On this day in 1817, Jane Austen’s final two novels, “Northanger Abbey” and “Persuasion”, were first advertised for publication posthumously. They were published together, along with a Biographical Notice of the Author, written by Austen’s brother, Henry Austen. Throughout her writing career, Austen had published anonymously, so this was the first time her identity had…
Continue reading ➞ Mini-Post | “Northanger Abbey” and “Persuasion”
Happy 245th birthday to my favourite author of all time, Jane Austen. Born in Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16th 1775, the seventh child (and second daughter) of George and Cassandra Austen, she went on to write six full novels, two incomplete novels, a short epistolary novel and several notebooks full of juvenilia, not to mention…
Continue reading ➞ My 10 favourite Jane Austen quotes and why
Today Agora Books are re-publishing Jane Aiken Hodge’s study of Jane Austen, and I was lucky enough to have been gifted an advance copy to review, so thank you Agora! As anyone who knows me might have guessed, I jumped at the chance to review a book about not only my favourite author but also…
Continue reading ➞ REVIEW: “Only A Novel: The Double Life of Jane Austen”, by Jane Aiken Hodge
I swear one of my favourite genres of books could be called “modern retellings of classics”. I am always on the lookout for them, in particular Jane Austen retellings, which is why I am hoping that eventually the Austen Project, which paired Austen’s six novels with six contemporary bestselling authors, will eventually resurface with modern…
Continue reading ➞ Updating the Classics: Five Modern Retellings of Classic Stories to Read and Love
For me, autumn always seems to be period drama season, and also, that means Sunday nights spent in front of the TV watching the drama unfold against the backdrop of different historical periods, whilst I drink either tea or wine and the weather gets colder. I love how period dramas can give you a feel…
Continue reading ➞ Favourite Period Dramas: Darcy, Green Gables and Morse
In celebration of Jane Austen's birthday, I thought I'd write about the joys, wit and importance of her work.
