New e-texts available at Molland’s Circulating-Library
We recently added several titles to our collection of e-texts at Molland’s Circulating-Library for the reading enjoyment of all Janeites.
As a result of many user requests, we’ve expanded the section on Jane Austen’s work to include Lady Susan, Love and Freindship (which includes Love and Freindship, of course, Lesley Castle, The History of England, and other juvenilia), and The Watsons. We are considering adding Sanditon as well so it will be included in the all-texts search index.
One addition that we’re really pleased about is a subject guide to the third edition of Jane Austen’s letters, edited by Deirdre Le Faye. The index is meant to complement the existing biographical, topographical, and general indices in the letters. Del Cain, a retired librarian from Florida, made these notes for his own use on index cards, which he then typed up. He asked for our help in putting the index online, and we have arranged it by one letter of the alphabet per page. We are trying to think of a way to make the index downloadable and printable without it being a huge PDF.
Janeites who have been enjoying her work on the Internet for a long time will remember Cathy Dean’s e-texts archive, which included some biographies and introductions to various editions of Jane Austen’s novels. Word reached us last year that the site had gone dark, though the texts were still available via the Internet Archive (but for how long?). We managed to track down Ms. Dean and ask if we could transfer the e-texts to Molland’s, and she gave her permission. We thank her for it! Among the items we’ve transferred are two book-length Austen biographies, Jane Austen and Her Times by G.E. Mitton (which is very charming) and Jane Austen by O.W. Firkins (less charming, but interesting to read from a historical perspective).
We’ve also included two family biographical works: James Edward Austen-Leigh’s A Memoir of Jane Austen and Jane Austen, Her Life and Letters: A Family Record by William Austen-Leigh and Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh (the original 1913 text). There also are some new shorter pieces. We have a stack of other texts to scan and add to this growing collection, so stay tuned! In the meantime, we hope you enjoy reading some of these texts, which are fascinating from a historical perspective. The 21st and even the 20th century have no lock on Jane Austen scholarship. Also, we’re very interested in user feedback, so let us know how you use the texts and how they can be improved.
May 7th, 2008 at 3:48 am
Mags you have outdone yourself my dear! What an incredible addition to your growing circulating library! So much work, and I for one am just agog over the index to Jane Austen’s letters! OMIGOSH
Woosh, just swooned with joy.
Cheers, Laurel Ann
May 12th, 2008 at 10:37 am
La ! Thanks for the goodies, Mags. Great to find older bios of Jane and I like the illustrations of Regency life in G.E Mitton.
How does one define ‘charming’ ? Cheers all, Mandy.
May 12th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
How does one define ‘charming’ ?
In this context? It made me smile.
The other did NOT make me smile, and in fact I suspect that Mr. Firkins suffered from a severe case of recto-cranial inversion. But as I said, it is still interesting to read from a historical perspective.
I have a few more old-timey bios in queue–some of them quite good.