New editions of Jane Austen’s novels designed to reach a wider audience
The Telegraph reports that Headline Books will release new editions of Jane Austen’s novels in May 2006 with covers designed to attract a wider audience of readers.
Jane Austen is to be relaunched as a romantic novelist in the style of Danielle Steel and Dame Barbara Cartland.
Her six novels are to be given glossy, pastel covers designed to appeal to women put off by the idea of reading a 19th century writer.
Mansfield Park, for example, features a couple in Regency evening dress linked by a shooting star, while Pride and Prejudice has a swallow, flowers and a bonneted beauty with her back to a whip-wielding dandy.
The editions will be subtitled “A Classic Romance”, and quotes by celebrities will adorn the jackets. They will be piled high in airports and supermarkets from May.
While these are very pretty and affordable editions of the novels and while we suppose it is a good thing to attempt to introduce Jane Austen’s work to a wider audience, we cannot help but think that anyone put off by reading “a 19th century author” (all that Olde English, you know!) deserves what they get.
January 14th, 2006 at 10:27 pm
Danielle Steel?
Barbara Cartland?????
No doubt the publishers will be sued for gross misrepresentation.
January 14th, 2006 at 10:48 pm
I was worried at first that the covers would be very gaudy like a regular romance novel’s cover, showing as much skin as possible! But these are rather nice, I hope Jane gets read more with these covers! I wonder which celebrity quotes will adorn our Jane’s works?
January 15th, 2006 at 1:11 am
How does a whip-whielding dandy fit in with P&P? Not snarking, just a question. It would seem more Thorpe-like to me. Also what’s with the swallow?
I guess the marketing would be successful if they targeted places like airports. Because I confess to picking the prettiest covers at airports too.
January 15th, 2006 at 2:28 am
[...] title=”AustenBlog: New editions of Jane Austen’s novels designed to reach a wider audience” href=”http://www.austenblog.com/archives/2006/01/14/new-editions-of-jane-austens-novels-designed-to-reach-a-wider-audience/”>Jane Austen’s books are g [...]
January 15th, 2006 at 5:26 am
“in the style of danielle steel and barbara cartland” indeed…
January 15th, 2006 at 10:58 pm
I know chamomile tea is supposed to calm one’s nerves. Is it licorice tea that settles one’s stomach? Could you perhaps check with Dorothy and please have her brew me a pot?
January 15th, 2006 at 11:50 pm
That would be peppermint tea, Lynn, and Dorothy’s put the pot to the boil.
Can I interest you in a tot of Tullamore Dew in the meantime?
January 17th, 2006 at 11:59 pm
[...] ittle miffed at having Jane Austen compared to Barbara Cartland and Danielle Steele. As we reported previously, Headli [...]