscript in progress to be rather less than believable.Austen referred to her books as her children and while being accused of murder is certainly a reason to be distracted, I couldn't conceive that it would make Austen feel that absent about her manuscript.I also found it a shame that Barron didn't take more of an opportunity here to explore just how Jane must have felt on the eve of her first publication, of the hopes and fears she must have had.

Without Lord Harold...the story suffers
Stephanie Barron's "Jane and the Barque of Frailty" suffers without the tension provided by Lord Harold.Though this is now the second book since he was removed from the series, the last one, "Jane and His Lordship's Legacy", was much deeper, fuller fleshed and engrossing.The loss of his character is quite obvious in the London ton setting and the mystery seems improbable.Still I enjoy the cadence of Stephanie Barron's writing and her pictures of Regency England are descriptive.I look forward to a new "episode". ... Read more

Product Description

Christian Encounters, a series of biographies from Thomas Nelson Publishers, highlights important lives from all ages and areas of the Church. Some are familiar faces. Others are unexpected guests. But all, through their relationships, struggles, prayers, and desires, uniquely illuminate our shared experience.

Some may know Jane Austen simply as the English novelist whose books are required reading in high school and college. Perhaps it wasn't until the BBC's extremely successful TV miniseries of Pride and Prejudice or Emma Thompson's film Sense and Sensibility that many became entranced. Now younger readers are flocking to Austen with a unique twist in the bestselling Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance, by Seth Grahame-Smith. In this Christian Encounters biography, fans of Jane Austen will discover the Christian faith that was in the weft and weave of her character and how it influenced her writing and her life.

Customer Reviews (71)

Had to take it from son's room to read- Better than expected!
When I first got the Jane Austen Christian Encounter book to review, I was looking forward to reading it but had to go out of town for a few weeks, so I was saving it for vacation reading- my son, however, took the book and was so interested in it, he had it in his room and I never took it with me.

When I returned home, I found the book and was able to pry it out of his hands so I could read it. He does not read very often these days and although he struggles with reading sometimes, I was surprised that he kept reading this book it was THAT interesting to him.

I have to say that I found this book refreshingly engaging.Instead of a bunch of dry (or generated half-truths) I found this book to be really interesting and well balanced.Jane Austen lived such a brief life and was limited in her exposure to the world, it is interesting to read what others said about her and learn of her interesting life.From the sounds of it, Jane's family would have been an interesting stimulating bunch to be around- and it is easy to see where Jane got her inspiration for her books.

Being a Christian series, I was also very pleased to see that Jane Austen's religious beliefs and background did not seem to be pumped up to make her look like a super-hero Christian, but instead let her be who she was in pretty good balance.

I particularly liked some of the insights into her writing such as that Jane had a puzzle-solving mind and wanted the readers to solve romantic puzzles with her.

Although there are 153 pages of text in the book, the page size is small and font big enough to foster easy reading.There is an appendix of Austen friends, relatives, and neighbors.There is also an appendix listing characters in the Austen books.Finally there is a LARGE collection of notes of documentation should you want to study her life farther by consulting sources used in the book.

As for educational value, I would say that this book is very suitable for school ages of 6th grade and up- depending on the student's reading level.This book is also engaging enough to be of interest for adults too.

One comment- there are a lot of spoilers in this book, so if you are in the middle of reading some of the books and don't like spoilers, you might want to save this book for AFTER you finish the Austen books you are reading.

I have to say that this book is much more interesting than I expected it to be and I recommend it for school, home education and even adults who enjoy Jane Austen novels (and yes, movies too).It is an interesting peek into the life of one of today's most popular authors.

Good introduction into the real Jane Austen
For someone desiring to get better acquainted with Jane Austen and her literary work, this relatively brief work is a great beginning. It covers the essential facts and provides some good insights along the way. Although I am familiar with a good number of Austen's works, I never realized that she is the progenitor of the modern novel. I especially appreciated all of the connections made between the culture of Austen's time and her pesonal life and struggles. I came away with a deeper appreciation of the gift she has been to literature; and I developed a much deeper appreciation of Austen's skills and accomplishments.This publication has given me a much stronger desire to get to know Jane Austen, her life, her struggles, and accomplishments. For those who want to get to know Jane Austen and little better, but not necesarily every minute detail about her life, this publication might just fill the bill.

interesting and engaging
I've long been a fan of Jane Austen's books, but even after reading them and after taking a class on them, I knew relatively little about Austen herself. The Christian Encounters biography of Jane Austen by Peter Leithart was a great tool for changing that.

Leithart supplements his biography with letters by Austen and her friends and family, which adds a wonderfully personal touch. To hear her story through her own words and through the words of those who loved her allows the reader great insight into who she was. We see that the sharp wit and keen insight that make her books so much fun to read were present in every aspect of her life. She seems to have met every challenge with good humor and an ability to laugh. I like that this biography does address her Christian faith, but not in a heavy-handed way.
This biography was a fairly easy and quick read, although keeping up with all the names of friends and relatives was a bit difficult, especially as so many names are so similar. Overall, I enjoyed this book, and it has made me want to re-read Austen's novels.

I received this biography for free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review blogger program, [...].

A very interesting story...
When you're not that interested in literary arts, it's hard to read a biography on one of the best writers ever.However, although I do not fall into that category of disliking literary arts, this author manages to span the pigeon-holed reader into wanting to expand his/her knowledge of Jane Austen. That in and of itself is a descriptive of a good writer.

Anyway, this book gives a very detailed account of Miss Austen's life, her loves, and her passion for just about everything.With her zeal for life, writing about it all just followed suit, along with her faith in God.The book is not dry, as often bios are, but full of excitement and captures the childlike excitement of Miss Austen.

Very well written, researched and thought out, as well as being an enjoyable read. However, the cover could definitely use some work!This is a great case of "don't judge a book by its cover!" Highly recommend!

Now I want to be Jane Austen when I grow up
In a world of adoring Austenites, Peter Leithart is careful to cut through the layers of adulation, harsh criticism, and mystique which have been heaped up around Jane Austen. He reveals a woman who "at the center of her soul, remained Jenny Austen all her life", and who wrote out of sheer laughter, with a childlike awareness that people are innately ridiculous.

I enjoyed very much the simplicity of his presentation of `Jenny Austen' and his explanation of her sincere but reserved and quiet faith in Christ. In presenting `Jenny', Leithart manages to explain, almost in passing, what made her a great writer, and in the end he convinced me of one thing at least: I want to be Jane Austen when I grow up.

I have a line of friends waiting to borrow this book now that I'm done with it, and, I think, a few who have yet to be informed that they want to read it. :-) This is a book for aspiring writers, those who love historical biographies, and, of course, for every devoted Jane Austen fan.


Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their [...] book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising." ... Read more

Product Description
From the editor of the popular Annotated Pride and Prejudice comes an annotated edition of Jane Austen’s Persuasion that makes the beloved novel an even more satisfying and fulfilling read. Here is the complete text of Persuasion with hundreds of annotations on facing pages, including:
 
● Explanations of historical context
● Citations from Austen’s life, letters, and other writings
● Definitions and clarifications
● Literary comments and analysis
● Plentiful maps and illustrations
● An introduction, a bibliography, and a detailed chronology of events
 
Packed with all kinds of illuminating information—from what Bath and Lyme looked like at the time to how “bathing machines” at seaside resorts were used to how Wentworth could have made a fortune from the Napoleonic Wars—David M. Shapard’s delightfully entertaining edition brings Austen’s novel of second chances vividly to life. 
  ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

If you enjoyed the Annotated Pride and Prejudice, or if Persuasion is your favorite Austen novel, read this
David Shapard, who was responsible for the wonderful Annotated Pride and Prejudice in 2007, has now turned his thoughtful scholarly talents to Persuasion, Jane Austen last complete novel.Lesser known, probably lesser-read than Pride and Prejudice, and generally considered to be less polished due to Austen's illness and death during its composition, it is nevertheless the favorite Austen novel of many an English professor and Austenite.

Persuasion is not as brilliant, sparkling, and perfect as Pride and Prejudice, but it is more subtle.It is the most interior (by which I mean, so much of the action occurs in the thoughts and emotions of the main characters) of Austen's novels, and has most intensely emotional climax of any of her works.Yet the same heroine, Anne Elliot, who has "the power of loving, when all hope is gone" is also one of Austen's most self-controlled heroines.

While Pride and Prejudice will always remain my personal favorite (I am biased; II fall for Lizzy's wit and spirit every time), Persuasion offers a different display of Austen's skills as a mature novelist, and my re-reading of it was greatly enriched by Shapard's annotations.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
Perhaps the best loved of all English novelists. She addresses the politics, dating and courtship with an incisive intelligence that both foreshadows and outsrips many of the romantic novels of today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

Wonderful
I have been wanting to read these books for some time, and they are absolutely wonderful.

Great for collectors, not so great for readers
As far as a collector's edition- this book is perfect! Beautiful illustrations, gold-edged pages, a ribbon for page marking... however, i'm a reader, not a collector.I purchased this book because it had all of Jane Austen's works and I wanted the convenience of having them all in a single set.This wasn't the book for me.First of all, it was HUGE- and made reading it uncomfortable.In addition, all 6 stories were present, but there was no differentiating them unless you wanted to look at the page numbers.It seems i'll have to buy each book by itself... oh well.If it's going to sit pretty on a bookshelf, by all means, purchase this edition.But if you'll actually want to read it, pass on this collection.

Reliable, classy Jane Austen collection
I'd gone through several mistake-purchases of Jane Austen collections before finding the Modern Library versions. I highly recommend them: they are error-free (a major problem in the deluge of Austen compilations), high quality (good binding - firm enough to last, but pliable enough to actual read the book without having to crack the spine; pages are of a quality weight paper), the book size is also manageable. I own both volumes, have read through them repeatedly, and am glad to have finally found a quality set.

Transcends Time
This is an EXCELLENT collection of Jane Austen's novels.Yes, when buying it, my brother and I chuckled over the irony of "The Complete Novels... Volume I," but neither of us was silly enough to think we were immune from having to also purchase Volume II in order to have the Complete Novels.If you are looking for quality at a reasonable price, this is the collection to buy.These books are exceptionally well made, and the type and paper quality are well above average.

Volume I Review:

I originally read Volume I years ago after having first seen the television and movie adaptations of Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility.I recently decided to re-read this volume and was even more enraptured with it than I was during the first read.The plight of the Dashwood sisters and the malleability of their step-brother by his cold wife in Sense and Sensibility is made so vivid by Jane Austen's flawless writing.What girl or woman reading Pride and Prejudice doesn't imagine she is Elizabeth Bennet, with both her beauty and intelligence, inadvertantly making Mr. Darcy fall in love with her?My heart positively ached for Fanny Price in Mansfield Park, and I wondered how she could put up with the neglect of her rich, fancy relatives and the tyranny of her Aunt Norris and maintain such a pure heart.I am awed by the timelessness and reality of these novels.In my mind, it simply does not get any better than Jane Austen.

Volume II Review:

I also recently finished re-reading Volume II. Jane Austen's novels certainly do transcend time. Whenever I read them I am struck by some new truth applicable either to my life or life today in general. What was true about human nature approximately 200 years ago remains true today, which makes relating to and understanding Jane Austen so easy as well as gratifying.

Like the heroine in Emma, who hasn't known a spoiled brat whose natural vanity is the result of being blessed in everything? Emma's superior attitude is a bit galling at times, and I positively cringed at some of her blunders, but Emma has a good heart. She makes mistakes, like we all do, but eventually she begins to understand her errors through the help of her good friend Mr. Knightly. Thank goodness for friends who love us in spite of our imperfections!

In Northanger Abbey, I am tickled to death not only by Catherine's naivete but also by Jane Austen herself. The first half of this novel is filled with the most hilarious observations which seem to come directly from Austen, and the second half is filled with the overactive imagination of Catherine Morland, who has read perhaps too many novels. In this parody of Gothic fiction, Austen pokes fun at both herself and her audience. It is truly a delight.

When I first read Jane Austen in my mid-twenties, Persuasion was my favorite novel. It gave me hope. I felt so strongly for Anne Elliot, who at nineteen was convinced by her family to reject the man she loved because of his lack of rank and fortune. Seven years later, after he has acheived his fortune, she is thrown into this same man's company. She must watch, agonizingly, while he courts two other young ladies. Anne's courage and fortitude are inspiring.

Strong Edition
This hardback is a solid binding on good quality paper. It easily stands up to the many re-readings Austen's novels deserve. ... Read more

Product Description

One of the greatest writers of all time, Jane Austen drew upon her domestic culture to color her works. Included in this book are more than 200 recipes for the many, many meals she alludes to throughout her writings. Recipes appear in modernized form, along with quotations from Austen's writings and excerpts from cookbooks of her era. Sure to entertain her numerous fans, the volume provides readers with recipes for such dishes as fried beef steaks, broiled mutton chops, roast pork loin, buttered crab or lobster, Stilton cheese, syrup of mulberries, almond pudding, French bread, mushroom ketchup, and many others.

The book begins with some introductory chapters on cooking and eating in Austen's world. It then presents chapters on broad categories of food, such as beef and veal, seafood, pastries and sweets, and beverages. Each chapter includes extracts from Austen's works and from cookbooks of her period, accompanied by easy-to-follow modernized recipes. The volume closes with some sample menus; glossaries of ingredients, sources, and special tools; and a bibliography of period cookbooks and modern studies.

Customer Reviews (1)

Historical Cooking Buffs
I love history, I love Jane Austen, and I love to cook.This is one of my favorite books to read before I bed...yes I like to read cookbooks as a past time.There's is so much information behind the discovery of each recipe.The author presents the historical context, the availability of ingredients and even relates it to Austen's novels....This book is a real jewel. ... Read more

Product Description
Readers have long cherished the brilliant, ironic novels of Jane Austen and critics have ranked them with the masterpieces of world literature, but surprisingly, there has been no major biography of the novelist in over seventy years. Park Honan's highly accliamed "Jane Austen: Her Life" is the biography that Austen--and her readers--have long deserved. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An Aggressive Biography...
Park Honan's 1987 " Jane Austen: Her Life" is a long (400 pages) and in many respects an impressive biography of English novelist Jane Austen.Honan has done his extensive research, especially into the various Austen family archives that were available at the time of publication.He succeeds in firmly grounding Miss Jane Austen's life in the rough and ready context of her times.To his credit, he also largely resists re-interpreting Austen's life from a 20th century perspective.

Honan is an aggressive biographer.His challenge is that of every Jane Austen biographer, to turn the very limited surviving material on her life into a rounded portrait.His willingness to push those limited biographical materials to the limits of interpretation will fascinate some readers and may infuriate others. Honan willingly dissects, among other topics, Jane Austen's youthful flirtation with Tom LeFroy, her short-lived relationship with an unnamed young man at a seashore resort in 1802, and her abortive engagement to Harris Bigg-Withers.His interpretation in each case is plausible but inevitably speculative to some degree.For example, this reviewer found Honan's explanation for her refusal of Harris Bigg-Withers to be insightful but dependent on assumptions about her state of mind and her sense of her obligations to her family that may be unprovable at this distance of time.

Honan's chronological approach includes the continuing influence of Jane Austen's family on her life and her development as a writer.He mixes friendly literary criticism with an account of the production of her juvenile works and her finished novels. If "Pride and Prejudice" gets rather much attention, Honan does due diligence for "Mansfield Park" and the other novels, keeping each heroine in focus.He explores Jane Austen's complex relationship with her older sister Cassandra and her dependence on her brothers and their fortunes in life.His account of her final illness and death makes for very nearly heartbreaking reading.

"Jane Austen: Her Life" is highly recommended to fans of Jane Austen.The casual reader will be deterred by its length, and it may not be quite the definitive account promised by the book cover, but it is an interesting, even fascinating biography well worth the effort.

Janeites will want to read this
This book claims to cover a great deal of new material, although I would have to say that it doesn't seem to me to add much to other biographies.I would guess that a lot of the new material relates to Frank Austen, since the biography begins, somewhat surprisingly, with a several page account of his entry into the Navy.I would therefore recommend it to Janeites, who will want all the details, but those who have already read a biography and are not terribly interested probably won't find that this rewards the additional reading.(I am among those who just love details, although this is a bit much even for me.)

Previous biographers, such as Elizabeth Jenkins (Jane Austen: A Biography), have portrayed the Austens as a loving and harmonious family.Recent biographers have challenged this view, sometimes even arguing for serious tension between Jane and her sister Cassandra.Honan argues for a relatively harmonious group, with some normal dissensions.

I give somewhat mixed marks to the writing.I find statements such as "The deepest purpose of her burlesques wasalways to ensure her freedom within the loving group of the Austens ... " (p.70) as unverifiable verbiage that adds little to the reading experience.I don't think that we needed several pages on the actual events of the Battle of Trafalger, although of course it adds to the general historical detail. On the other hand, Honan's reconstruction of JA's possible thoughts as she agonized over withdrawing from her engagement to Bigg-Withers are quite affecting, even if speculative. I don't think that I have ever read a more moving account of her courage during her last illness.

The bibliographic citations are frustratingly uneven and incomplete.Previous biographers have pilloried Edward Austen (Knight) for his failure to offer his mother and sisters a home immediately after his father's death. Honan claims in passing that he did make such an offer and they declined it.There is no citation for this startling, and in understanding the interactions of the Austens, important statement!Honan also agrees with Valerie Grosvenor Myers (Jane Austen, Obstinate Heart: A Biography) in stating that Mrs. Cassandra Austen (JA's mother) was reluctant to get married, but neither cites a source!This claim suggests a number of interesting possibilities regarding the mother-daughter relationship and JA's own decisions regarding marriage, and is certainly important enough to require substantiation.

One of the reviewers has mentioned that there are numerous errors in the book.I can't say that I was struck by them, unless the reviewer is speaking of difference in interpretation, but I can't claim to be any expert, either.

Honan includes several family trees and the notes, such as they are, are arranged so as to be easy to find.There is an index, not as detailed as it might be.There is a useful review of materials and previous writings on Austen and related topics.

Honan does not like John Halperin's book, The Life of Jane Austen, which he claims is inaccurate, but it is so far my favorite and the most focussed of the long biographies. For a short biography, which I like to read before long biographies when available, I recommend Carol Shield's book, Jane Austen (Penguin Lives), and Valerie Grosvenor Myer's Jane Austen, Obstinate Heart: A Biography, as a midlength book. The latter is flawed by a lack of notes.

Oops -- Honan's Errors
I found 23 factual errors in Honan's book -- when I mentioned this to someone I was told that a reader in Virginia had found 142.There are much better biographies of Jane Austen out there -- for starters, no one has yet surpassed Elizabeth Jenkins', first published in the 1930s, and a fine recent one, a good introduction to JA's life, is Maggie Lane's latest, Jane Austen's World.Don't be put off by the fact that it is slick and, as they say, richly illustrated -- it's readable, sound and remarkably complete despite its size.

Janeyphiles check this book...
Park Honan (professor of English and American Literature at the Universiy of Leeds in England) wrote "Jane Austen: Her Life" in the late1980's. At the time he wrote his book, he had access to much new materialincluding a treasure trove of letters written by various folks who knew Ms.Austen. Mr. Honan has included an impressive bibliography in his book whichshould keep one reading for years to come.

Honan says Ms. Austenunderstood the current affairs of her time and he provides ampledocumentation to substantiate this assertion. He also suggests herknowledge of current events is reflected in her writing, albeit thinlydisguised.

Although Austen lead a somewhat sheltered life as thedaughter of an English vicar, she lived in exciting times.Napolean was athis height, the Revolution in France and subsequent 'Reign of Terror' keptEnglish on pins and needles, thirteen of England's 23 American colonies hadrevolted and created a new nation that had sided with the French, and thearistocracy was in turmoil over scandels surrounding the monarcy.

Austenwas kept abreast of these activities in a variety of ways including lettersfrom her navalbrother Frank. Historians have uncovered over 500 lettersFrank wrote to family members, and he kept meticulous journals of his timein the navy. Although he probably did not tell Jane everything, he didshare many newsworthy events such as the difficulties on his ship the'London' when six men were hanged and some others "lashed forinsolence, mutiny and an 'unnatural crime of Sodomy."Honan saysAusten refers to this incident in "Mansfield Park" when she hasthe character Mary Crawford who is living next door with her adulterousadmiral uncle say, "Of Rears and Vices, I saw enough."

Honansays Austen was influenced by the writings of Mme. de Sevigne, whom Ms.Austen's father considered too much of a feminist. Jane Austen was veryconcerned about the plight of women and considered adultry and divorce ascourge on women. She was aware of the Regent Prince's attempt to put asidehis wife Queen Charlotte on "trumped up" charges of adultry. Shesympathized with the Queen, unaware that the Queen was a fan of her books.

Influenced by works such as the third Earl of Shaftesbury's"Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times" she enjoinedher readers to have the 'sense' "to control one's emotions throughobservation, reason and moral understanding" and the sensibilitytohave an "accurate perception of other people and theirfeelings."

There are plenty of examples throughout Honan's book ofthe effect of external events on Ms. Austen's writing and thinking, notonly her books, but in the letters that did survive and journals kept byMs. Austen and others.

This is an informative an excellent book foranyone who wants to know more about Ms. Austen's life and works. ... Read more

Product Description
For everyone who loves Jane Austen...The fourth engaging mystery in the series that recasts the well-loved author as a sleuth!

In the waning days of summer, Jane Austen is off to the Canterbury Races, where the rich and fashionable gamble away their fortunes.It is an atmosphere ripe for scandal--but even Jane is unprepared for the shocking drama that unfolds.A flamboyant French beauty, known for her brazen behavior, is found gruesomely strangled in a shabby chaise.While many urge the arrest of a known scoundrel with eyes for the victim, Jane looks further afield and finds a number of acquaintances behaving oddly.

As rumors spread like wildfire that Napoleon's fleet is bound for Kent, Jane suspects that the murder was an act of war rather than a crime of passion.Suddenly the peaceful fields of Kent are a very dangerous place...and Jane's thirst for justice may exact the steepest price of all--her life.
Amazon.com Review
Serious scholars might disagree, but it seems to at least one amateurAustenite that Stephanie Barron has captured Jane Austen's voice perfectlyin her scrupulously researched and scrumptuously written mysteries starringthe celebrated English novelist. "There are not many uses for a baronet'sdaughter, but the steady management of a gentleman's household may safelybe described as one of them," Barron writes in the fourth book in thisremarkable series, a line that could have been plucked from anywhere in theactual canon. Jane is talking about her sister-in-law Elizabeth, who runsher brother Edward's Godmersham estate in Kent. It's here that Jane comesfor a visit in the summer of 1805--and gets caught up not only in a murdermystery but the planned invasion of England by Napoleon, which ended in theBattle of Trafalgar.

Austen, of course, had all the qualities of a good detective: the superbattention to detail, fervid imagination, and salty disdain for pretension.Barron makes excellent use of these attributes, plopping Jane Poirot-likeinto the middle of a crime at the Canterbury Races, then surrounding herwith mysterious and possibly sinister figures involved in aiding orthwarting Napoleon's plans.

The writing, as stylized as it is ("There is nothing like the country forthe rapid communication of what is dreadful"), never gets in the way ofBarron's carefully plotted story, and in the end most readers will findthey've managed to satisfy their appetites both for Austen and for mystery.First-timers will be delighted to hear that the three earlier books inBarron's series (Jane andthe Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor, Jane and the Man of theCloth, and Jane and theWandering Eye) are available in paperback. --Dick Adler ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Still a cracking good read!
Although I did not enjoy this book as much as the last one it is still a great read.We have our sleuth, Jane Austen, delving into the world of espionage.The book is set in Kent in August of 1805.It was during this time that England was under threat of an invasion by Napoleon, and when a local woman is found dead in another man's chaise, Jane and her family don't at first connect the death to treachery and espionage.The lady had what was called a "reputation".Not many mourn the beautiful and brazen Francoise, but Ned, Jane's brother is the county magistrate, so he must find the killer.He enlists the help of the intrepid Jane.I really like these characters, and I have to keep reminding myself that this Jane Austen is not the real one.This is a wonderful Regency series.

Early 19th Century Murder She Wrote
A 2007 summer reading list mini review.

No one ever confused Jane Austen with Jessica Fletcher.Until now.After reading the first 3 installments of Stephanie Barron's series I had to admit they should both have obituary writers as traveling companions because where these writers go death cannot be far behind.

I had endeavored to read this entry last year, but after a chapter or so, I tired of the series for the above referenced reason.This year I attempted it again and am glad I did so. Jane and the Genius of the Placetells an excellent story melding a good mystery with the social commentary that is Jane Austen.I am glad but if in the fifth mystery she goes to the Americas in search of Cabot Cove, I am through!

Not for everyone
The books in this series are a quite well-done pastiche of Jane Austen's style, but they are not easy reading. Unlike other reviewers, I'm afraid that I did not immediately guess how the murder was done in this one, but then I've been picking it up and putting it down for several months. Not being terribly interested in the politics of the Napoleonic wars, I can't say that I always found the details of the plot to be riveting; I enjoyed this book more for its historical detail and insight into the things that were going on in Austen's life, both personally and nationally. It is easy to forget when reading her novels that England was engaged in war with France for a large part of her adult life, and at the time this book takes place was actually in daily expectation of an invasion by Napoleon. There is also some interesting information about the mania for landscaping and "improvement of the estate," which plays an important role in _Mansfield Park_.

One small but entertaining feature of the series is that Barron sprinkles actual quotes from the Austen canon throughout the books (at least this one), which I personally find quite satisfying to catch.

Entertaining but less than genius
This is the fourth novel in Stephanie Barron's Jane Austen mystery series.Having read the previous three, I already knew what to expect.Barron has a knack for imitating the style of Austen's day and shows a vast array of study into the lifestyles of Austen's time.The fourth novel in the series proves Jane to be as stalwart a detective as ever.

While Jane visits her brother's home of Godmersham, she is inevitably caught up in the tragic events that unfold in Kent.With the news of a possible French invasion looming on the horizon, a high-spirited French woman is found murdered at the horse races.Naturally, suspicion falls on the men who were entangled in her web, and her character and affairs with these men are called into question.But the detective side of Jane suspects that the foul play was due to political motives rather than jealous passions.

Barron introduces a wide cast of characters and suspects, and fully fleshes them out as Jane endeavors to solve another mystery.The novel moves quickly due to Jane's 'journaling' of events, even if at times the story is predictable."Jane and the Genius of the Place" is a worthy addition and homage to Austen.

Not like Jane Austen
Many people seem to enjoy this series very much, but Ifind this book and the others as mysteries feeble, and as historical fiction unconvincing.The plots are improbable, and characters cardboard. Most annoyingly, Miss Barron has distorted the characters of jane Austen' family until they are unrecognisable, most unkindly of all, she portrays Jane's mother as a raving imbecile.miss Barron is lucky not to be haunted by Mrs. Austen's indignant ghost.If Jane Austen had written mysteries, they would have been a lot better than these.In fact, most mysteries are better than these. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Distilling Jane Austen...
This 2007 edition of "Jane Austen" is a re-issue of Tony Tanner's superb 1986 study.Tanner distills years of thought on Miss Jane Austen's novels into essays on her literary style and content.He adroitly walks the fine line between high literary criticism and popular commentary.The serious scholar and the devoted fan will each find much to entertain and enlighten.

An extended introduction places Jane Austen in the context of her times with respect to the novel, society, education, and language.Separate chapters on "Northanger Abbey", "Sense and Sensibility", "Pride and Prejudice", "Emma", "Persuasion", and "Sanditon" follow.In each chapter, Tanner explores what Austen reveals of her evolving authorial style, and her surprisingly subtle commentary on values in a changing world.Tanner works in some delicious commentary on the stories themselves along the way.

Each chapter is different.Tanner's commentary on "Northanger Abbey" threatens briefly to disappear into obscure literary terminology."Sense and Sensibility" turns out to have more balance as a novel than often thought.The chapter on "Pride and Prejudice" brings out its enduring appeal."Mansfield Park" and "Emma" each get their due as signficant developments in Austen's style of authorship.Tanner captures the simple but powerful emotional thrust of "Persuasion", and surely wrings all there is to get from the limited but promising fragment that is "Sanditon."

Throughout, Tanner keeps Miss Jane Austen as author in the forefront of the discussion.In the best portions of his commentary, we can almost hear her thinking aloud.Tony Tanner's "Jane Austen" is very highly recommended as an excellent exploration of her work to the scholar and the devoted fan alike.

Thought Provoking
I recently read a Penguin edition of Sense and Sensibility with an introduction by Tony Tanner. It was my enjoyment of that piece that made me seek this book out. Each chapter analyzes one of Austen's books, the unfinished Sanditon included. The introduction, with the assertion that in writing about civility Austen was really writing about civilization, and situating her work in its social and political climate, was particularly challenging. This broader picture was most welcome. I also liked how Dr. Tanner quoted and refuted Austen's detractors, and how he compared her stylistically to other authors of the era.

A glimpse of the author through her works...
Jane Austin was a Tory. She was born in 1775, the year of the American Revolution, lived through the French Revolution, the Jacobin 'Terror' and the Age of Napoleon, and died just after Waterloo.The quiet English countryside she knew and loved became imperiled by many factors during her lifetime.

Tanner, a reader at Cambridge, has written an insightful literary criticism about the seven novels Austen wrote (Sandition was incomplete at the time of her death). His book is written for the 'close' reader of Austen's work. I was introduced to his text in one of my courses on Austen.

For example, in his chapter on 'Mansfield Park' Tanner lays out the underpinnings of the story as one of conflict between the order of the rural countryside (Mansfield Park) versus the disorder of Portsmouth and the corrupting influence of London. Various characters stand for these places as well as the moral failings of society.The three sisters Mrs. Price (lust) represents Portsmouth, Mrs Norris (envy) and Mrs. Bertram (sloth) represent Mansfield Park on the verge of breakdown. The Crawfords (avarice) interlopers from London, reprent the alluring but treacherous ways of urban life. Fanny, Edmund, and Mr. Bertram represent the ordered rural life.

When asked what "Mansfield Park' was about, Ms. Austen replied it was about "ordination." The word ordination comes from the Latin word--ordo. Tanner says Ms. Austen, concerned "with the problem of how a true social order could be maintained, particularly in a troubled period, clearly considered the role of the clergyman as being of special importance."

Tanner says Mansfield Park is loaded with symbolism. For example, on a group walk Fanny stays on the straight and narrow path by remaining stationary on a bench, while Edmund and Mary Crawford walk the Serpintine path. Maria and Julia stray from the cultivated garden into the "wilderness" behind the iron gate with Henry Crawford.

Fanny Price wears an amber cross, a gift from her beloved brother William. She hangs it on a gold chain given her by Edmund. Wearing these two gifts over her heart gives her "inner peace."

Fanny is the center of the story.Although many readers may perceive her as a prig, she is a very complex character. She is Austen's source of Good Orderly Direction. At the end, Mr. Bertram the "lord" of Mansfield Park recognizes her as his "true" daughter.

An excellent study on Jane Austen's novels
This book is an interesting and insightful analysis on Jane Austen, her novels and her social and ideological milieu. After an introductory chapter on Jane Austen in relation with the Novel, Society, Education and Language,Tony Tanner dedicates the next chapters to a detailed study on JaneAusten's novels, including the incomplete Sandition. Tanner is highlyeffective in relating the historical, social and artistic circumnstances inAusten's time and how they influence the main themes and values present inher novels. As a result, the reader is able to have a clearer picture ofJane Austen and the evolution of both her writing style and herperspectives of society and the human person. Tanner has a clear style ofwriting, never losing the interest of the reader. A great work for theliterary scholar and the general reader. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Buenísimo!
Realmente no había leído hasta ahora nada de Jane Austen, simplemente porque me daban impresión (por las películas basadas en sus novelas) de ser muy "novelitas rosas".No me ocurría lo mismo con los escritos de las hermanas Bronte.Pero me decidí a leer estos clásicos y no me arrepiento, sí son un poquito cursi, aunque hay que entender que así se debían comportar las personas educadas en esa época, pero por sobre todas las cosas me sorprendió, no sólo por lo entretenida que fue la lectura, sino por una gran lección, que no esperaba recibir.Especialmente en una etapa de mi vida donde mis responsabilidades como madre cobran la mayor importancia, y se discute sobre cuánto puede influir un padre en el comportamiento de los hijos, la relevancia en nuestros días de fomentar los buenos modales y la educación, etc, me doy cuenta que estos temas son atemporales aunque las costumbres mismas cambien y ya no sea necesario recurrir a tantas vueltas para decir las cosas.La educación (o no educación) recibida por las hermanas Bennet, todas con un carácter muy diferente y por lo tanto con predisposición distinta, da como resultado un abanico de personajes que podrían deber su explicación a la teoría de las probabilidades, pero donde queda claro que la perserverancia de los padres en ser justos e inculcar valores para reforzar la virtud de sus hijos e hijas, rinde frutos la mayoría de las veces más dulces que amargos. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (2)

Austen Book Best Ever

This survey of the places where Jane Austen lived and visited and worked is by far the best of the various ones similar. There have been attempts to guide visitors to the various sites before,but none as good or successful or carefully researched as this one. I have bought several copies as gifts for others whom I know would enjoy this travelogue. It is most highly recommended.

boring
The pictures are not enough. Especially those about the houses which Jane and her family lived in. The words are quite boring. It is more suitable to be categorized as a tour guide rather than a book introducing Jane Austen's England. ... Read more

Product Description
Critically acclaimed and award-winning—but hardly bestselling—author Georgina Jackson can’t get past the first chapter of her second book. When she receives an urgent email from her agent, Georgina is certain it’s bad news. Shockingly, she’s offered a commission to complete a newly discovered manuscript by a major nineteenth-century author. Skeptical at first about her ability to complete the manuscript, Georgina is horrified to know that the author in question is Jane Austen.

Torn between pushing through or fleeing home to America, Georgina relies on the support of her banker-turned-science student roommate, Henry, and his quirky teenage sister, Maud—a serious Janeite. With a sudden financial crisis looming, the only way Georgina can get by is to sign the hugely lucrative contract and finish the book. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Charming novel with great characters
This book had something that is all too rare these days:charm.It is, of course, froth, but it has more teeth than a run-of-the-mill chick lit novel.I loved the characters, especially Maud (a beautifully drawn, highly individualistic 14 year old girl) and Henry.The plot is completely improbable, but the charm of the novel means that this doesn't matter--the book draws one in, even while one feels a bit rueful about allowing oneself to be seduced into its world.I laughed out loud in places, something that I rarely do.

In any event, the book is beautifully written.I very much enjoyed the main protagonist's inevitable love affair with Jane Austen's work, and her waking up to the idea that a novel does not have to be grindingly and depressingly politically correct to be good.No one read her deeply depressing, albeit prize-winning, first novel, and in a way the book is about her figuring out why.She learns that it is acceptable for a book to be enjoyable, and that social commentary does not require that the author convey the view that life is not worth living.

I highly recommend this book.It is ideal for long summer days, but also great for cozy fall and winter evenings.Reading it in the winter would actually be fun, as it will keep you warm.I will wait to reread it until the cold weather comes.

Ugh. Just ugh.
Review: Spoilers Ahead

I've been sitting here for the last fifteen minutes trying to find a pretty & poetic way of saying: I didn't like it. At. ALL.


Aston's Writing Jane Austen has the potential to be a lovely tribute to the subject and her work, but with undeveloped characters, rushed plotlines and lack of conflict, this story falls flat.

The protagonist herself spends nearly the entire first half of the book whining about how she can't accomplish the task she's been given because she's not familiar with Austen's work and has no desire to be. After a few pages of her finally reading and falling in love with the books, she spends nearly the entire second half whining about how she can't recreate Austen's voice and that she's suffering from writer's block. She suffers from no particular conflict. There are no obstacles in her way. She just doesn't want to do it.

Oy.

The cast of characters surrounding Georgina make the story a bit more interesting and that may be a slight exaggeration. They each have their own problems. Her landlord, Henry, has a cheating girlfriend referenced to, but never confronted. (We actually never meet this character at all.) His little sister has runaway from boarding school because she's `different'...how exactly, we don't know. Throw in the cook & her sudden romance and you have a bunch of story lines never fully explored.

All in all, this book dragged and dragged until the last fifteen pages, where it seems Aston realized she'd better wrap it up. At this point, everything is tied in a messy little bow. Nothing explained, nothing given.

Verdict: D-The potential for a great story is there but after reading Georgina whine about Austen for nearly an entire novel, I almost didn't want anything more to do with Austen OR Georgina.

Highly disappointed
I was very excited to see this book hit the shelves, as I adore Elizabeth Aston's P&P sequels.I was very disappointed in this book.The character was mopey and spent way too much time avoiding her work.There were loose threads that just didn't make sense, like romantic relationships that don't appear to have a point.I was annoyed that a character not seen since the first 50 pages was integral to the ending and I found the constant Jane Austen tidbits distracting, almost as if the author was paid to make sure Austen's name was mentioned at least once every two pages.

On the whole, I'd skip this one and wait for the next one.Hopefully it will be better.

An Anti-Austen Addict Finds Jane Austen
Georgina Jackson, feeling a mixture of apprehension and dread, makes her way down to her literary agent's office, wondering what it is her agent wants to see her for.It probably has nothing to do with her first novel from two years ago, which received raved reviews from critics but was not a big seller, and most likely isn't about her second book, in which Georgina is unable to write beyond the first chapter.What could her churlish agent want with her?

Georgina soon learns the reason she has been summoned: she has received a commission to complete a recently discovered fragment of novel for a famous author.While this sounds like a fantastic professional opportunity and an answer to Georgina's financial problems, she cannot accept this assignment.Why?Because the famous author she is suppose to imitate and complete the fragment for is none other than Jane Austen!

The novels of Jane Austen and Georgina Jackson are as different as night and day.Georgina writesdark and tragic novels, filled with misfortunes and misery, and Jane Austen writes (in Georgina's opinion)"about young women falling in love and getting husbands."Or at least that's what she believes she writes, since Georgina has yet to read a Jane Austen novel. Gasp!

Georgina has been given an insurmountable task.Not only does she need to write a believable pastiche of a Jane Austen novel, but she needs to do it in three months time!It would be a substantial challenge for any writer to complete a one hundred and twenty thousand word novel in twelve weeks time. Let alone a writer who needs to spend time reading and researching an author she knows nothing about. Assisting Georgina in this project is her scientist landlord, Henry, his fourteen year old sister, Maud, and their Polish housekeeper, Anna, who all adore Jane Austen and are very knowledgeable on all things Austen.Furthermore, these characters also help Georgina escape her loathsome agent and publisher who are relentlessly harassing and nearly stalking her.

With such a fantastic premise and intriguing plot, I found myself very excited to read Writing Jane Austen.While I enjoyed many parts of this story such as the minor characters, the references to Jane Austen novels and characters, and the jabs at the Austen industry, there were some aspects of this novel I did not enjoy.The first being our heroine, Georgina Jackson.I understand the author wanting to portray Georgina as very anti-Austen and create conflict with her difficulties writing a Jane Austen novel, but I feel she maybe carried it too far.Georgina spent so much time avoiding her work, running from her agent, and procrastinating that I started to find her a little unlikable and immature.Perhaps if Georgina showed some significant maturation or responsibility, readers would feel a little more sympathetic and endeared towards her.

Another aspect of this novel I wasn't too fond of was how some characters and plots seemed a little superfluous and often disregarded later on in the novel.For example, one time when Georgina is hiding from her publisher, she stays at her ex-boyfriends apartment.The author gives a brief background on this ex-boyfriend and his relationship with Georgina but never alludes to his existence again.Another scenario is when Georgina visits a friend in Bath.There is a couple of chapters devoted to this trip, yet it seems a little isolated and does not connect to the main plot very cohesively.

With six lovely Pride and Prejudice sequels already published, Ms. Aston is becoming a well-known and admired Austenesque author.I am delighted that Ms. Aston decided to deviate from Pride and Prejudice sequels and write an Austen-Inspired/Jane Austen Chick-Lit novel.Whatever the genre is, Ms. Aston's novels always illustrate her great love and veneration for Jane Austen and her world.I dearly hope Elizabeth Aston continues to pen more Austenesque novels!

Austenesque Reviews

Courtesy of Teens Read Too
Georgina Jackson has forty-eight chapters written for her sophomore novel, except they're all Chapter One. She simply can't move forward. When her agent rings and demands a meeting, she knows there's going to be sharp words exchanged.

Instead, Georgina's in for a shock. She's being offered the role of a lifetime, an opportunity most authors would kill to achieve. Someone recently discovered a never-before-seen chapter of a Jane Austen novel. It's been authenticated and her agent demands that Georgina finish the book.

Georgina knows nothing about Jane Austen and she has no desire to start learning. However, the advance would be substantial, and when Georgina discovers that the monies might be her only chance at remaining in England, she agrees to write the book in twelve weeks.

First, she must learn about Jane Austen, and then she must come up with an idea, and transfer that idea into a manuscript. Georgina's certain she's doomed to fail, but with her landlord, Henry, his sister, Maud, and flatmate, Anna, propping her up, she just might be able to accomplish the impossible.

Elizabeth Aston writes an amusing tale about the discovery of Jane Austen after avoiding the author like the plague.She humorously focuses on the pains of writing, including the need for many breaks, procrastination techniques, and how to duck phone calls and dodge unwanted visitors.She details the joys and annoyances of friendships and adds a dash of romance to this entertaining read.

Reviewed by:Jennifer Rummel ... Read more

Product Description
This is one of a complete set of Jane Austen's novels collating the editions published during the author's lifetime and previously unpublished manuscripts. The books are illustrated with 19th century-plates and incorporate revisions by experts in the light of subsequent research. The set consists of "Pride and Prejudice", "Sense and Sensibility", "Mansfield Park", "Northanger Abbey" and "Persuasion", "Emma" and "Minor Works". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sense & Sensibility hardback 01/03/07
The type was readable, illustrations interesting. Most of the pages were slightly misprinted in that a word(s) that belonged on the following pages were printed by themselves at the bottom of each page. No part of the text appeared to have been lost by this mistake.

I did not find the comments, appendix useful. ... Read more

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Traducción de Marcelo Cohen, prólogo de Marta Pessarrodona. Con 9 grabados de la época. Por primera vez en lengua castellana una de las obras más tempranas de la autora en la que describe con fina ironía el ambiente de la burguesía rural inglesa de su época y la espantada reacción de ésta a las intrigas inteligentes de la bella y joven viuda Susan. ... Read more