Review by MJ Ryan

When tackling the continuation of another author’s unfinished story, the new author must decide whether to try to divine from the available text which direction the original author was going or whether to take the characters in a new direction. I’m not sure it can be easily determined where Jane intended the characters in The Watsons to go. Maybe that’s why it remained during Austen’s lifetime a mere fragment, and maybe that’s why Aiken decided that the latter avenue would be best. Since it would be difficult to completely review the book without giving away a spoiler or two I will give a succinct two sentence review for those who don’t want to be spoiled: as a historical drama the book mostly works. As a continuation of what Jane Austen started, it falls short. For those not worried about being slightly spoiled, read on. (more…)

Review by MJRyan

The premise of this book sounded intriguing - a young American woman in post-World War II England discovers that the story of Pride and Prejudice was based on a real couple. With the allure of such a romantic reality she begins investigating during her infrequent leaves from her job with the Army Exchange Service. What unfurls is so detailed a fictional history of fictional characters that it left this reader quite uninterested.

But this doesn’t even touch on my biggest issue with the book. By implying that Austen cribbed each and every character from real people, the author minimizes Austen’s genius at creating compelling characters from her imagination. I have no doubt that Austen’s characters were amalgams of people she knew in the course of her life; “write what you know” is a tenet for a reason. But, to write so blatantly of people she knew in real life would have not only cause offense but could have also exposed her as the anonymous authoress. (more…)

Review by MJRyan

“It seemed a harmless invitation, after all…”

So begins the description of Diana Birchall’s sequel to Pride and Prejudice, Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma. When you read on and realize that the invitation was extended to two of Lydia and George Wickham’s daughters you realize that trouble will ensue. Once the two girls arrive on the page you realize what kind of trouble, who will instigate it and how and what the outcome will be. However, I’ve found that predictable plots are much more palatable when they’re executed well, and Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma is well executed and, more importantly, enjoyable.

The story begins twenty five years after Pride and Prejudice and while there is plenty of attention paid to Mr and Mrs Darcy, it is the second generation of the Darcys, Wickhams and Bingleys that drive the action of the book. It should be no surprise that the couple with the least amount of sense and money have the most children. Lydia, ever the beggar, writes to Elizabeth and begs her to allow her two oldest daughters to visit, hoping with very little attempt at subterfuge to throw them in the way of young, rich men. Honestly, it is a bit astounding that Elizabeth and Darcy would agree to the visit at all. Birchall, being an adept storyteller, had little trouble convincing me.

Despite the title’s implication, Elizabeth is not the main character nor is the story entirely from her point of view. The action moves along at a brisk clip, switching between points of view, with possibly a bit too much page time dedicated to the more irritating characters from Pride and Prejudice in the middle of the book. Even when my teeth were set on edge by Lydia’s sense of entitlement, Mr. Collins’ speeches and Lady Catherine’s arrogance and pride, I admired Birchall’s ability to faithfully capture Austen’s characters.

Mrs. Darcy’s Dilemma, while not focusing entirely on the characters from Pride and Prejudice, is true to the source material in tone, language and characterizations and would be a satisfying read for fans of Austen paraliterature.

Review by Allison T.

Long ago, in the dark ages of 1999, when mastodons and cave men roamed the earth and there were “comparatively” few Jane Austen sequels out there (“comparatively” being a word used cautiously, meaning that there were already a lot of sequels published but certainly fewer than the scores produced annually in recent years), Mary Street’s The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy appeared to soothe the breasts of Darcy-fans craving another fix of their favorite hero. They were satisfied and life was good, except that the book was printed in a small run and became very difficult to find.

The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy is now being reprinted by Berkley Publishing Group for the delight of a new generation of Darcy-lovers. They will not be disappointed—this is a straight-forward retelling of the story from the gentleman’s viewpoint. “I know not how Miss Elizabeth Bennet contrived to bring herself to my notice throughout the course of that evening,” the Confession begins, and from this promising point plunges directly into an engaging exploration of Darcy’s feelings. (more…)

Review by Allison T.

With this promising opening sentence—“Emma Knightley, handsome, clever and rich, with a husband whose affection for her was only equaled by her affection for him, had passed upward of a year of marriage in what may be described as perfect happiness….”—Rachel BIllington explores the challenges of early married life in Emma & Knightley; Perfect Happiness in Highbury. Emma has little to vex her, at least at first. But there are clouds on the horizon.

Poor Jane Churchill has died in childbed and the distraught and half-mad Frank is roaming the countryside talking wildly of suicide. Both Mrs. Weston, Mrs. Robert Martin (Harriet), and Mrs. John Knightley (Isabella) are all expecting—why isn’t Emma pregnant, too? Then comes bad news about John Knightley’s financial affairs. Emma travels to London to support Isabella in the last weeks of her pregnancy and meets there the exotic and somewhat peculiar Philomena Tidmarsh and her young step-son, the Rev. Tidmarsh. What is Philomena’s relationship with the Foundling Hospital? She plays the harp as divinely as Mary Crawford, but is she really a lady? (more…)

Review by MJRyan

I agreed to review Becoming Jane for AustenBlog with a bit of trepidation. Not only would I be required to give some sort of informed opinion about picture resolution and sound but I’d also have to give my opinion on a movie that has been the subject of much debate over the past year and a half. What if I actually liked the movie? Would I lose the smidgen of Austen street cred I’ve obtained by submitting occasional reviews of Austen paraliterature? Would I be smacked over the head with The Cluebat? If I hated the movie, would I be dismissed as one who is impossible to be please or who places our Jane - preferably gilded in gold, cradling Pride and Prejudice in one hand and raising her pen of justice against loveless marriages in the other - on the highest pedestal in a museum? In the end, the lure of a free DVD was stronger than my fear of wading in to these perilous waters. (more…)

Review by Allison T.

“The romantic attachments of one’s children are a constant distraction,” says Mrs. Darcy to her sister Mrs. Bingley, and such is the theme of Elizabeth Newark’s The Darcys Give a Ball (Sourcebooks, 2008). Originally published in 1997 as Consequence, the book’s subtitle is “A Gentle Joke, Jane Austen Style,” and indeed this work is both gentle and amusing. As for the children, well! Fitz Darcy (Mr. and Mrs. Darcy’s eldest) is in love with his cousin Amabel Bingley, while Henry Darcy is falling for Eliza Collins (the youngest of their children, described as a “changeling,” not exactly pretty, but possessing a pair of fine eyes). Meanwhile, spoiled Juliet Darcy is angling for the handsome and dashing Gerard Churchill.

In an effort to distract Henry, the Darcys decide to give a grand ball in Juliet’s honor. And who should they invite? (Take a deep breath here.) Well, the lovely Dorothea Brandon, of course, and her cousin Nell Ferrars, the two young Tilneys, Priscilla and Frederick, and Alexander and Paul Wentworth (their father has been made Admiral, we are happy to note). Mrs. Darcy, who confesses to always having had a slight tendre for George Knightley, takes care to invite the Knightley twins, Colin and Christopher, and the two Bertram girls (their father is now Sir Thomas) as well as their cousins Pamela and Angelica Yates. Of course, they must invite Georgiana’s daughter, Lucy, as well as Colonel Fitzwilliam’s two red-haired children, Torquil and Catriona (he married a Scottish lady). (more…)

We have always found it difficult, perhaps even impossible, to like Edmund Bertram. We find it infuriating when he hurts poor Fanny by rationalizing Mary Crawford’s behavior to her, putting words in Fanny’s mouth to excuse Mary, encouraging Henry Crawford’s suit, talking about his love life problems with Fanny, just rubbing salt in the wound. There is a reason we call him the Lord High Mayor of Wankerville. Of course he doesn’t mean to hurt Fanny, but that doesn’t make it any easier for the reader to endure. Every lash of his emotional whip on poor Fanny’s wounded spirit is like a slap in the face; just because those lashes are inadvertent makes them no less painful.

Needless to say, we approached Edmund Bertram’s Diary with some trepidation. If anyone but Amanda Grange had written it, our courage might have failed; but we gained confidence from Ms. Grange’s thorough preparation and her sympathetic treatment of her subjects in her previous work. We waded in boldly, and were not disappointed. Amanda Grange may be the best friend Edmund Bertram ever had–except Fanny Price, of course. (more…)

Fanny grows up as an outsider, often made to feel like a burden on the household despite her housework and peacemaking efforts. When the two other girls in the family run away with a seductive neighbor, Fanny’s loyalties are torn between her own yearning for independence and a longing for acceptance from all the family factions.

Is this Fanny Price in Mansfield Park? Meet the little-known but very real Fanny Wollstonecraft, daughter of early feminist Mary Wollstonecraft and older half-sister to Mary Shelley, author of Frankenstein and wife of the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley. Fanny coped with her stepmother’s unrelenting criticism, sought inclusion with her half- and stepsisters, and craved love from her stepfather William Godwin in a household where a stepsister noted, “If you cannot write an epic poem, or a novel that by its originality knocks all other novels on the head, you are a despicable creature not worth acknowledging.” Fanny’s biography is handled with the tender sensitivity she never received during her short life.

“In the world of pragmatic compromise envisaged by Jane Austen at about the same time, enthusiastic Harriet [Westbrook, Shelley’s first wife] as Marianne Dashwood from Sense and Sensibility should have lived to find a kinder man, while compassionate Fanny could and should have gained the rewards earned by her namesake Fanny Price in Mansfield Park. Instead both encountered Shelley’s utopian absolutism.”

While Death and the Maidens: Fanny Wollstonecraft and the Shelley Circle is not about Jane Austen, this scholarly biography provides a thoughtful examination of the literary and philosophical influences of Jane’s time period, carefully researched and adorned with details. But a penchant for footnotes isn’t necessary to enjoy this book: it’s a fascinating story about the young women in the Wollstonecraft-Godwin household and how their upbringing combined with Shelley’s passionate influence to send the small family’s dynamics into turmoil. The “aristocracy of genius” encouraged by Godwin and Shelley was not without tragic results – leading to a poignant tale of love and death straight out of Romanticism in its own right.

One of the things that bothered us about Becoming Jane was that it was so relentlessly dark and gloomy and depressing, seemingly as though the Austens were poor Dickensian characters with joyless lives. Jane Austen’s letters always gave us an impression of her family life as fun and boisterous, occasionally annoying (as are all families), but mostly close and loving; we would have liked less canoodling with roguish Irish boxers and more witty Austen repartée, though we know that’s asking a lot of Hollywood. Imagine, then, our enjoyment in Innocent Diversions, which was like spending 90 minutes or so with the Austens and some sympathetic friends, putting on a little evening entertainment for their family’s viewing pleasure.

The “diversion” is fast-paced and fun; the Austens are paying a Christmas visit at Manydown Park, home of the Bigg-Withers, and several of the group–Jane, her father, her sister, their niece Fanny, their brother Frank, their friends Elizabeth Heathcote (née Bigg), Catherine and Alethea Bigg (don’t call them “the Bigg Sisters!”), their brother Harris, Martha Lloyd, and Madame Lefroy–perform selections from Jane Austen’s juvenilia, including some of the silly plays (like “The Mystery”) and recitals of poems and short pieces such as “The Beautifull Cassandra.” Underlying these fluffy bits of amusing nonsense is a story arc of Jane Austen, on the cusp of published authordom (her book Susan has just been accepted for publication!) and the romantic torch carried by a certain gentleman of the party. The whole thing comes off rather like the Austen Family Variety Show, with one act following upon another in quick succession, the cast changing roles and throwing themselves into it with a spirit of hearty good fellowship.

Karen Eterovich, who originated the role in the first staging of Innocent Diversions in 1998, portrays Jane Austen as we have always imagined her: wise and witty, intelligent and self-aware; she knows that the pieces being presented are strictly meant for entertainment of a sympathetic audience. After one of the pieces, she says gamely, “That was…that was…what was that?” But at the same time she has a quiet self-confidence about her work, and giddily reports her first publication, and gently turns down Harris Bigg-Wither’s romantic advances. Jane knows she has other things to do with her life, and while she’s grateful for family support, she doesn’t need anyone else to validate her choices.

The rest of the cast is also very good, with an excellent feeling for the time period and an obvious pleasure with the work. Though it’s a very small theater, the cast and production is completely professional and runs like a well-oiled clock. One of the conceits of the piece is that the “audience” is, well, the audience; the actors often break the “fourth wall” and speak directly to us. It’s not as precious as it might sound; one truly feels wrapped up into this world, sitting quietly in the beautifully furnished Manydown drawing room and enjoying an evening amusement–indeed, an innocent diversion–among friends, friends who understand your jokes and will laugh with you as you laugh with them.

There is still time to catch this sweet, funny little play in its current run, and we think Janeites will be glad that they did. Innocent Diversions runs through December 16 at Theater Ten Ten in New York, and tickets are a very affordable $20.

Review by Allison T.

The life of a reviewer of Jane Austen prequels, sequels and re-tellings is a hard and lonely one. Some days it feels like every Austen-lover (but me) has written some version of P&P—motivated principally by feelings of love and admiration for the source but also not un-aware that almost anything with a P&P-like title or a tie-in to The Great One can get published and bring in the bucks.

And yet here I am perplexed as to how to categorize Kara Louise’s Drive and Determination, a book that has a splendid, double-barreled, Austen-like name but a disclaimer on the back-cover that reads: “This modern day novel is inspired by Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice. It is not meant to replace her story or to even incorporate all the events. Those familiar with her story will recognize certain characters and events.”

Here the author has both neatly connected yet disconnected herself from the real P&P: are we meant to read this story as P&P or are we not? This reviewer selflessly plunked down $14.95 (plus S&H) to find out.

It turns out that we are, kinda. Here’s the story, more or less.

Elyssa Barnett, an young interior designer, has long wondered why sister Janet’s boyfriend, Chad Blakely, has put up with the handsome (on a 50 top eligible bachelor list for two years running in a “well known publication”) cold, rich Will Denton, but she really gets P.O’d at him when he turns up late to Janet and Chad’s wedding rehearsal. So rude of him! Elyssa hates cold, manipulative, rich CEOs since her father dropped dead from over-work a few years ago. (Huh?) And Will is the president of a family-owned coffee company in Guatemala called Pemberleo Coffee. (???) Then Elyssa really takes a scunner to Will when gives Chad the wedding gift of a promotion, sending him to Guatemala. Then 2 years later Janet and Chad die in a car accident (this isn’t a spoiler, as it is mentioned on the back cover) and now Elyssa is REALLY mad at Will because It’s All His Fault. But he finds himself Strangely Drawn to her when she, sobbing, gives a Really Really Great Eulogy for Janet. And then she goes to Guatemala to sort through the effects and meets a Pemberleo Coffee employee George Westham (who would like to get into bed with Elyssa but merely hints at it—and we know that he’d like to get to know younger sister Lynette whom he remembers from the wedding, but of course, he’s down in Guatemala and she’s in the U.S. somewhere so nothing happens and Will sends him away and we never hear about him or Lynette again). There are a few other characters with P&P names but who don’t exhibit much, if any, P&P characterization. Mud slides, a bout of Montezuma’s Revenge, a visit to a day care in a poor neighborhood, paparazzi and other extreme events fill the pages of this tale, which relies heavily on description and narration and not so much on dialogue or character development.

So what is this reviewer to do? I can say that it’s not much like Austen’s P&P except that the boy and girl “meet cute,” dislike each other at first and then get married at the end—but the author has already disarmed reproof by stating that this is only “inspired” by the original; it does not attempt to retell it. But if she uses P&P names and a P&P-like title, but not really any of the insight into character, then—oh, dear! Head spinning on shoulders! Must stop!

The spate of Austen para-literature has gotten out of hand. It wasn’t so bad when it was confined to the Internet (and was free) where only the most obsessed found it, but now that so much money is changing hands in Austenland it seems only fair to demand some ground-rules. Unlike happy families, good para-literature is unique; bad para-literature all fail in similar ways. So listen up, boys and girls: here are this reviewer’s Official Rules of Jane Austen Retellings.

1. Your characters are not required to have names that match the initial letters of Austen’s characters (in fact, it’s more fun if they don’t), but;
2. Your characters must exhibit similar qualities to hers: that is, your Elizabeth and your Mr. Darcy must each exhibit elements of both pride and prejudice and they must both be taught a lesson and learn and grow from their mistaken beliefs. They are not permitted to simply dislike each other on sight and then get the hots for each other without saying at least once to themselves or others: “Gosh, I was wrong wrong wrong about him/her and I acted badly and I’ll never get him/her back.”
3. You are permitted to drop minor characters, which is why Kitty and Mary Bennet are so often relegated along with Margaret Dashwood, Mr and Mrs Hurst and Betsy Price to the Department of Un-Wanted Characters; but
4. You are required to maintain the basic plot sequence (if you are Retelling an Austen work). That is, your characters aren’t permitted to die if Austen’s didn’t. The reason for this rule is that it introduces a whole different set of emotions and motivations to the plot, which your characters must reasonably deal with, but which Austen’s didn’t. It’s inconceivable to me to imagine a retelling of P&P or even more radically, S&S—both books in which the loving relationship between the sisters is at the heart of the story—in which one sister is bumped off within 30 pages of the beginning. This action makes it a WHOLE DIFFERENT STORY. Be brave! If that’s the story you want to tell, then tell it, but don’t tie it to Austen!
5. Finally, if you choose a double-barreled title like, oh, I don’t know, “Folly and Futility,” then you are committed to showing that both your hero and your heroine exhibit extremes of these qualities (see rule 2, above) but then learn to bring them into appropriate balance. You might even repeat these words, separately or together, at various times throughout your novel. You are not permitted to merely close your novel with the very first reference to this phrase.

If you do not care to follow these rules, then what you have is Your Very Own Romance Novel—which is great! You are not, however, permitted to jump onto the Jane Austen bandwagon with it tucked under your arm. Your novel must stand on its own two feet. Drive and Determination doesn’t.

Two new Jane Austen biofics each offer a peek into Jane Austen’s innermost thoughts before Sense and Sensibility was published:

Just Jane by Nancy Moser is a contemplative, diary-like exploration of Jane Austen’s thoughts on life, love, and writing. The narrative begins with Jane’s brief romance with Tom Lefroy, spends the majority of the book covering the time before any of her novels were published, then very quickly celebrates the success of Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Mansfield Park, concluding with Emma’s publication. As Jane observes life around her she tries to find a place to call her own in her own family. She also strives to create meaning for her life through her writing, though she struggles with writer’s block and the uncertainty of whether her novels are any good.

Passages from Jane Austen’s letters are interwoven with new explorations of Jane’s inner feelings, frustrations, and personal triumphs. I found the difference in tone between the two a little uneven – there is a certain wit and sparkle to Jane Austen’s letters which is missing from this interpretation of her private thoughts – but overall the book steadily maintains the pursuit of what it means to be “just Jane”. Fans of A Walk with Jane Austen will appreciate Just Jane’s similar thoughtful pace and tone.

The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James is inspired by the anecdotal story of Jane’s mysterious “suitor by the sea”. This romance is a fast, easy read; as the cover promises, I couldn’t put it down. I also think readers will eat this one up with a spoon due in no small part to the hero, who bears a strong resemblance to Richard Armitage. Jane meets him on a visit to Lyme: while walking up Granny’s Teeth on the Cobb, she slips and falls, but is safely caught in the manly embrace of Mr. Armitage Ashford. (Take that, “Butterfingers” Wentworth!) Mr. Ashford seems to be the perfect match for Jane, but will a secret destroy her chance for happiness?

Lost Memoirs is packed full of references to characters and scenes from Jane Austen’s novels. Many readers will enjoy recognizing Mrs. Jennings, Mr. Collins, and other favorites from the people Jane encounters in this story. Even the romance with Mr. Ashford moves along thanks to plot elements from several of Jane Austen’s novels. And unfortunately here is where I must be crabby: to me, a scene from Persuasion, followed by a scene from Sense and Sensibility, followed by a scene from Pride and Prejudice (and so on) make an entertaining YouTube video, but not a memorable novel in its own right. So many people Jane meets and so much of the action of Lost Memoirs will be directly reproduced in her novels that one wonders if Jane can be believed when she tells a friend that her aim in writing is to create, not reproduce. I would have liked to have seen more original characters and plot in Lost Memoirs instead of such heavy reliance on those Jane created.

But even with this criticism, The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen kept my interest and was a pleasant way to pass an afternoon. Less picky readers will adore Mr. Ashford, love the tastefully done romance scenes, and have fun spotting all the references (and there are some obscure ones). Finally: if Jane Austen doesn’t deserve a good snog in a rowboat by Richard Armitage … well, I don’t know who does.

AustenBlog is giving away a copy of Just Jane by Nancy Moser. To enter the drawing, send an e-mail with your full name and mailing address to editor@austenblog.com by 10 p.m. Eastern time, Wednesday, November 21, 2007. (The contest is closed early, because the Editrix is a moron.)

We were fascinated with the premise of Lovers’ Perjuries, which is, as the subtitle plainly states, the courtship of Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill. What would make a fine, upstanding young gentlewoman like Jane Fairfax agree to a secret engagement with a rather thoughtless fellow like Frank Churchill? What would lead a devil-may-care charmer like Frank Churchill to fall in love with the reserved, accomplished, destined for the governess trade Jane? Though these characters are so important to the story of Emma, we get little of their own story, and Joan Ellen Delman has a great deal of scope for presenting their courtship. Fortunately for the reader, Ms. Delman takes full advantage of this scope and presents a dense, meaty story that is true to the original while maintaining the reader’s interest in the diversion.

Jane Fairfax goes to Weymouth with her guardians, the Campbells, and Miss Campbell’s fiancé, Mr. Dixon; there she meets the charming Frank Churchill. They bond when they meet while independently attempting to assist Frank’s destitute former governess, and Jane finds herself often thinking of Frank while observing a Persuasionish love affair gone wrong among some acquaintances. When Frank is forced to leave Weymouth by his demanding aunt, he declares himself to Jane; she is really in love with him, and, having seen the heartbreaking results of refusing to enter a secret engagement in her friend’s affair, she agrees to her proposal against her better judgment.

Jane returns to Highbury, and Frank follows after a time; misunderstandings ensue from the clandestine nature of their relationship, none of which will be surprising to anyone who has read Emma. After Frank goes to London for a “hair cut,” he writes Jane a saucy note that is slipped among the Irish music that comes with the pianoforte: “What think you of Mr. Broadwood’s handiwork–is not he an excellent barber?” Our heart thrills with Jane’s at the totally inappropriate, totally welcome gift–a true gift of love, as Frank says in Jane’s hearing, knowing that Miss Woodhouse will misunderstand; and Jane knows that Miss Woodhouse will understand, and is distressed, but at the same time is pleased by it, and the reader is sympathetic to her dilemma and to her romance. Jane is in love, and at the same time mortified at the part she must play and the deception of those she loves and those she respects, and Frank’s behavior with Miss Woodhouse does little to help. She is jealous, he thinks she is overreacting, they quarrel and separate, and though we know how it will turn out, we are on tenterhooks anyway; but the ending is as romantic and lovely as that of the main characters of the original novel. And like in Mr. Knightley’s Diary, an unexpected minor character also gets a bit of late-in-life romance, leaving the reader wondering puckishly why Miss Woodhouse never turned her matchmaking talents in that direction.

We very much enjoyed the first, non-Emma part of the book, and expected the book to slow down some once they got to Highbury and the familiar part of the story, but we found ourself more deeply involved the further we read. Ms. Delman does an excellent job of fleshing out Jane and Frank and tells their story with tenderness and humor. It is beautifully written, with an excellent feeling for the period language. Great care is taken in getting all the details right, not only of the period but of the original book, though Ms. Delman does not have the firm, sure touch of Jane Austen with comedy (but then who does?). Lovers’ Perjuries is an absorbing, delightful read, and an excellent companion volume to Emma.

The editors state up front that this edition is not the work of Regency historians, Austen scholars, or doctoral literary critics. Readers in search of a serious annotated or critical edition of Pride and Prejudice, consider yourselves duly warned. But if you enjoyed the recent novel Austenland, love the P&P films, and want to read the story that inspired them, the playful and chatty Insight Edition may be just what you’re looking for.

Pop-up style sidebar notes, similar to those found on the P&P-Utah DVD, include P&P references in today’s culture (the films in particular); tips for love and romance; comments and asides; and moments that make you smile. Unfortunately, as per the editors’ note, the historical, cultural, and biographical trivia should be approached with caution; I noticed a few small inaccuracies. The Themes of Faith category makes the Insight Edition especially useful to Christian book groups or individual P&P fans looking to include inspiration and religion in their reading.

The Pride and Prejudice Insight Edition is all about enjoying the classic story of love, family, and humor. Those already familiar with the novel won’t learn anything they don’t already know, but they may have fun along the way: it reads like watching a well-loved film with a group of friends, explaining some scenes, but mostly gushing over Mr. Darcy favorite moments.

Review by MJ Ryan

A mix of travelogue, private journal and biography of Jane Austen, A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love & Faith is the record of a single Janeite who travels to England to meander through the countryside in Jane Austen’s footsteps. She’s not looking for love necessarily, but how appropriate would it be if it just so happened to occur while shadowing the important places of the woman who has written the most celebrated love stories of the past 200 years? Talk about a great How I Met Your Father story to tell your children.

Smith deftly mixes biographical information about Austen throughout the book and you do begin to see how her life parallels Austen’s in subtle ways. The transitions from Austen’s life to Smith’s memories of growing up in a strict Christian home and her recounting of the challenges of living a Christian life are sometimes choppy and a bit of a stretch, but it was always interesting.

The copy I was given to review didn’t include a map of her travels and, as you may remember from an earlier review, I believe the inclusion of a map should be a literary law. This especially holds true for a book that is part travelogue. I’m happy to report that the published book does include a map of the places that Smith went, along with a detailed list of the sights she visited in each city.

While Smith’s Christianity is the bedrock of her life and the book, she’s never preachy and isn’t trying to convert the reader to her beliefs, nor is she trying to define Austen’s Christianity. However, if you are uncomfortable reading about, or just aren’t interested in, another person’s faith, then you might not enjoy this book. For those who do pick up the book, you will be met with an honest account of a single woman’s emotional journey through a difficult time of her life and you will applaud her courage to share her story with you.

Lori Smith has offered a copy of A Walk with Jane Austen: A Journey into Adventure, Love & Faith to a lucky AustenBlog reader. To enter the drawing, please send your full name and mailing address to editor@austenblog.com by 10 p.m. Eastern time on Wednesday, November 7, 2007.

This review was originally posted on September 28, 2006, in reference to the hardback UK edition of the novel. It is now being published in trade paperback in North America. The cover at left is the proper one, NOT the odd-looking thing on Amazon.

The Editrix’s affection for the Rev. Mr. Henry Tilney is well-documented, but we must confess to an occasional fling with Mr. Knightley of Donwell Abbey (and have been known to sit adoringly at Captain Wentworth’s knee whilst he tells sea-stories, but that is neither here nor there). Conceive our delight, then, when we were informed that Amanda Grange has followed up Darcy’s Diary with Mr. Knightley’s Diary. Such anticipation for Austen paraliterature titles has been dashed in the past, but we are happy to report that in this case, our anticipation was not excited in vain.

The squire of Donwell Abbey is fond of his country life: looking after his estate with the assistance of the redoubtable William Larkins, attending his whist club, dining at every house in the neighborhood, teaching his nephews to ride their first pony; and his fondest enjoyment is visiting his neighbor Mr. Woodhouse and his daughter, Emma. For a crusty old bachelor, Mr. Knightley spends an awful lot of time thinking about marriage, and an awful lot of time thinking about Miss Woodhouse. With so many concerns to distract him, a generous public must forgive that it takes him half the book (and the intercession of a dispassionate friend) to realize that this is not a coincidence. (more…)

Review by MJ Ryan

The following might be the most rhetorical questions ever posted on a blog dedicated to Jane Austen:

Raise your hand if you’ve fantasized about living in Regency England. Dreamt about meandering down the streets of Bath? Imagined meeting Herself in the flesh? Of course you have! It would be difficult to read any of Austen’s novels and not want to be there, such a great job she does of painting an appealing picture of her world. So imagine the surprise and pleasure of Courtney Stone, the heroine in Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler, when her fantasy comes true and she wakes up in Regency England in the body of a young woman named Jane Mansfield. Her first vision is of a servant coming to wait on her. Nice! Her second is not so pleasurable as Jane’s domineering mother enters the room. The third is downright terrifying as a doctor arrives to bleed her. (more…)

Reviews by Allison T.

It is with great pleasure that I bring to your attention two charming Austen sequels by Ontario region JASNA member Judith Brocklehurst: A Letter from Lady Catherine and Maria, or the Story of a Disgraced Woman, both self-published at Lulu.com.

A Letter from Lady Catherine begins when that lady, despairing that Anne will ever find a husband, swallows her pride and informs the Darcys that she and Anne will visit and they are to look out for likely suitors. A carriage accident on the journey leaves Lady Catherine with a broken arm and food poisoning and Anne is forced to take action to care for her mother and herself. She meets a pleasant young man—a reader and a thinker—and begins to find him more attractive than any gentleman she has yet met, when the Darcys arrive to take Anne to Pemberley. A burgeoning literary career, attractive new clothes and a newfound health contribute to Anne’s increased happiness, but, as a wealthy heiress, she can never marry the poor man she loves—or can she?

After her disgraceful elopement, Maria Rushworth (née Bertram) is banished by her family to a lonely, half-ruined farmhouse in the north of England. Tormented by thoughts of Henry Crawford, she appears to local society as “Mrs. Ward” and turns to horse-breeding to make money, while Aunt Norris discovers a new happiness in bringing the rat-infested house to order. Maria, or the Story of a Disgraced Woman tells the story of how the bored and lonely Maria transforms herself into a well-regarded businesswoman. But then the story of her affair leaks out, and Maria is whisked by the family back to Mansfield Park, where she must help Lady Bertram with the hard parts of her embroidery and take care of pug. Will she be stuck there forever?

The plots of these two sequels are so fresh and unusual that I can’t reveal more about them without spoiling the endings, and that, in and of itself, tells you something about the quality of the stories. And Judith’s characterizations—whether of Austen’s people or her own—are charming , though I was a little grieved to find that both Fanny and Edmund have turned into real Mr. Collins-like pills, and refuse to have Maria visit them or even talk to her. But I closed the books with a sigh of regret that they were over, and look forward to reading them again.

Great characters, great plots—but wait! There’s more! What sets these two novels apart from many historically-based Austen continuations is the elegance and precision of the prose. There are no annoying anachronisms, no violations of the Regency rules of behavior, and the language really echoes that of the period. As a bonus, Judith puts in little Austenian allusions for our amusement: for instance , when the gentleman that Anne loves gives her a King Charles spaniel, a little dog of no use whatsoever for hunting, Mr. Darcy, who is not found of little dogs, comments that at least it isn’t a pug. (What would Lady B think?)

Austenland is growing so large that it is becoming a financial challenge keep on purchasing (and housing) the sequels that appear each month, but I found these two books well worth the money.

We were a little surprised when we heard that filming was going forward on The Jane Austen Club. Not because we didn’t like the novel that inspired it; on the contrary, we loved the novel, but were at a loss as to how the plot, with its timeshifts and flashbacks, could be rendered on film without severe evisceration, which, if not done with due care (as we Janeites certainly know), can have some ugly results. We were further alarmed by the casting of actors who all were at least a decade younger than the characters in the book. Fortunately, we are delighted to report that The Jane Austen Book Club is a funny and smart film that keeps the spirit of the original even while it takes some severe departures from it.

For the benefit of those who have not read the book, the six members of the group are brought together by mutual acquaintances, each of them grieving or confused or lonely, to read Jane Austen as “the perfect antidote to life.” They read and discuss and argue and flirt and fall in and out of love, using Jane Austen’s novels as emotional touchstones as her stories pop up in their lives in the most surprising ways. It’s not a modern-set version of a Jane Austen novel, like Clueless or Bride and Prejudice; Jane’s work is present and informs the proceedings, but the touch is light, almost ghostly. You probably won’t be getting any new insights into the novels. It’s more like the audience is the seventh member of the book club, listening to the others approach the novels through their own experiences, and, well, prejudices.

For those who, like us, read and loved the novel, we were pleased how much of the original six stories were preserved. The flashback scenes were excised, but in some cases the characters were able to tell part of their backstories. Allegra’s story in particular is almost intact, and Maggie Grace has managed to repeat Kate Winslet’s astonishing feat of making Marianne Dashwood likable. The rest of the cast also is excellent, without a single weak link; no flavor of the month starlet casting, thank Jane. Kathy Baker renders Bernadette almost perfectly from the book as the warm-hearted, sweet-natured, ever so slightly ditzy Earth Mother of the group. We’ve already waxed gushy about Hugh Dancy’s hilarious turn as Grigg, a single geek in possession of a good fortune, who is enthusiastic about reading–especially about reading whatever Jocelyn tells him he should read. Jimmy Smits plays Daniel against type, dumping his wife cruelly and bringing his new love to “her” Whole Foods, and oh! How we detest him for his perfidy! Not unlike how we detest a certain sea captain when he is cruel to a certain Miss A— E—–; but like that other gentleman, he makes up for it. (And when he was sitting on the beach discussing Persuasion both of our ovaries pretty much exploded simultaneously. Ow.)

As in the novel, the Austen references shift and sneak up one. Some will likely go over the heads of non-Janeite audiences, and probably they will never miss them; they are little treats for Janeites. Yes! This film does not forget the Janeites! Shocking, we know, after suffering a series of directors and screenwriters and actors who said publicly that they did not care what Those Austen People thought. Robin Swicord, who wrote the screenplay and directed, is one of us, and we are not forgotten. Although not all members of her cast are Janeites, she gets them to buy into the Janeness, and yet manages to avoid major eggheadedness that would make the Great Unwashed run screaming for the exits. Non-Janeite friends, family, SOs, and spouses need not fear this film. Janeites, for that matter, need not fear this film, even if one has been disappointed by recent efforts in her name. We laughed a lot, we cried a little, and we enjoyed the way the ending wrapped up all the stories harmoniously–just like Jane.

Those who have not read the novel should have no problem following the film, and those who have read the novel will enjoy it, we think, whether or not you liked the book. It’s witty and clever, much like Jane herself, and celebrates her novels and the community of readers who have loved them for 200 years. You, Gentle Reader, are part of that community; go and celebrate.

Review by MJRyan

Old Friends and New Fancies by Sybil G. Brinton bills itself as the very first Austen sequel. In this age of hyperbole, that seems like just the next outrageous statement in a long line of outrageous statements. However, this is a re-issue of a novel published in 1913. Imagine! An Austen-inspired sequel that hasn’t been influenced in any way, shape or form by Andrew Davies, Colin Firth, Emma Thompson, Keira Knightley or the BBC. Needless to say, I jumped at the chance to review a book unadulterated by pop culture.

Most unlike its inspirations, the novel opens with a broken engagement. It also opens with a healthy dose of a few of Austen’s least likable characters - Lady Catherine, Lucy Ferrars and Anne Steele. An inauspicious beginning, indeed. It seems that Lady Catherine and Anne de Bourgh are in Bath and have quite the group of hangers-on perfectly willing to bend to Lady Catherine’s wishes and whims. Especially simpering and scheming is Lucy Ferrars, who has her sights on Colonel Fitzwilliam for her sister Anne Steele. Unfortunately for Miss Steele, when the Darcys arrive with Fitzwilliam in tow to put in their requisite two-week appearance (the rift between Lady Catherine and Darcy at the end of Pride and Prejudice is never mentioned), Fitzwilliam is immediately enchanted with Miss Mary Crawford.

Characters from every novel are either woven into the story or mentioned making me wonder whom this novel was going to focus on. Once the narrative moves from Bath to Pemberley and London the focus narrows down to Colonel Fitzwilliam, Georgiana and Kitty Bennet, with Georgiana being the emotional center and primary focus of the novel. The overpopulation of characters in the story, some needlessly mentioned, made the story seem cluttered. I found myself, especially at the beginning, having to stop and think about the character mentioned, what book they were from, their previous relationships in the source novel and the new relationships within this novel. I loved that there was a list of characters and their respective books at the front of the novel. I wish all novels had a character list. I also think it should be a literary law that a map of the novel setting should be included at the front of every book. Wouldn’t it be wonderful to have a little map of England to see where Derbyshire is in relation to Herfordshire and London, especially for new readers? But, I love maps and looking at maps so I could be alone in the promotion of this literary law. I digress. Back to the book review.

While I was always aware I wasn’t reading Austen, the author does an admirable job of writing in Austen’s style, focusing on the perils and pitfalls of finding and retaining love in Regency England. Her interpretation of all characters with the possible exception of Elizabeth Bennet, are spot on. While it would be difficult to have Austen’s continuous wit, the author instills enough that I found myself laughing aloud quite a bit. The too brief appearance of Mr. Bennet especially made me chuckle.

Since it is a sequel to all of Austen’s novels, it would be a good idea to have read all of the books before you read this. At the very least, you should have a good familiarity with the scandal at Mansfield Park, the characters of Pride and Prejudice and the personalities of the characters from Sense and Sensibility before picking up Old Friends and New Fancies. If you’re searching for a book similar in tone and sensibility to Austen’s work but totally lacking feverish embraces or mention of tan breeches look no further. Old Friends and New Fancies will be a very satisfying read.

AustenBlog is giving away a copy of Old Friends and New Fancies, courtesy of Sourcebooks. Send your name, full mailing address, and your favorite Austen villain to editor@austenblog.com by 10 p.m. Eastern time, Tuesday, September 4, 2007.