Now it has all gone over the top, or perhaps I have been secretly transported to another planet? or landed in a Jane Austen time-travel spin-off into a zombie-controlled society?
This has nothing to do with Jane Austen, so pardon the aside – other than the Pride & Prejudice and Zombies book is getting more press than the original ever could hope for. But I today saw release news on the following book by Michael P. Spradlin, due out in late October 2009, just in time for the holidays – I am speechless to be quite honest – any thoughts out there??
Please see the post below for information on our JASNA-Vermont June 7th event on Austen & Fashion
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The third issue of the Marvel Comic Pride & Prejudice will be released on June 10, 2009. Visit Comic Book Resources for a preview [click on the cover and continue through 7 pages of text] ~ a must-have for your P&P collection!
I have just finished reading a book – one you might classify as a Regency Romance, but written today [as so many are!] – looks, feels and tastes like Pride & Prejudice all wrapped up in a Georgette Heyer plot of older woman “chaperoning” a young beauty with all the requisite beaus [the poet, the bore, the rake, etc…] and the gentleman “family friend” who always is on the scene –
I’ll say no more as I will write more on this fun read in a later post – I just throw this out as a “teaser” – perhaps you can guess to what book I am referring – but I just had to share the following passages –
In regards to a 3-volume book from the local circulating library:
‘I will thank you – as long as you can assure me of the absence of two things, which I cannot abide in a novel. There must be nobody who lives in the town of Blank, or belongs to the Blankshire Regiment; and there must not be a couple who are in love with each other all the time without knowing it, and who signal it by constantly quarrelling.’
[alas! are we not talking about P&P here? – as well as the novel we are actually reading!]
and then this lovely tribute to Jane Austen:
‘… you can tell me what I should write my novel about. It is not a thing I have ever considered, and I am sure I could not do it, but you have whetted my curiosity. Is it to be Gothic? We are back to castles again. I must warn you, I have a healthy disrespect for ghosts, and my only response to a Bleeding Nun would be to offer her a piece of court-plaster.’
‘Oh, no, not that sort of novel. That would not suit you at all. I was thinking of the way you help me to see things, not by dictating, but by reason. Persuasion. You could make a very good sort of novel about people simply facing these questions, and about what is best to do in life. I remember one of my governesses reproving me for indulging in sensibility. I think she felt I needed sense instead. But then how to reconcie the two? That is the sort of thing I mean.’
“Sense and sensibility – well, it has a certain ring. But I doubt, you know, that is would appeal. And a mere woman writing about moral questions – surely, that is a man’s field -‘
‘Park,’ cried [she], ‘that was the governess – Miss Park. Very austere: I was rather frightened of her. But I remember finding out by chance that her first name was Emma, and thinking how pretty it was, and wondering if there was a different person inside that stern lady I knew. But then, who can guess at the feelings of others?’ She sighed. ‘It is hard enough to know our own…’
Isn’t this just brilliant? It certainly made me smile! Any thoughts on the title of this book? Please share!
Gentle Readers: Maya Slater has penned a guest post for us on her book The Private Diary of Mr Darcy – and as I mention in my previous post, it is quite an entertaining read! Thank you Ms. Slater for sharing your thoughts with us [and those of Mr. Darcy!]
INTRODUCING: The Private Diary of Mr Darcy, the American edition to be published on June 15th by W.W.Norton.
‘What book would you most love to read, if only it had been written?’
I found myself answering, without hesitation, ‘Oh, Mr Darcy’s diary.’ Everyone round the table laughed, and the moment passed. But the idea stayed with me for months, till finally I had to give in to it, and start writing.
It’s not as though Mr Darcy was the kind of man to have kept an intimate diary of his own volition. He started it as a child when his mother gave him a moleskin notebook, gently suggesting he should make it his confidant. A few days later she was dead, and keeping a diary became a sacred duty to him.
The final volume of his diary, published under the title The Private Diary of Mr Darcy*, begins on the day that he first sets eyes on Elizabeth Bennet – although she makes no impression on him whatsoever. It concludes as they happily plan their wedding. In between, he unburdens himself of many secrets, and lives through the weeks and months when he is absent from Pride and Prejudice: that first winter when Mr Bingley has deserted Jane, the following summer when Elizabeth has turned him down, the anxious search for Lydia and Wickham.
Of course the diary is private. Much of what it contains would shock his female acquaintance, describing as it does his life as a rich bachelor about town. His gentlemen friends too would be astonished – at the uncertainties, weaknesses and powerful emotions confided by this politely reticent and formal young man. It is not surprising that he decides to abandon it when he marries: it would not do for his wife to discover it.
Throughout, it is Mr Darcy who has directed operations; I have merely followed where he led.
MAYA SLATER
*The British edition (Phoenix, 2007) was titled Mr Darcy’s Diary.
[ See also the full Maya Slater interview at Bookzone.tv [type in < Maya Slater > in the “search video” box and click on the book cover] and my previous post with additional links here ]
The opening question, by the way, is quite thought-provoking – anyone want to add their thoughts? –
What book would you most love to read, if only it had been written?
In my previous very short review of Mr. Darcy’s Diary by Maya Slater, I make mention that I liked this book more than any of the other what-Mr. Darcy-was-thinking sequels [not that I have read them all.] The American edition published by Norton is to be released on June 15th [as always, check with your local independent bookseller; and it is now available for pre-order on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, & Borders]
Note that the American title is The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy [so as not perhaps to be confused with Amanda Grange’s Mr. Darcy’s Diary published in 2007].
and though perhaps I am quibbling, I do much prefer the British edition cover … I like my Mr. Darcys to be left to MY imagination…
An interview with Maya Slater on YouTube at Bookzone.tv [type in < Maya Slater > in the “search video” box and click on the book cover]
Here is a Booklist review: [from the Amazon.com site]
It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen’s Mr. Darcy is one of the most fascinating heroes in literature. Other writers have tried, with varying degrees of success, to capture some of that old Darcy magic. This time around, we are made privy to Darcy’s secret diary. Though the story presented in the diary entries adheres to the structure of Pride and Prejudice, the Bennets, even including Elizabeth herself, are very much in the background, while other characters, such as the Bingleys and Darcy’s sister Georgiana, play a larger role. While trying to fend off his growing attachment to Lizzie, “an undersized young lady of doubtful family,” Darcy recounts his day-to-day activities—managing his estate, looking after his sister, engaging in pastimes with his disreputable friend Lord Byron that would make the ladies at Longbourn blush. Austen knockoffs should always be judged on their own merits, and if the Darcy presented here isn’t quite her Darcy, or yours, the book is still a smart and entertaining period piece. –[Mary Ellen Quinn]
And issue No. 2 has just been released on May 13, 2009 and is available for $3.99.
THE STORY:
Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. Two-time RITA award winner and multiple RT Reviewer’s Choice winner Nancy Butler and artist Hugo Petrus continue their adaptation of one of the greatest romantic comedies ever told! In this issue: What is UP with that Darcy guy? Dude’s just being a jerk. Forget it, Lizzy, better to spend time with the cute military man that just rode into town…
“What to Think When he Thinks You’re Thinking”
[Read my previous post on this comic book series here.]
A recent find: Richard Armitage reading Georgette Heyer’s Sylvester, to be released in the UK in July…
The audiobook is due for release on 1st July. Written in 1957, ‘Sylvester’ is one of the most popular of Heyer’s Regency romances. Witty and romantic, its heroine is Phoebe Marlow, who flees her home to avoid marrying Sylvester, the wealthy Duke of Salford. But the pair are fated to meet again…
The audiobook can be pre-ordered at Amazon UK, Amazon Germany and Amazon Canada. It’s listed at Amazon USA, though it’s not yet available for ordering there. It’ll also be available as an MP3 download from the Naxos website.
[from RichardArmitageOnline.com]
If you cannot wait until July, you can listen to this 10-minute audio-clip from the opening of the book released by Naxos Audiobooks. You can find the link to the audio here at Richard Armitage Online: scroll down through the latest news to the item titled “Sylvester excerpt” and listen away! [oh that voice!]
The results of the Bloomsbury Auction that took place on May 6, 2009 in New York have been posted online. [click here to see my previous post on this auction]
The Austen titles sold as follows [sale price in brackets]:
127. [AUSTEN, Jane] Thomas Hazlehurst… Portrait miniature of Elizabeth Bridges … estimate: $2000 – $3000 – [unsold]
128. AUSTEN, Jane. Sense and Sensibility: A Novel. London … estimate: $25000 – $35000 – [$38000]
129. AUSTEN, Jane. Pride and Prejudice…. estimate: $20000 – $30000 – [$26000]
Works by the Brontes, Burney [many autograph letters] and Edgeworth also sold for hefty prices, as well as works by Samuel Johnson, Hester Thrale Piozzi, Lord Byron, Charlotte Lennox, and others ~ see all the results at the Bloomsbury Auctions website.
Yesterday, a FedEx box left on my stoop prior to lunch yielded up a BIG surprise: my contributor’s copies of JASNA’s annual journal PERSUASIONS, vol. 30 (2008). A brief email to Susan Allen Ford, the journal editor, to congratulate her on an ‘awesome’ volume, was answered by an email which said she hadn’t received her copies yet! Vermont’s good fortune (and mine) to be located next door to New Hampshire — from where the packages seem to have originated…
The first article I read was Edith Lank‘s telling of her annotated Brabourne edition of Austen letters. One curious thing: how could the books languish EIGHT years on her shelves, unopened?! A used book never passes my threshold without a thorough perusal! There is more on Miss Lank’s edition in Persuasions-Online.
Joan Klingel Ray offers up an interesting look at Victorian era perceptions of Austen, though I must comment that to Edward — a nephew who was in his late teens when his aunt died — Jane would surely have remained, over the 50 ensuing years, his “dear Aunt Jane”. Joan and I take differently, I think, to James-Edward Austen-Leigh’s Memoir of Jane Austen. Joan knows the descendents; but I’ve come to know Edward and Emma through their own words! So: a discussion to look forward to when Joan Klingel Ray visits Vermont in September (see our EVENTS page).
I would be telling a lie if I didn’t confess that the very first article I checked out was my own… Oh, the pictures look lovely! (They come via the collection of The British Museum.) I had been so worried after seeing the proofs. Susan Allen Ford has been very positive in her reaction (the anonymous reader, too) to this article, in which I examine an Emma Austen 1833 trip to Derbyshire in the steps of Elizabeth Bennet. The article was only improved by their wishes for a lengthier piece and some illustrations.
The Chicago AGM’s theme of Austen’s legacy brings up many fascinating ideas: Jocelyn Harris invokes Dr. Johnson; Deb will surely be interested in turning straightaway to Janine Barchas‘ article on Gaskell’s North & South (Deb highly recommends the new TV series, which she’s been watching) — but what will she think of the author’s assumption that it is a veiled recreation of P&P??? Sarah Parry‘s article on “The Pemberley Effect: Austen’s Legacy to the Historic House Industry” is surely next on my list.
A special ‘legacy’: the writing desk that once belonged to Austen, has been in the family, and now has been donated to The British Library. Freydis Welland‘s personal take on this piece of history opens the always pleasurable MISCELLANY section of Persuasions. Although I’ve not seen Lost in Austen, Laurie Kaplan‘s article which closes the journal has the oh-so-tempting title “‘Completely without Sense’: Lost in Austen“.
More comments than this — teasing tantalizers or tantalizing teasers, since the journal (according to the JASNA website) is schedule to mail out on May 1st — will have to wait. The one thing that keeps me from delving deep into my copy is an article I’m working on, and I must get back to work.
Bloomsbury Auctions-New York announces the exhibition and auction of
The Paula Peyraud Collection, Samuel Johnson
and
Women Writers in Georgian Society
Wednesday, 6 May, 2009 • 10:00 am
Bloomsbury Auctions, the world’s leading auction house for rare books and works on paper, announces The Paula Peyraud Collection, Samuel Johnson and Women Writers in Georgian Society with over 480 lots of books, manuscripts and paintings tells the fascinating story of English society in the middle and late Georgian periods. This extraordinary sale focuses on the artistic and literary women who came to the fore in the period 1750-1840.
A highlight in the sale are the following five titles from Jane Austen:
Emma-1816- 3 volumes: $8,000-12,000
Mansfield Park-1814- 3 volumes: $7,000-10,000
Northanger Abbey-1818- 4 volumes: $5,000-8,000
Pride and Prejudice-1813- 3 volumes Carysfort copy: $20,000-30,000
Sense and Sensibility-1811- 3 volumes: $25,000-35,000
There are a total of 483 lots for sale, to comprise books, autograph letters, engravings and watercolors of the era: Johnson and Boswell, and Walpole, etc., and many women writers are represented: Frances Burney, Maria Edgewoth, Hannah More, Hester Thrale Piozzi, Charlotte Lennox, Charlotte Smith, Charlotte Bronte, Ann Radcliffe, Marguerite Blessington, to name a few.
And see this watercolor of Elizabeth Bridges, Austen’s sister-in-law:
Bloomsbury Auction - May 6, 2009 Lot No.127
127. [AUSTEN, Jane (1775-1817)] – Thomas Hazlehurst (1740 – 1821).Portrait miniature of Elizabeth Bridges Knight wearing a white dress with a blue ribbon tied under corsage. Watercolor on ivory, oval.
2 1/2 x 2 inches (6.5 x 5 cm).
Initialed “T.H.” (lower right).
A fine portrait miniature of Jane Austen’s sister in law, Elizabeth Bridges (1773-1808) who married Edward Austen, the brother of Jane Austen. Edward took the name of his second cousin Mr. Knight on inheriting in 1812 his estates in Kent at Godmersham Park. They had 11 children.
This lot sold with an uncolored print of Godmersham Park by Watts. Literature: Country Life. 27 July 1987, ill. p.111. Est. $2000 – 3000.
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Location: Bloomsbury Auction Gallery, 6 West 48th Street New York 10019
Viewing hours:
Friday May 1- By appointment
Saturday May 2- 10-5 p.m.
Monday May 4- 10-7 p.m.
Tuesday May 5- 10-5 p.m.
Bloomsbury Auctions is the world’s leading auction house for rare books and works on paper and is headquartered in London with salerooms in New York and Rome.
Gentle Readers: Maya Slater has penned a guest post for us on her book The Private Diary of Mr Darcy – and as I mention in my 
, 
Yesterday, a FedEx box left on my stoop prior to lunch yielded up a BIG surprise: my contributor’s copies of JASNA’s annual journal 
Jane Austen in Vermont 