Jane Austen Merchandise

by

Wishing You All a Very Merry Christmas!!

JA Christmas card - Price

[c2012 David Price, Allport Editions]

****************

Merry Christmas Everyone!

c2023 Jane Austen in Vermont
by

Collecting Jane Austen: Book Collecting 101

Gentle Readers: In an effort to offer weekly posts on collecting Jane Austen, I shall start with the basics of book collecting – this a general summary of things to consider with a few examples specific to Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice in particular. This will be followed by weekly posts on randomly chosen books in the various categories I list here that I think are essential to a Jane Austen collection.

Let’s start in the pages of Pride and Prejudice in the library at Netherfield where we find Elizabeth, Miss Bingley, Mr. Bingley, and Mr. Darcy:

   [Elizabeth] walked towards a table where a few books were lying. He [Bingley] immediately offered to fetch her others; all that his library afforded.

   “And I wish my collection were larger for your benefit and my own credit; but I am an idle fellow, and though I have not many, I have more than I ever look into.”

   Elizabeth assured him that she could suit herself perfectly with those in the room.

   “I am astonished,” said Miss Bingley, “that my father should have left so small a collection of books. What a delightful library you have at Pemberley, Mr. Darcy!”

   “It ought to be good,” he replied; “it has been the work of many generations.”

   “And then you have added so much to it yourself, you are always buying books.” [my emphasis]

   “I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in such days as these.”

Chatsworth Library [British Magazine]

And so, here we have the permission of Mr. Darcy himself to buy as many books as we would like!

II. The Collecting of Books:

Terry Belanger, a veteran book collector and rare book librarian once famously said “you are a collector if you have more than one copy of a single title” –

So, I ask you, how many of you have more than one copy of any of Jane Austen’s novels? And how many of you already realize that to collect all copies of books by and about Jane Austen is surely an impossible task? Even focusing on one title, say Pride and Prejudice, we would find it an impossible undertaking!

So where to start?

1. The first rule of book collecting is Collect what you Love – so I can assume that any of you reading this all love Jane Austen, and so that will be our focus… and not only the books but also the myriad objects and ephemera.  You can collect anything – my son collects Sneakers, only Nike Jordans, which leads to books about sneakers, etc…!

An amusing tale about collecting one title: In a used bookshop in England a few years ago I hit the mother-load of A Child’s Garden of Verses – a title I collect –

 I brought five different editions to the register, manned by a young man obviously neither the owner nor all that well-versed in the vagaries of collecting – he hesitated for a moment, looked thoughtful, and finally blurted out “Do you know that all these books are the same?” [epilogue: I bought them all…]

2.  Try to find the 1st edition (and by “first edition” I mean “first printing”), and how do we do that?

  1st edition Pride and Prejudice [National Library of Scotland]

For most of us, Jane Austen first editions are beyond our pocketbooks – but you will need to know the basics of book collecting to understand why some books are harder to find, and why, when you find them, they can often be expensive.

It is here you will need to decide if you want the first edition in pristine condition or if you only need a reading copy, or not even a first edition at all – this is a question to ask at every purchase.

The most difficult aspect of book collecting is how to identify a first edition – every publisher did it differently and often changed their indicators over time. There are many guides to help with this.

This Pocket Guide to the Identification of First Editions by Bill McBride is the best starting point for a general understanding of the practices of various publishers. You can also find this information online at Quill & Brush Books: https://www.qbbooks.com/first_ed_pub.php

Then you will need more specific detail on the author/subject you are collecting, and thankfully for us Jane Austen enthusiasts, David Gilson, and Keynes and Chapman before him, have largely done this work for us…

The David Gilson A Bibliography of Jane Austen will be your Bible to collecting Austen, a must-have book – I have already posted about this here: https://janeausteninvermont.blog/2021/02/26/collecting-jane-austen-gilsons-bibliography/

3. The Anatomy of a Book:

If you want to understand book terminology, you must have John Carter’s ABC for Book Collectors – the 8th edition by John Carter and Nicolas Barker.  Oak Knoll Press / British Library, 2004. 

It is now available online at ILAB: https://ilab.org/sites/default/files/2018-01/ABC-BOOK-FOR-COLLECTORS_0.PDF

Another easily accessible glossary is on Abebooks: https://www.abebooks.com/books/rarebooks/collecting-guide/understanding-rare-books/glossary.shtml

Most commonly used terms:

  • 1st edition
  • Issue
  • Points
  • Boards
  • Spine head, spine tail
  • Backstrip
  • Text block
  • Hinge
  • Joint
  • Endpapers
  • Half-title page
  • Title page
  • Copyright page
  • Frontispiece
  • Publisher’s cloth
  • Catchword: “heard” at the bottom of the page is the catchword = the first word on the next page

-Vignette
-Foxing:

Example of foxing: Dent 1908 reprint, illus. HM Brock

4. Determining value: supply and demand – Desirability+Scarcity=Value

  • Is the book still in print?
  • How many copies were printed?
  • Is this the author’s first book? – Sense and Sensibility is the most valuable
  • How did the book first appear? – binding, dust jacket? [value greatly reduced if lacking jacket: 75% – fiction, 20% – non-fiction]. Eg. S&S first published in boards is more valuable than the finest leather binding
  • 1st ed. S&S in original boards;
  • 1st ed, S&S leather bound

S&S 1st ed in boards and leather bound]: estimated value:  $200,000 / $50,000.

  • Illustrations present? are they all there?
  • Condition, Condition, Condition! – most important factor! [see more below]
  • Where do you find values? There are many guides to consult:
  1. Allen and Patricia Ahearn. Collected Books: A Guide to Identification and Values. 4th ed. (2011); see also their author guides – one on JA from 2007
  2. American Book Prices Current: auction sales, so actual value
  3. Bookseller catalogues: what titles are selling for
  4. Author and subject bibliographies
  5. Internet: bookselling sites: be wary – prices all over the place

5. CONDITION is the most important issue: prices will vary depending upon condition – even if you have the 1st edition – if it is in deplorable condition that will affect the value.

Booksellers grade a book’s condition using the terms below, from “As New” down to “Poor”: for instance VG [for the book ] / VG [for the jacket] – anything less than a VG is really not collectible:

VERY FINE/NEW [VF / NEW]: As new, unread.

FINE: Close to new, showing slight signs of age but without any defects.

VERY GOOD [VG]: A used book that shows some sign of wear but still has no defects.

GOOD [G]: A book that shows normal wear and aging, still complete and with no major defects.

FAIR: A worn and used copy, probably with cover tears and other defects.

POOR: a mess really, but might have some redeeming qualities

READING COPY: any book less than VG

*************

An interesting tale to demonstrate this: The rare bookseller Stuart Bennett [no relation to our esteemed Bennet family!] writes in his book Trade Bookbinding in the British Isles 1660-1800.

Alas! pre-Austen, but we find her in a NOTE: [an aside – always check indexes for Jane Austen – you will be pleasantly surprised to see how often she turns up and in the most amazing places!]

Bennett writes in a footnote on the issue of publishing in boards vs. the wealthy having their favorite books bound in leather:

What is certain is that wrappered and boarded popular literature was not part of the visual landscape of country house libraries.  In my experience these books, when kept, found their way into cupboards underneath the display bookcases, or into passages or rooms used by servants. In my days at Christie’s I once spent hours in the pantry cupboards of a Scottish country house, searching through stacks of these wrappered and boarded books among which I found, virtually as new, Volume III of the first edition of Sense and Sensibility. When I found the other two volumes I remarked to the aristocratic owners that this was one of the most valuable books in the house, as exceptional survival in original condition, and doubtless so because one of their ancestors had bought Jane Austen’s first novel, read it, and hadn’t cared enough to send it to for rebinding, and never bought another. My ebullience was arrested by an icy stare from the Countess, who replied, “I am sure, Mr. Bennett, that our ancestors would never have felt that way about Jane Austen.” [3]

Stuart tells me: this S&S set the then-record auction price in 1977 or 1978 (he was the auctioneer!), and turned up about twenty or maybe 25 years later offered by a London bookseller for, as he recalls, $200,000.  Then it disappeared again. 

Question:  Should you buy a less collectible book because you cannot afford the higher price? – do you just want a reading copy or need to fill a gap in your collection? – you can decide this on a case-by-case basis – what becomes available and when and how much you can spend…

6. Where to find Books:

“Beauty in Search of Knowledge” – Thomas Rowlandson

– Local bookstores: sadly less of them, but still the best resource of Jane Austen books – a bookseller who will know your likes, will buy with you in mind, someone to trust…
– Specific booksellers: those who specialize in Jane Austen and other women writers – shops, catalogues – you can find at book-fairs, being on their catalogue mailing list, and on the internet. For eg. Jane Austen Books https://www.janeaustenbooks.net/
– Auctions / auction catalogues
– The Internet: major used bookselling sites: you need to be an informed consumer!

The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of the Internet: I could write a very lengthy post just on this – so I will only emphasize the biggest positive – you have at your fingertips a Global marketplace – no longer dependent on a brick & mortar shop around the corner [sad as this is to me!]

Biggest negative: be in be-wary mode – who are you buying from? – how to decide which is the best copy with so many price and condition discrepancies? – my best advice? – choose a bookseller who knows what they are about: valid and complete descriptions and a price that seems reasonable in light of other copies on offer.

A word about EBAY: a Gigantic auction house always open! – an amazing resource but also the biggest potential for getting a bad deal – you need to be an informed consumer!

Best use of the internet: Want Lists – most book sites do this and auction houses offer “alerts” – you will be notified when an item becomes available…

7. Caring for your collection: lots of information here to consider…just not today.

II. What to Collect:

Now comes the hard part – with so much out there on Jane Austen, where do you even begin? The need to focus on one particular aspect [say just collecting copies of Pride and Prejudice], or by zeroing in on a certain illustrator you like [the Brock brothers], or only books with fine decorative bindings [so many] – this list covers the gamut of possibilities – you just need to choose what you are most interested in. You must however start with a core collection:

A.  A Jane Austen Core Collection

Oxford edition of The Novels of Jane Austen, ed. R. W. Chapman, 3rd ed.

1. The Works:  the Oxford edition, ed. by Chapman (1923); the Cambridge edition, general editor Janet Todd, with each volume edited by a a different scholar; a set of reading copies of each novel – ones you can markup, underline, and make notes

2.  The Letters – all editions [Brabourne, Chapman, Le Faye, Modert]

3.  R. W. Chapman’s books on Jane Austen

4.  Biography: the Memoir and everything since!

5.  A Chronology of Jane Austen, Deirdre Le Faye (Cambridge, 2006)

6.  The Bibliographies: Keynes, Chapman, Gilson, Barry Roth’s 3 volumes, and those continued annually in Persuasions; the Cambridge Bibliographies, etc…

7. Brian Southam. The Critical Heritage. Vol I. 1811-1870. Routledge, 1979; The Critical Heritage, Vol. II. 1870-1940. Routledge, 1987. – now available as digital reprints, 2009

8. Critical works: starting off point to further study – where to start?? The bibliographies; “Companions” – “Handbooks” – “Casebooks”

9. The World of Jane Austen: [endless material!]

  • The Arts: Music, Art, Architecture; Interior Design and Decorative Arts; Landscape
  • Georgian and Regency History: Political, Economic, Social, Religious
  • Social life and customs: Etiquette; Gender / Class issues; Dancing; Costume and Fashion
  • Domestic Arts: Cookery, Needlework, Women’s work, Family life, Home-life, Servants
  • Medical History
  • Military History: the Royal Navy, the Militia, The French Revolution, the American Revolution, Napoleonic Wars, War of 1812
  • Geographical History and Maps
  • Travel and Transportation: Carriages, Roads, Guidebooks, etc…
  • Literary Theory, History of the Novel, Narrative Theory, Language

B. Collecting a specific Jane Austen novel: as an example Pride & Prejudice

P&P, Gresham, 1900, illus. by Chris Hammond, Talwin Morris binding
  • 1st editions
  • American editions
  • Specific Publishers: Bentley, Macmillan, Dent, Oxford, Folio Society, LLC, Penguin, etc.
  • Translated editions
  • Illustrators: also single illustrations
  • Decorative bindings / cover art – to include paperbacks
  • Critical editions: with scholarly editing and introductions
  • Books where P&P shows up
  • Association copies: e.g. Sarah Harriet Burney’s copy
  • Books that influenced Austen: e.g. Frances Burney’s Cecilia
  • Adaptations: Editions for young readers; Dramatizations; Films, Audiobooks
  • Sequels! – endless potential!
  • History / Social Life and Customs of the times, specific to P&P – fill your bookshelves!
  • Ephemera and Physical Objects – P&P merchandise in popular culture, many to do with Colin Firth…(!)
Royal Mail, Jane Austen Stamps 1975, by Barbara Brown

*****************

Ok, now you know everything to know about Book Collecting – you can begin this lifelong fun-filled endeavor! Join me next week for the first of many [I hope] Jane Austen-related titles you must have on your shelves…all with Mr. Darcy’s approval. Any questions or suggestions, please comment.

©2021, Jane Austen in Vermont
by

My Jane Austen Book Stash ~ From the 2016 JASNA AGM on Emma

jasnabannerThere has been a good deal to write about this year’s terrific JASNA AGM in Washington DC on Emma – but while it always takes me a good while to re-emerge into the 21st century after these events, little time has been accorded me to actually write anything about it. But I did want to give you a quick summary of the books and other “stuff” I bought this year – less than usual because I bought a DRESS and a SPENCER, which did my pocketbook some serious damage…(see the image below*).

But to the matter at hand, here are the books, etc. – most would make fine holiday gifts for your favorite Austen follower, or for your own stocking for that matter… except this first one which would not in any way fit:

  1. cover-mp-harvardJane Austen. Mansfield Park: An Annotated Edition. Edited by Deidre Shauna Lynch. Harvard UP, 2016.

Very excited to have this, completing my collection of these beautiful Harvard editions. The book was released during the AGM and thankfully Jane Austen Books had copies. I have only skimmed through it, but it promises to live up to the other Harvard editions with an insightful introduction and notes by Lynch, and color illustrations throughout that give you the sense of time, place, and history that surround the adventures of Fanny Price. A must have and a perfect holiday gift for your Austen friends (and at $35, this is the best book deal out there, bar none…)

2. Alden O’Brien, et al. ‘An Agreeable Tyrant’: Fashion after the Revolution. Exhibition Catalogue. Washington DC: DAR Museum, 2016.

The catalogue that goes along with the fabulous exhibition at the DAR Museum that many of us at the AGM werecover-agreeabletyrant-dar privileged to see. Ms. O’Brien spoke at the AGM to take us through the history behind and the creation of this fashion exhibit – complete with characters from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice found in the “Pemberley Room” – it runs from October 7, 2016 – April 29, 2017 and is described on the website as: “…displaying men’s and women’s clothing from 1780 to 1825 in a dozen period rooms throughout the museum. It considers how Americans fashioned a new identity through costume; on the one hand, Americans sought to be free from Europe, yet they still relied heavily on European manufacturing and materials.”

The catalogue is quite lovely, showing full page color illustrations of fashions of the time as well as photographs of costumes in the DAR Museum collection. A must-have for every good Janeite with any fashion sense and perhaps in need of a new dress idea…it also contains various patterns in the back. You can purchase the book through the Museum’s website here. And my friend Kelly has written about the exhibit on her blog Two Teens in the Time of Austen.

Here are a few of my shots of the exhibit:

Mr Darcy
A Man’s Banyan
Pemberley Ladies

3. Chawton House Library – their new brochure and guide, text by Helen Cole, et al. CHL, 2016.cover-chl-db2

This is Lovely! It tells the history of the Chawton Great House, Jane Austen’s connection with it, the development of it as a learning centre for the study of early women’s writing from 1600 to 1830. There is much detail with fine illustrations of the house itself: the Library; the various rooms and staircases; exhibition and conference information; the furnishings, art and portraits; the gardens and grounds; and a bit of the history of women writers and their place in our literary heritage. For $12 you get to armchair-tour the house at leisure, and then you will add this to your next-trip-to-England itinerary, as well as a commitment to become a valued Friend of the Library (also a nice gift in a friend’s name).

[Note that the CHL online shop is currently experiencing the dreaded tech difficulties – if you would like a copy, please contact me and I will get one to you.]

chl-mary-robinson-by-hoppner

Portrait of Mary Robinson, by John Hoppner c1782 (at CHL)

Also from the Chawton House Library – their table at the AGM was jam-packed with goodies – I bought their collection of 8 botanical cards from Elizabeth Blackwell’s A Curious Herbal (frameable!) – you can also “Adopt” this book as a way to support the Library!

blackwellcards-chl

Also couldn’t resist this book-fan “The Rules for Love,” by book artist Angela Thames from Aphra Behn’s 1686 La Montre –  (you can read about Ms. Thames as artist-in-residence at CHL here).

thames-ruleslove-ai

[Image from: a-n The Artists Information ]

cover-heyer-jasa-db4. Susannah Fullerton, Amanda Jones, and Joanna Penglase, ed. Georgette Heyer: Complete to a Shade: A Celebration. JASA, 2016.

Exactly what the title tells us and another must-have – a collection of essays from various JASA folk who have long-been or are new to the joys of reading Georgette Heyer, based on their conference on Heyer in August 2016. Complete with lovely contemporary illustrations, this was just off the press in time for the AGM – $12 (I think) – you can contact JASA for information on how to purchase.

**************

Alas! I was very disappointed not to find a single book on London that I didn’t already have at either of the book stalls – but did find a few oldies worth perusing:

  1. Lt. Col. W. P. Drury. A Regency Rascal. London: Collins, 1971.

The tale of Jack Peregrine, a regency rascal to say the least, who arranges a marriage of convenience for himself to helpcover-regencyrascal-db him through a financial crisis, and then finds himself the heir to an estate in Barbados – all based on the true story of Sam Lord and his Castle (most recently a hotel in Barbados*) – who cannot resist a story of such a man (Heyer couldn’t)! First published in 1937 by Hutchinson, it gives a glimpse of Regency-era life in both London and the Colonies. Will see if it lives up to the hype… [*The property was run as an exquisite hotel for many years but unfortunately it was destroyed by fire in 2010 – it is currently being reconstructed and will open in 2018 as a Wyndham Grand Resort. The 450-room resort will feature 3 restaurants, meeting facilities and a luxury spa] – sign me up!

samlordscastle-barbados

Sam Lord’s Castle, Barbados, pre-fire

  1. J. Fairfax Blakeborough, ed. Legends of Highwaymen and Others. New York: Frederick Stokes, 1924.

Just because I am a sucker for carriages and highwaymen tales!

legends-page13-db

(now, doesn’t that peak your interest just a little?)

  1. Hazel Mews. Frail Vessels: Woman’s Role in Women’s Novels from Fanny Burney to George Eliot. U of London: Athlone Press, 1969.cover-frailvessels-dbWhy not? – adds to my collection on women writers – but it also had an inscription that I first thought read “Catherine Morland” and that cracked me up – heavy reading for Catherine! (it reads on close analysis “Catherine R. Harland”).

cover-ss-trollope-ab

8. Joanna Trollope. Sense and Sensibility. New York: HarperCollins, 2013.

Only because I haven’t read this first of the Austen Project retellings and my Vermont Jane Austen book group has scheduled an S&S re-read this year and thought we would try this to compare…(though I know we will likely be gravely disappointed…)

 

9.  Jack and Holman Wang. Jane Austen’s Emma [Cozy Classics]. Chronicle Books, 2013.

This to add to my other board books, and a generous gift from the author. He attended my talk on “Illustrating Emma” and I could not have been more embarrassed to have not included this cover in my talk! (caveat: I did not include any of the covers of the many recent renditions due to lack of time – I have added them to the talk for those times where I can speak longer than the time-constrained AGM) – so with hearty apologies to Mr. Wang – this is of course a simply delightful addition to anyone’s Austen collection!

cover-emma-cozyclassics

 

  1. cover-ladycyclingErskine, Miss F. J. Lady Cycling: What to Wear and How to Ride. The British Library, 2014. Originally published by Walter Scott in 1897.

I have a friend who recently gave a talk on women and bicycles and my daughter is an avid cyclist – I bought this at The Folger Library shop (there seeing the simply amazing Will & Jane exhibit) as a gift but am now loth to give it away! Women and bicycles have an interesting joint history – here is a worthy account of the whole phenomenon here: http://www.annielondonderry.com/womenWheels.html

*******

So, as usual, I have my reading cut out for me – I would love to hear what YOU bought at the AGM this year…

*and here is my new costume – I am with my Good Buddy Marcia, who is wearing a Regency dress for the FIRST TIME!! (we bought our fabulous fashions at Matti’s Millinery & Costumes (visit their site here and have fun shopping!)

agm-marcia-deb-db

C2016 Jane Austen in Vermont
by

The Gifts of Christmas ~ All Things Jane Austen! ~ Day 6 ~ A Pride and Prejudice Poster by Jen Sorensen

Originally created for NPR Books to celebrate the 200th of Pride and Prejudice earlier this year, this poster by cartoon artist Jen Sorensen is now available for purchase:

P&Pposter-sorensen

Printed on heavy paper stock with a soft silk finish, the poster measures 12″ x 17.625″ and is suitable for framing. $30. + shipping: you can find it here:  http://jensorensen.com/store/#Pride-and-Prejudice-Poster

It tells quite well the entire tale in 18 panels! – You can see the larger, readable version at the NPR website: http://www.npr.org/2013/01/27/170253360/pride-and-prejudice-turns-200 – here is the quote that started it all!:

P&Pposter-sorensen-NPR

And we cannot leave out Lady Catherine! – with the quote that sealed the deal…

P&Pposter-sorensen-LadyC

I think this is a must-have for any self-respecting Jane Austen collector…

c2013 Jane Austen in Vermont
by

The Gifts of Christmas ~ All Things Jane Austen! ~ Day 5 ~ Library of Congress Offerings

The other day I posted about a facsimile of Jane Austen’s juvenilia, Volume the First, from the Bodleian.  So just to show that our very own Library of Congress also has a hand in Jane Austen in the 21st century, I make note of these:

A Jane Austen coaster: the Victorianized portrait complete with the wedding ring (!):

LOC-JAcoaster

Jane Austen stone coaster: Library of Congress gift shop

Show your love for Jane Austen with this vintage style stone coaster! Measurement: approx. 4×4. Price: $10.95

And these Jane Austen scented gifts:

LOC-JAscents

Jane Austen scents: Library of Congress

 Get taken back into the nostalgic place of Jane Austen with your sense of smell and a pairing of favorite quotes. Jane Austen’s scents has notes of Gardenia, Tuberose & Jasmine. The quote displays: “There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort” [Price varies with item]

 A Jane Austen scarf: 

LOC-P&Pscarf

Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice scarf: Library of Congress 

Wrap up with a good book. Our Pride and Prejudice infinity scarf is hand printed on both sides with the text from classic novels. Hand cut, sewn and silkscreened (with non-toxic inks) in the U.S.A on 100% cotton. Inking variations are inherent to the hand-silkscreen process. 65″ circumference. Ours exclusively! Price: $49.95. Availability: Will be available for shipment January 6.

And the Pride and Prejudice t-shirt that everyone seems to already have [I love mine!]:

LOC-P&Ptshirt

Pride and Prejudice tee-shirt: Library of Congress

Time has not diminished the impact of and readers’ love for Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. Our v-neck, 100% cotton, distressed t-shirt celebrates Austen’s Victorian era literature. Slim fit. Sizes S, M, L, XL. Price: $27.95

They also have the P&P Peacock edition throw – it is however Sold Out –

LOC-P&PThrow

Catch up on a little Jane Austen while you’re snuggled up in this gorgeous throw blanket. The blanket features a reproduction of the first few paragraphs of Pride and Prejudice, along with the elegant Hugh Thomson peacock cover edition art. The Pride and Prejudice Throw Blanket is an exquiste accessory for any book savant, and turns every nap into a cozy literary event! (Made in the U.S.A.). Measurements: 50″x60″; Material:74% recycled cotton, 24% acrylic, 2% other; Price: $75.00. Availability: SOLD OUT!

*************

You will see that some of the above are either out of stock or on backorder – most of these items you can find elsewhere, but nice to get your Jane Austen fix at the same time as supporting your country’s Library…

LOC-readingroom-wp

Library of Congress main reading room [Wikipedia]

Happy Shopping!

***************

Further reading:  the Library of Congress has a fabulous blog [one of many actually] – you can follow it here: http://blogs.loc.gov/loc/

c2013 Jane Austen in Vermont
by

Wishing You All a Very Merry Christmas!!

JA Christmas card - Price

c2012 David Price, Allport Editions

Cards available for $2.50 ea or $15.95 for a box of 15

****************

Merry Christmas Everyone!

c2013 Jane Austen in Vermont
by

The Gifts of Christmas ~ All Things Jane Austen! ~ Day 3 ~ Austen’s Juvenilia, Volume the First

Volume1st2013-bodleianIf you love Jane Austen’s Juvenilia [and who cannot!], then you must add this to your collection: the Bodleian Library has published the first volume of her youthful writings in a fine facsimile edition, with an introduction by Kathryn Sutherland.

Here is the link:

http://www.bodleianbookshop.co.uk/display.asp?isb=9781851242818&TAG=&CID=#

–

–

Volume the First: A Facsimile. By Jane Austen, ed. Kathryn Sutherland.
Bodleian Library, 18 October 2013.
Page Dimensions: 224 pages, 188 x 142 x 21 mm
ISBN: 9781851242818
Format: Hardback
Price: £25.00

[available from the Bodleian Bookshop and various online book vendors; and for pre-order on Amazon (to be released May 2014 in the US)]

Synopsis (from the website):

A plain, blank stationer’s notebook from the 1780s in the Bodleian Library contains some of the most famous juvenilia in all of English literature. Copied out in Jane Austen’s youthful hand, Volume the First, which takes its name from the inscription on the cover, preserves the stories, playlets, verses, and moral fragments she wrote during her teenage years. For the first time, the entire manuscript of Volume the First is available in a printed facsimile. In it, we see the young author’s delight in language, in expressing ideas and sentiments sharply and economically. We also see Jane Austen learning the craft of genre by closely observing and parodying the popular stories of her day. Kathryn Sutherland’s introduction places Jane’s Austen’s earliest works in context and explains how she mimicked even the style and manner in which these stories were presented and arranged on the page. Clearly the work of a teenager, Volume the First reveals the development of the unmistakable voice and style that would mark out Jane Austen as one of the most popular authors of all time. None of her six famous novels survives in manuscript form.This is a unique opportunity to own a likeness of Jane Austen’s hand in the form of a complete manuscript facsimile.

You can view the entire volume page by page on the website Jane Austen’s Fiction Manuscripts: http://www.janeausten.ac.uk/edition/ms/VolFirstHeadNote.html

vol1st-contents

 The Contents in Austen’s own hand

************

But now you can have your very own copy – I don’t know of a better Christmas gift! Do you?

Happy Reading!

C2013 Jane Austen in Vermont

by

The Gifts of Christmas ~ All Things Jane Austen! ~ Day 2 ~ Jane Austen’s Regency World Magazine

I suggest this every year as the perfect stocking stuffer for your favorite Austen reader, or gift yourself – it will show up in your mailbox 6 times a year! Jane Austen’s Regency World Magazine:

JARW_67_cover_1

Here is the latest news on the just published January/February (No. 67) issue – it is all about Mansfield Park:

The cover features Chiwetel Ejiofor as Solomon Northup in the new film 12 Years a Slave.

This issue begins the celebration of the bicentenary of the publication of Jane Austen’s third novel Mansfield Park.  In it you can read about:

  • Jane Austen on slavery: how Jane Austen’s third novel tackled the issue of slavery
  • Sympathy and advice for Mary Crawford
  • Breach of promise of marriage: the danger of being caught in a scandal
  • Navy vs Army: why Jane Austen preferred sailors to soldiers
  • Jane Austen Club of Moscow: Russian Janeites who enjoy the world’s favourite author

Plus: News, Letters, Book Reviews and information from Jane Austen Societies in the US, UK and Australia.

****************

To subscribe now click here: http://janeaustenmagazine.co.uk/subscribe/ and make sure that you are among the first to read all the news from Jane Austen’s Regency World. [You can also on this page download a sample article: there is a pdf of the article on the BBC’s Death Comes to Pemberley].  An annual subscription (six issues) costs £29.70 plus postage.

Digital magazine:  Jane Austen’s Regency World magazine is now available as a download for your iPad or Android device. The new issue goes live on January 1. For full details click here.

Happy Reading!

c2013 Jane Austen in Vermont
by

The Gifts of Christmas ~ All Things Jane Austen! ~ Day 1

I shall post over the next several days some of my favorite Jane Austen-related books and gift items that every Janeite in the Land and far afield should add to their collection – if Santa is paying attention, maybe one or all shall show up in your stocking!

Jane’s Papers, Ltd. 

“Literature, Art & Typography”
Promoting a Love for Fine Paper Goods and Handwritten Correspondence

JanesPaperslogo

I discovered this paper company, Jane’s Papers, Ltd., at the JASNA AGM in Minneapolis – their Jane Austen Novel Notecards collection of four cards is too delightful for words…. Let’s take a peek…

cover-notecards

 the four notecards in the Jane Austen Novel Notecards (4 of each design)

*******

You will find on the website many other delights to add to your stationary drawer – they seem to singlehandedly wish to wed Literature to Writing, with hopes of returning us all to a Cursive world!  Hurray! Have a look and see Charles Dickens, the Romantic Poets, and any number of other all-occasion cards with a literary bent…

notecards-dickens

including every Jane Austen fan’s favorite hand-written letter – “you pierce my soul…”

notecards-piercemysoul

And if that is not enough, there is also a Jane Austen Novel Journal – you can find this at Chronicle Books or Amazon:

jane-austen-novel-jrnl

Further information: 

Website: http://janespapers.com
Published by Chronicle Books (August 13, 2013)
ISBN-13: 978-1452113531
Price of notecards: $14.95
available at the Chronicle Books website: http://www.chroniclebooks.com/titles/jane-austen-novel-notecards.html

Happy Writing! 

2013 Jane Austen in Vermont
by

Playing Jane Austen ~ The Jane Game Launches on Kickstarter!

Today is the day! – the Kickstarter campaign of The Jane Game has been launched!

I first posted on this here in January 2013 –  now it is time for you to sign on and help with getting this Jane Austen trivia game completed for distribution – a donation of $40. [or more!] will get you a copy of the game as well as the satisfaction of helping a Jane Austen entrepreneur. The Kickstarter website is here, where you will find the details of the game, the Rules of the game, and the various donation categories – you have until December 14, 2013 to sign on… I just did, and hope you will too!

Promoted_Posts_BoxEnter Jane Austen’s world of elegance, wit and romance along with your friends when you play The Jane Game! 

The Jane Game is a trivia board game devoted to Jane Austen’s six novels. It is designed to bring Austen admirers together to share in her stories, characters, wit and language. While playing, each participant enters Jane’s world as one of her heroines. As such, you seek after a fortunate life by becoming an accomplished woman, gaining life experience and choosing to marry or not. Through chance, expertise and choice you could become the envied Mrs. Darcy, the pitied Mrs. Collins or the new roommate of Miss Bates. 

****************

And here are a few words from creator Elizabeth Bankhead on what to expect: 

Experience Section: The Jane Game gives you the experience of:

  • Entering Jane Austen’s world
  • Sharing in the merriment with your friends
  • Becoming more acquainted with Austen’s novels and encouraging us to want to read her more

Unique Section: The Jane Game 

  • Is a shared experience
  • Is the only board game that has trivia from all 6 of Jane’s beloved novels

Details:

  • $37 and shipping is free; after the Kickstarter campaign it will be $40 +shipping
  • Kickstarter ends on December 14, 2013

Kickstarter 101:

  • Kickstarter is a method through which we can give small amounts of money that together will equal a large sum…which, in this case, will be the cost of manufacturing the game
  • If you give the cost of the game, then you will get a game, which basically means you are pre-ordering
  • If we do not reach our goal, your credit card doesn’t get charged. This protects you and me. It gives a guarantee that you will receive a nice product and guarantees that I won’t be stuck with promises I cannot keep because I do not have enough money

Why pledge now? 

  • You Become a Founder: As such, you become part of The Jane Game. Welcome! Your name is placed on our website and you get to take part in some of the decisions for the game’s future.
  • Get the Game…and First: You get The Jane Game, which is “loveliness itself,” is it not?  If we are able to do a larger print run and can sell them, you get the game before any other distribution begins.
  • We Need You: We have covered the cost of the game’s development, but we cannot manufacture and ship the game to you without your support.
  • Free Shipping: We are covering the cost of shipping to many areas of the world, which will not be the case if it goes retail.

 ***************

Click here to see The Jane Game video

janegamebanner

Further information:

[Text and images courtesy of The Jane Game and Elizabeth Bankhead]

c2013 Jane Austen in Vermont