Category: News

Books · Jane Austen · News

Jane Austen’s Letters~ Breaking news!

BookLady Deb2 Comments

JASNA has posted the Winter edition of Persuasions On-Line [Vol. 29, No.1], and a most important article is included:  “List of Annotations in the Bellas Copy of  Lord Brabourne’s  Letters of Jane Austen.”

Edith Lank has compiled all the annotations in her copy of Lord Brabourne’s Letters, the notes largely written by the daughter of Austen’s niece Anna Austen Lefroy, Fanny Caroline Lefroy, and some by Fanny’s sister, Louisa Lefroy Bellas [who has until now been mistakenly considered the author of all the notes.]  Just the story of the provenance of this book is a fascinating read!   

Ms. Lank spoke on this at the Chicago 2008 JASNA Annual Meeting, and now has most graciously made all these notes in the book available to all.  A most hearty thank you to Ms. Lank!

lank-letters

 

And do look at the Table of Contents for this latest online edition for all the other terrific articles… a lovely Austen birthday gift to us!  Happy reading!

Jane Austen · News

Happy Birthday Jane!

BookLady Deb2 Comments

Today is Jane Austen’s birthday, 233 years ago!  To quote her father in his letter to Mrs. Walter on Dec 17, 1775:

“You have doubtless been for some time in expectation of hearing from Hampshire, and perhaps wondered a little we were in our old age grown such bad reckoners but so it was, for Cassey certainly expected to have been brought to bed a month ago: however last night the time came, and without a great deal of warning, everything was soon happily over. We have now another girl, a present plaything for her sister Cassy and a future companion. She is to be Jenny, and seems to me as if she would be as like Henry, as Cassy is to Neddy. Your sister thank God is pure well after it, and sends her love to you and my brother…” (Austen Papers, 32-3)

 

I have found “A Limerick for Jane Austen’s Birthday” by Lois White Wilcox,  published in Persuasions, No. 14, 1992 ~ this says it all!

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

For the 233rd birthday of Jane,   

Let us make it perfectly plain,

T’would be most sagacious

And not AUSTENtatious

To praise her achievements again.

 

You who see through the fake and the twit,

At your feet (by your fire), we will sit.

As Janeites we’ll boast

It’s our privilege to toast

Our mistress of wisdom and wit!

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

 

birthday-cake2

We had our Annual Jane Austen Birthday celebration last Sunday [and will write about this shortly] ~ Afternoon Tea and English Country Dancing ~ a fabulous time had by all! 

Books · News

Buy Local!

BookLady DebLeave a comment

I am posting the following from Roy Blount, Jr., the President of the Authors Guild [see the original post at Authors Guild.].  It is an all-out call to BUY BOOKS this holiday, especially from your local bookshop:

Holiday Message from Roy Blount, Jr.: Buy Books from your Local Bookstore,  Now

December 11, 2008. I’ve been talking to booksellers lately who report that times are hard. And local booksellers aren’t known for vast reserves of capital, so a serious dip in sales can be devastating. Booksellers don’t lose enough money, however, to receive congressional attention. A government bailout isn’t in the cards.

We don’t want bookstores to die. Authors need them, and so do neighborhoods. So let’s mount a book-buying splurge. Get your friends together, go to your local bookstore and have a book-buying party. Buy the rest of your Christmas presents, but that’s just for starters. Clear out the mysteries, wrap up the histories, beam up the science fiction! Round up the westerns, go crazy for self-help, say yes to the university press books! Get a load of those coffee-table books, fatten up on slim volumes of verse, and take a chance on romance!

There will be birthdays in the next twelve months; books keep well; they’re easy to wrap: buy those books now. Buy replacements for any books looking raggedy on your shelves. Stockpile children’s books as gifts for friends who look like they may eventually give birth. Hold off on the flat-screen TV and the GPS (they’ll be cheaper after Christmas) and buy many, many books. Then tell the grateful booksellers, who by this time will be hanging onto your legs begging you to stay and live with their cat in the stockroom: “Got to move on, folks. Got some books to write now. You see…we’re the Authors Guild.”

Enjoy the holidays.

Roy Blount Jr.
President, Authors Guild

Addendum: Forward and Post!

December 11, 2008. The Guild’s staff informs me that many of you are writing to ask whether you can forward and post my holiday message encouraging orgiastic book-buying. Yes! Forward! Yes! Post! Sound the clarion call to every corner of the Internet: Hang in there, bookstores! We’re coming! And we’re coming to buy! To buy what? To buy books! Gimme a B! B! Gimme an O! O! Gimme another O! Another O! Gimme a K! K! Gimme an S! F! No, not an F, an S. We’re spelling BOOKS!

Yours,

Roy

Jane Austen · News

Jane Austen this Weekend ~ Persuasion

BookLady DebLeave a comment

governors-inn1 

 

You MUST make a reservation:  please call the number below 

 

Jane Austen Weekends

The Governor’s House in Hyde Park

100 Main Street

Hyde Park, Vermont

series 1: Persuasion

Friday – Sunday, August 15 – 17, 2008

Friday – Sunday, September 5 – 7, 2008

Friday – Sunday, December 12 – 14, 2008

Friday – Sunday, January 9 – 11, 2009

series 2: Pride and Prejudice

Friday – Sunday, January 30 – February 1, 2009

other dates to be announced

call or E-mail for reservations

http://www.OneHundredMain.com

802 888-6888 info@OneHundredMain.com

 

A leisurely weekend of literary-inspired diversions has something for every Jane Austen devoteé. Imagine a literary retreat that will slip you quietly back into Regency England in a beautiful old mansion where Jane herself would feel at home. Take afternoon tea. Listen to Mozart. Bring your needlework. Share your thoughts at a book discussion of Persuasion or Pride and Prejudice and how the movies stand up to the books. Attend the talk entitled “The Time of Jane Austen”. Test your knowledge of Persuasion, Pride and Prejudice and the Regency period and possibly take home a prize. Take a carriage ride. For the gentleman there are riding and fly fishing as well as lots of more modern diversions if a whole weekend of Jane is not his cup of tea. Join every activity or simply indulge yourself quietly all weekend watching the movies. Dress in whichever century suits you. And imagine the interesting conversation with a whole houseful of Jane’s readers under one roof. Weekend guests have commented that they wish there had been a tape recorder under the dinner table so they could replay the evening again and again. It won’t be good company; it will be the best! It’s not Bath, but it is Hyde Park and you’ll love Vermont circa 1800.

Jane Austen Weekend rates start at $295 for singles, $260 per person for doubles, $235 per person for triples, and include two nights’ lodging, Friday evening’s talk over dessert and coffee, full breakfast on Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon tea, Saturday dinner and book discussion, early Sunday Continental breakfast, and the Jane Austen quiz with Sunday brunch. Add Thursday night or Sunday night or both and get the room for half the regular rate. 9% Vermont tax is additional. The usual cancellation policy applies.

Please inquire about the special rate for book groups which can also reserve a Jane Austen weekend on dates other than those regularly scheduled as availability permits.

Or come for just an evening and choose from these activities:

 

  Informal Talk with Coffee and Dessert, Friday, 8:00 p.m., $14.00

  Afternoon Tea, Saturday, 3:00 p.m., $20.00

  Book Discussion and Dinner, Saturday, 7:00 p.m., $35.00

  Jane Austen Quiz and Sunday Brunch, Sunday, 11:30 a.m., $15.00

  All four activities: $75.00

 

Please call or write for more information and book directly with the inn at 866-800-6888 or info@OneHundredMain.com.  


100 Main Street • Hyde Park, VT 05655
phone: 802-888-6888 • toll free: 866-800-6888
email: info@onehundredmain.com

Jane Austen · News

A note on Pride & Prejudice

BookLady Deb1 Comment

Just found this blog-surfing…  food for thought; weigh in and comment if you will; I just couldn’t let this slip by:

From David Ottewell’s blog, quoting David McNulty’s blog:

[McNulty] I finally got round to reading Pride and Prejudice. It’s brilliant in all the ways people say it is, but there were points about three quarters of the way through when I was thinking – get on with it. Am I just a philistine or could she have done with a good editor?

[Ottewell] Great stuff. Actually, when it comes to Pride and Prejudice I am sympathetic to the fictional diarist Adrian Mole, who (from memory) was sacked from a library for moving the collected works of Jane Austen from the ‘classics’ section to ‘light romantic fiction’…

[Comments]

I think P&P is a bit of a girl thing!!

Posted by: Kate | December 11, 2008 11:46 AM

Kate,
Yeah, maybe. But I honestly think – and stop me if I am going to far – that Jane Austen is nothing more than an witty, perceptive chronicler of the dull and pointless mores of dull and pointless people, at a dull and pointless time. With a couple of Neighbours-style will-they-won’t-they sagas thrown in to keep people reading.   Posted by: David Ottewell | December 11, 2008 12:01 PM

I guess Austen’s tales contained some of the original love/hate will/they/won’t they plotlines (A Lizzie Bennett and Darcy-style relationship is a chick flick staple) so I think dismissing them as ‘Neighbours style’ is a bit harsh!! Sense and Sensibility is a gorgeous story of sisterly love and romantic redemption and has for P&P, well, without it we would never have had that Colin Firth wet shirt moment would we?

Posted by: Kate | December 11, 2008 01:50 PM

Taming of the Shrew? Pamela? (Both of which are rubbish, anyway.)

Posted by: David Ottewell | December 11, 2008 02:12 PM

Actually, thinking about it, I think Beatrice and Benedict from Much Ado About Nothing are the best will they/won’t they pair (and early than Lizzie/Darcy). Especially as they are old foes, and get tricked into falling in love.

Posted by: Kate | December 11, 2008 02:38 PM

I’ve often felt that the YES campaign’s stream of statements saying that they are outraged and demanding that people apologise to them had the whiff of an Austen character.

Anyway David, 24 hours from the biggest political event in Manchester’s recent history and you’re offering lit crit on a one-on-one basis to your readers. Impressive multi-tasking.

Posted by: Nigel | December 11, 2008 04:01 PM

__________________________________________________

Hurray for Kate, whoever you are! 

pp-cover

Books · Jane Austen · News

Random jottings…

BookLady DebLeave a comment

Just some random thoughts this week ~ no rhyme, no reason ~ from a dictionary on the gentleman’s collar to a review of the latest book about Dickens….

Byron's Poet Collar
Byron's Poet Collar

 

  • Regency romance:   A Wallflower Christmas” (St. Martin’s, 2008 ) by Lisa Kleypas:  this historical romance takes readers to England’s Regency period, where a young innocent abroad, under pressure from his father, must choose between love and duty

 

 

  • treat yourself to a visit to Factual Imagining, a blog about film adaptations of English history and literature, and scroll through the last few weeks of posts about Austen-related movies and various other costume drama news !~ there is even an interesting deleted kiss between Elinor and Edward (the Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant version) on YouTube!

 

 

  • An article in the New York Times “Book Club Trouble Often Has Little to do with Books”  – the highs and lows of these gatherings, and how even the suggestion of an Austen or a Trollope title can send people scurrying to the door! [I know this to be true … it has happened in my book group!]

 

THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS: How Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol” Rescued His Career and Revived Our Holiday Spirits, by Les Staniford [Crown, 2008]

  • dickens-christmas-carol
    The Man Who Invented Christmas

 

 

 

  •  this is really cute:  Austenbook on Pride & Prejudice

  • the Janeite Supply Shop at Cafe Press offers all manner of shirts and buttons, and signs and bags, all to do with Jane or Darcy or Knightley or Henry Tilney….
Janeite Supply
Janeite Supply Shop

 

  • Laurel Ann and Ms. Place trade off on views of the book Two Guys Read Jane Austen…. they want your views on why “real men are not afraid to read Jane Austen” ~ click here to give your opinion.  And see our own Janeite Kelly’s review of the book here

 

  • And for some ideas for that “manly” man in your life, especially those most deserving ones who read Jane Austen, head over to The Art of Manliness for their Manly Holiday Gift Ideas ~ there are some great ideas and more in the many comments…
Books · Jane Austen · News · Regency England · Social Life & Customs

Regency Christmas Anthology ~ an e-book

BookLady DebLeave a comment

I append this post from another blog:  the We Write Romance Blog

A Regency Christmas Anthology  by Carolynn Carey 

When, in the spring of 2008, I was offered the opportunity to submit a novella for a proposed Regency Christmas anthology, I was delighted. After all, I love the Regency period, and I love the traditions of Christmas.

But I realized, of course, that tremendous differences exist between Christmas as it was observed in England in 1816 and Christmas as we celebrate it in America today. I immediately understood that I needed to do considerable research into the traditions of a different time and a different culture.

Fortunately, since I’ve had a long-time interest in the Regency period, I already possessed quite a few research resources. I delved into my files and soon found myself learning about the Christmas traditions during the Regency period. This in turn led to my writing a story called “A Tradition of Love” about Alethea, who adores Christmas, and her new husband, Robert, who says he has no time for trivialities such as Boxing Day, the Wassail Bowl, the Christmas Candle, the Yule Log, and Christmas Dinner. With just three weeks to go before Christmas Eve, Alethea struggles to find a way to teach her solemn husband to accept help with his responsibilities and to join her in creating their very own Christmas traditions. 

 “A Tradition of Love” is one of four novellas that make up the anthology entitled A Cotillion Country Christmas, to be released December 4, 2008, as an ebook by Cerridwen Press. The first story, “A Christmas Surprise” by Cynthia Moore, features Clara, who has loved Julian since she first saw him at a debutante ball in London. Several years later, Julian is forced to marry Clara because of gambling debts. After traveling to India soon after their marriage, Julian is now returning home for the holidays and Clara uses the magical spirit of Christmas to her advantage.

 Amy Corwin is the author of “Christmas Mishaps” in which the magic of Christmas transforms a series of misfortunes into a gift of love for Caroline Bartlett. Now it is up to her to overcome her mistrust of the unexpected offer from a younger man. 

 And Barbara Miller’s “Country House Christmas” tells the story of Diana Tierney, who is so caught up in the past mystery of why Richard Trent was shipped off to war that she doesn’t realize he is coming to love her as much as she has always loved him. 

If you enjoy Christmas stories, especially those set in times and places different from our own, I invite you to check out A Cotillion Country Christmas. Simply visit www.CerridwenPress.com anytime after December 4 and download the anthology. You’ll be in for four Christmas treats!
Books · Jane Austen · News

Rejection Letters

BookLady Deb2 Comments

We all know that Jane Austen’s first attempt at getting published [her book was First impressions, later to become Pride & Prejudice), was a humbling experience ~ an outright rejection from the publisher her father had approached; her second book, Susan (Northanger Abbey), sat on a publisher’s shelf for 10 years before she bought it back, and it was not actually published until after her death.  So Austen was familiar with rejection…but she went on revising and writing and we are all the better because she persisted.

Today I see a blog post from the Guardian.co.uk on the “Fine Art of Literary Rejection Letters”by Jean Hannah Edelstein on her own history as an editor writing more than 1000 rejection letters and her discovery of a book to be published by Bill Shapiro (author of Other People’s Love Letters) titled Other People’s Rejection Letters [click here for the author’s request for letters, and here for his letter outlining the book].  See Edelstein’s article for some excellent and humorous comments from rejectees, and this blog link to Literary Rejections on Display where you will find all manner of the polite and impolite “no thank you.”

Jane Austen · News

Chawton Cottage Request: No More Ashes Please!

BookLady DebLeave a comment

It is all over the newswires today that the staff of the Jane Austen House in Chawton, Austen’s home from 1809-1817, have written an open letter to the Jane Austen Society to have devotees refrain from leaving human ashes on the grounds and gardens of the house.  See this article at the Daily Mail.co.uk for the full story. 

Chawton Cottage
Chawton Cottage
chawton-cottage-garden
Chawton Cottage Gardens
Books · Jane Austen · News

Tidbits of the week… All Things Austen

BookLady DebLeave a comment

The Central New Jersey JASNA Chapter posts about the Christmas celebration: “A Jane Austen Christmas: Vignettes of Customs and Traditions,” which will include “holiday recreations as inspired by the writings of Jane Austen.” On December 10 at 7 p.m., Margaret C. Sullivan [author of AustenBlog] will speak about Christmas traditions in Jane Austen’s time and sign copies of her book, The Jane Austen Handbook: A Sensible Yet Elegant Guide to Her World.  [Click on the Chapter link for more information.]

The Dolphin Hotel, home to Jane Austen’s various balls when she lived in Southampton, is on the market.  See this article in The Daily Echo.co.uk

Lady Helga continues her Golden Couple’s Series ,  this week with Emma and Mr. Knightly.

 A new collection of Elizabeth Bowen’s essays includes her words on Jane Austen; read this review of the new book People, Places, Things: Essays by Elizabeth Bowen, edited by Alan Hepburn  [Edinburgh, December 2008]

bowen-people-cover

Another Georgette Heyer review at Jane Austen Today:  The Reluctant Widow; and also one for Simon the Coldheart

A few bits of Austen movie trivia at the Becoming Jane Fansite:  Hugh Grant too handsome for Edward Ferrars??  of course he was!

A few blog posts on Regency weddings:  at Historical Romance UK and at Jane Austen’s World

The author of the blog Jane Austen, Here I Come! is sharing all her plans for a trip to England and Austen country in May 2009.  The blog has some great links for planning your own such itinerary as well…

 A graphic design blog has created two Jane Austen book covers, for Emma and Pride & Prejudice

On the blog History Hoydens, Kathrynn Dennis posts on  “Mending the Bodice”  and how the term “bodice ripper” came into common use as a derogatory reference to romance novels.  There is also an excellent post on this same topic at the Teach Me Tonight blog, as well as a good number of thoughtful comments.

Here is an interesting bit of news that restores my faith in all things technical (I think, anyway … I will forever favor a real book to touch!), but Nintendo has announced the release of its 100 Classic Book Collection, available December 26 in the UK, which features an initial 100 classic books to read from, with 10 additional books available for download from Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection. A bookmark feature allows you to save your place in a book, and a suitability feature similar to Cooking Guide allows you to select a novel based on time constraints and subject matter.   See this article at N-Europe for information and a listing of the 100 titles:  all of Austen’s works are included, as well as many of Shakespeare, Dickens, the Brontes, Hardy, Hugo, Alcott, Stevenson, Trollope, Burnett, Twain, and many more.  If this is the way to reach young readers, I am all for it!

The JASNA site has added a map of Bath to its “Maps of the Novels” page, as well as the full-text online of Persuasions No. 6  (St. Louis, 1984 and largely on Persuasion).  Check the Table of Contents for this early and hard-to-find JASNA journal.

And finally, as Jane Austen’s birthday on December 16th is fast approaching, the Becoming Jane Fansite is requesting anyone who would like to submit birthday wishes or gift ideas for Jane to their site prior to December 16, when they will post all submissions.