“A man who has nothing to do with his own time has no conscience in his intrusion on that of others.” Marianne Dashwood, Sense and Sensibility, Chapter 31  As the New Year quickly approaches, its time to select a new calendar to keep my life in order. Searching about the Internet, I discovered these beautiful new 2010 calendars inspired by Jane Austen and her novels available for shipment in plenty of time for the New Year. They make excellent holiday gifts too, so surprise your Janeite frie... Read Full Story

“Give us a thankful sense of the blessings in which we live, of the many comforts of our lot; that we may not deserve to lose them by discontent or indifference. Hear us almighty God, for his sake who has redeemed us, and taught us thus to pray. Amen.” Prayer I, Jane Austen Happy Thanksgiving to all. Even though Jane Austen never celebrated (that I know of) this American holiday of turkey, football and family, I thought that the stanza from her Prayer I quite apt in giving thanks on this occ... Read Full Story

Last June I posted a preview of Darcy’s Hunger, a new Pride and Prejudice retelling of Jane Austen’s famous love story with a vampire theme. Since then, the book has gone through a ‘turning’ so to speak with a new cover, an earlier release date of October 1st, 2009 and complete name change to Vampire Darcy’s Desire: A Pride and Prejudice Adaptation. Here is the publisher’s description:   In Austen’s original novel, Darcy and Elizabeth are compelled to overcome countless obstacles — but ... Read Full Story

Mark your calendars for January 24th, 2010 at 9:00 pm for the North American premiere of the new miniseries Emma on Masterpiece Classic on PBS. Staring Romola Garai (Atonement, Daniel Deronda) as the handsome, clever and rich heroine Emma Woodhouse, this new 3 part historical drama/comedy will run on three consecutive Sundays: January 24th (2 hours), and January 31st and February 7th (1 hour ea). Based on Jane Austen’s fourth published novel Emma, this new adaptation is by renowned screenwri... Read Full Story

When the new Austen literary tome A Truth Universally Acknowledged edited by Susannah Carson started off with a foreword by Harold Bloom the famous American writer, literary critic and current Sterling Professor of the Humanities at Yale University, I was more than a bit anxious fearing the book would be over my head. Firstly, I am neither a scholar nor a brilliant intellectual and have trouble understanding all the pedantic puffery about Jane Austen that passes as literary criticism these da... Read Full Story

Jane Bites Back by Michael Thomas Ford, a new Jane Austen contemporary vampire novel will be released for sale on 29 December 2009. Vic and I have both chatted about this book before on Jane Austen Today: first when the initial sale was announced in June of 2008, and recently in September when the cover art was revealed. Here is the publisher’s description:  Two hundred years after her death, Jane Austen is still surrounded by the literature she loves—but now it’s because she’s th... Read Full Story

“For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?” Another year in the Austen blogosphere has passed and I’m still here musing and muddling about on my favorite author and other related Regency folly and nonsense! Milestones are a great time to look back and reflect on what I really have been blabbering about, who was hot, and not, and what you all enjoyed the most. So here goes.  Top 10 most popular posts  Pride and Prejudice: Which Mr. Darcy Has th... Read Full Story

“And what are you reading, Miss –?” “Oh! it is only a novel!” replies the young lady, while she lays down her book with affected indifference, or momentary shame. “It is only Cecilia, or Camilla, or Belinda”; or, in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humour, are conveyed to the w... Read Full Story

I know, I know. I am writing about Austen monster mash-up’s again. Sick of it as much as me yet? Here’s an article in Hemispheres, United Airlines online magazine about one Janeite writer’s experience with a sales clerk while buying P&P (the original) at Borders Bookstore that inspired her to write about the swath of Austen inspired derivatives and her enduring popularity.  While I must gently reprove author Gillian Fassel (since I work for Barnes and Noble) for trusting that she would r... Read Full Story

The wait is over for those lucky Janeites who live on the east coast or will be visiting New York City shortly. The new exhibit A Woman’s Wit: Jane Austen’s Life and Legacy opened today at the Morgan Library and should prove to be a once in a lifetime Austen extravaganza for enthusiasts and admirers of the English author whose novels are not only masterpieces of social observation and wit, but profoundly popular in world literature close to two hundred years after their publication. You can r... Read Full Story