English Literature

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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

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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…

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

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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…

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

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

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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
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Charles Dickens ~ February 7, 1812

I direct you to my Bygone Books blog for a short birthday tribute to Charles Dickens.  And don’t forget to watch Part 2 of Sense & Sensibility Sunday night February 8th on Masterpiece Classic, followed by MONTHS  of Dickens adaptations beginning on February 15th! A perfect antidote to winter…

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January 28, 1813 ~ Pride & Prejudice Published!

It was on this day, happy day indeed! ~  in 1813, that Pride & Prejudice “by the author of Sense & Sensibility” was published by T. Egerton, London. 

Austen received her own copy on January 27, as she states in her letter of January 29,  “I have got my own darling Child from London.”   [LeFaye, Letter 79; Chapman Letter 76].  It was advertised in The Morning Chronicle on Thursday January 28 under “Books Published This Day” in a run of an unknown number of copies, assumed to be around 1500 [see Keynes Bibliography].  The first edition sold out rapidly, a second edition was also printed in 1813 and a third edition came out four years later.  The first edition, published in three volumes, was bound in blue paper-covered boards with a white paper label on the spine.  Austen sold the copyright to Egerton for £110; the book sold for 18s.  Today this first edition is for sale starting at £65,000.  [see Abebooks.com for a listing of a few available first editions]… but as we all know the true value of this book is not to be calculated in numbers….  thank you Jane Austen for enlarging so many lives with your brilliance!

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First Edition Title Page

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Dickens and his “A Christmas Carol”

A Christmas Carol was first published on December 19, 1843.  I have posted a bit of information on the book on my Bygone Books blog, and so direct you there…and wish you all very Happy Holidays!

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On the Block ~ Byron’s Hair

Sothebys has just published the results of today’s auction [December 17, 2008, Sale L08411, London] of English Literature, History, Children’s Books and Illustrations, with a final take of 901,913 GBP!   Literature by the likes of Shakespeare, Byron, Milton, Keats, Dickens, and Beatrix Potter seems to be alive and well (but alas! no Austen today!)  Here is the result for a lock of Byron’s hair.  I have posted a few other results at my Bygone Books Blog; but see the above link for all the results.

Lot 35.  A Lock of Byron’s hair, dark brown with some white strands: 

…cut from his head after his death at Missolonghi, coiled and tied with a pink ribbon, with an accompanying wrapper inscribed in the hand of Byron’s intimate friend John Cam Hobhouse (”a lock of hair cut from the head of Lord Byron after his death by Dr Bruno”), and with a later envelope recording that the lock was later presented “by Miss Leigh to Miss Marianne Gidely”   3,000 GBPbyrons-hair1