Friday Bookblogging: Monday Morning Edition
Our only excuse for skipping Friday Bookblogging is that we have lots of projects going on right now and lots of deadlines; including Chapter Seven of “There Must Be Murder,” which should be posted very soon.
There’s not much out new in Jane Austen-related books, but one title we really would like to bring to your attention is a re-release of Irene Collins’ excellent biography Jane Austen: The Parson’s Daughter. It discusses the early part of Jane Austen’s life, up until the time she leaves Steventon, and how being the daughter of the rector of Steventon shaped her life and her writing. If you have not read any of Irene Collins’ books about Jane Austen–well, what are you waiting for? We cannot recommend this book highly enough, especially in the face of what we’re going to get in the cinema this summer.
Another new book worthy of notice is Dover’s new edition of Jane Austen’s unfinished works, Sanditon and The Watsons. If you have not yet read these two fragments, we recommend that you do so, as they provide excellent insights into Jane’s skill level and working style at two times in her career; for The Watsons, early in her career (between P&P and NA) and for Sanditon, the last thing she wrote, and even in its unfinished state a work of brilliance.
If you’re up for reading Jane-related works online, you’re in luck. An anonymous contributor sent us a link to a comic book version of Pride and Prejudice that is being published on Flickr. It’s a work in progress; in the latest page, Elizabeth refuses to walk with Mr. Darcy, Miss Bingley and Mrs. Hurst at Netherfield. (This is not to be confused with the manga-style comic P&P that, as far as we know, is still in the works. If this gives you a taste for Jane Austen comics, don’t forget the wonderful version of Northanger Abbey included in Graphic Classics Volume 14.)
We’ve already mentioned the special edition of Persuasions On-Line dedicated to P&P05. We are looking forward to working our way through the articles.
