Reviews
Books About and Inspired By Jane Austen
"I am sure," cried Catherine, "I did not mean to say any thing wrong; but it is a nice book, and why should not I call it so?" ~ from Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Biographies, Nonfiction and Critical Works
Aiken Hodge, Jane: The Double Life of Jane Austen - This book, published in 1970, trembles with the newly-discovered truths of the feminist movement of the 1960s and how they are reflected in Jane Austen's work. The title refers to the central theory of the book: that Jane Austen was not only the kindly spinster aunt who almost accidentally created her brilliant works, but had a secret artistic life that she was forced to keep hidden from all but Cassandra because of the restrictions placed upon women of her day. There is probably some truth to this theory, I think, though the two halves of Jane Austen are perhaps not so diametrically opposed. All artists have a domestic life that they must balance with their artistic life.
Ms. Aiken Hodge wrote this biography, she says, not for the academic but for the unscholarly fan who wishes to know more about Jane. The book is eminently readable and fairly complete biographically; however, I would hesitate to recommend it as a "first" Jane Austen biography for the casual fan. In her zeal to prove her hypothesis, Ms. Aiken Hodge occasionally goes a little too far (in the HP's not-so-humble opinion) to show Jane as a prickly and unpleasantly bitchy woman; the book ends up seeming like a sort of a kinder, gentler Halperin. However, if you're familiar with the biographical aspects of Jane's life, the book is worth a read. There are moments of occasional brilliance that cancel out some of the unpleasantness, and Ms. Aiken Hodge's critical comments on the novels are almost uniformly spot-on. It makes one wish that it could be combined with Claire Tomalin's biography, which is well-done factually but is sadly lacking from the critical aspect.
Austen, Caroline: My Aunt Jane Austen, A Memoir - Really just a little pamphlet, lovely to read but nothing new if you've read a biography or two. Most of the information here is quoted or included in the newer bios.
Austen-Leigh, William and Richard Arthur, revised and enlarged by Deirdre LeFaye: Jane Austen, A Family Record - This is the biography I go to first when I need a fast fact about Jane, or a quote from a family member. It's certainly not the most readable biography but is absolutely jam-packed with facts, quotes, and information I've seen nowhere else--or scattered amongst several larger volumes.
Byrde, Penelope: Jane Austen Fashion: Fashion and Needlework in the Works of Jane Austen (Previously published under the title A Frivolous Distinction) - We thought about writing this book, then found that Ms. Byrde had beat us to it; and we dare say she is more qualified, being Curator of the Museum of Costume in Bath. Costume geeks will drool over this book, beautifully illustrated with period fashion plates in full color. Ms. Byrde provides an excellent overview of fashion and needlework in Jane Austen's time: how clothing was made, where it was purchased, and the way that ladies occupied their time with both plain sewing and fancy needlework. It is a slim but invaluable volume, and worth the long wait to receive it from the publisher.
Cecil, David: A Portrait of Jane Austen - Another of the gentleman scholars, Lord David is gentle with Jane--perhaps a little TOO gentle in spots. Nonetheless, this is one of the best-known biographies of Jane and I enjoyed it. It has a lot of beautiful illustrations that I've seen nowhere else--contemporary illustrations, not just pictures of Jane and her family. (Some of them are scanned on this site here and there.) It's been a great addition to my library and I refer to it more often than I thought I would when I bought it.
Collins, Irene: Jane Austen and the Clergy - Being a dedicated lover of all things Tilney, a WHOLE BOOK about Jane Austen's view on the clergy was certainly delightful to find! This book was invaluable to me, both in assisting my understanding of the Rev. Mr. Tilney as well as in my writing. The cultural influences that worked on Jane in the presentation of her various clergymen are explained here, as well as giving an accurate overview of the religious feeling of the time. There are a lot of misconceptions about the Anglican Church in Jane Austen's time among modern Janeites, and they are put to rest in this book. We read about the education of clergymen, where and how they would have lived, how much they made, what they would have been like, what they would have read and written and thought. I don't know if it's a "must-read" for the casual Janeite but it's sure interesting.
Collins, Irene: Jane Austen: The Parson's Daughter - This book concentrates on the earlier years of Jane's life, when her identity centered upon being the daughter of the rector of Steventon. It ends when the Austens move to Bath. Professor Collins examines the minutiae of Jane's early life, from the books she read to the clothes she wore to the balls at which she danced, written by a knowledgeable scholar in a readable, dry-witted style not unlike Jane's own. A terrific book and highly recommended.
Copeland, Edward, and McMaster, Juliet, ed.: The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen - A collection of essays of varying interest and scholarly content. I found this collection basically unoffensive (which is a good thing in the HP's book) and occasionally quite enlightening, but I can't work up much enthusiasm for the really hard-core academic stuff, unfortunately. Guess I'm one of the Great Unwashed after all.
Grosvenor Myer, Valerie: Jane Austen: Obstinate Heart - There are times when I think that Cassandra should have just burnt all the bally letters so that, two centuries later, critics and biographers with no imagination or sense of humor would not be able to read too much into a joke or innocuous bit of everyday news. Ms. Grosvenor Myer bases her biography on the premise that Jane Austen was bitter over both the dependent state of women in her day and her precarious financial status. It is difficult for anyone in possession of a decent acquaintance with Jane's life or the historical realities of her time to buy into the theory. Only to be read for comparison purposes to the better bios.
Halperin, John: The Life of Jane Austen - Hell hath no fury like a scholar scorned. Mr. Halperin writes in the preface to the 1996 paperback edition (which is the one I own), "When The Life of Jane Austen first appeared in 1984, it was controversial among those who wished their view of the novelist to remain untroubled...I believe that what seemed to some in 1984 breathtakingly blasphemous and shockingly new may now seem, to those who take an interest in such matters, quite unsurprising. My view of Jane Austen has been, in the last dozen years, pretty thoroughly absorbed into the mainstream critical literature about her. The bovine, well-disposed, sweet-tempered, humanity-loving woman depicted by the family and dear to the heart of the most deranged fringe of the Jane Austen Society could not have written those wise, clever, worldly novels--could she?" Well, of course not, but if this alleged piece of scholarship is supposed to be a true vision of Jane then label me a member of the deranged fringe. This book is mean-spirited at best and just plain wrong at worst. The whiny, bitchy, defensive tone of the excerpt above pretty much continues throughout. I don't think Jane would have written those affectionate, funny, knowing letters to a sister with whom she felt sibling rivalry, as Mr. Halperin claims; I don't think James Austen would have written the touching poem to his dead sister (which still makes me cry) if he felt the intense jealousy of her literary success that Mr. Halperin claims he felt; and I don't think Jane, suffering from the fatigue and pain that marked her fatal illness, would have given up the sofa to her mother every day if she detested her as Mr. Halperin claimed. A critical (perhaps to a fault) opinion is not necessarily a bad thing, but only read this one after you've read all the others and can make an objective judgment of your own.
Henderson, Laura: Jane Austen's Guide to Dating - From the title, one might expect this book to be a chick-lit novel on the order of The Girls' Guide to Hunting and Fishing, or perhaps a tittering sendup of Jane's work such as Pride and Promiscuity, but Lauren Henderson is sincerely earnest in her desire to help modern girls apply the old-fashioned common-sense lessons of Jane Austen's heroines to their modern dating lives. Ms. Henderson shows an admirable knowledge and understanding of Jane Austen's novels, and her analyses of the various relationships are extremely well-done. All six novels are represented, and even Janeites who are happily paired off (or, like Jane herself, happily single) will likely enjoy reading them. We found the book charming and fun; less lightweight and more enjoyable than expected.
Honan, Park: Jane Austen, Her Life - Written in a breezy, chatty style and jam-packed with all kinds of esoteric stuff I've seen nowhere else, I truly enjoyed this biography (also enjoyed meeting Professor Honan at a JASNA meeting in early 2000). Unfortunately the chattiness and esoterica that I so enjoyed also make it a little rambly, but what the heck. It's complete and critical without being mean-spirited, and you get the impression that Professor Honan really enjoys Jane's work and wants to share his knowledge and his extensive (and I do mean extensive) research into all aspects of her life and her family's. If you can only read one Jane Austen biography, this is an excellent choice.
Jenkins, Elizabeth: Jane Austen - This was the first biography of Jane that I read, while an evening student at Penn State's Abington College. I found it in the library, an ancient paperback edition, brown around the edges and falling apart. I didn't understand a lot of it, as I hadn't even read all six of the novels at that point, but realized that Jane Austen was not just a pastor's daughter who never went anywhere or did much but somehow developed this amazing talent. Later, I managed to track down a used copy on the Internet and was delighted to re-read this gem. Miss Jenkins' writing style is lyrical and her critical views of the novels are spot-on. It was first published in 1938 and thus is perhaps not as complete as some of the more recent biographies; nonetheless, it should not be missed.
Jenkyns, Richard: A Fine Brush on Ivory - This slim volume declares itself "an appreciation" of Jane Austen; it is not a biography, not a true critical work, but the musings of an Oxford professor of literature on the work of Jane Austen. He subjects several of the novels to a minute examination, proving that Jane Austen's "bits of ivory" can not only stand up to such close scrutiny but are the better understood for it.
Lane, Maggie: Jane Austen's England - I found this delicious little gem in the library. It covers locations of not only places where Jane lived but of the places in her novels, with information that can greatly increase the reader's enjoyment and understanding. For instance, an in-depth explanation of Blaise Castle really showed me the true depths of John Thorpe's nastiness in dragging Miss Morland away from Da Man to see it by promising her "the oldest castle in England."
Lane, Maggie: Jane Austen's World - A great big book, with tons of beautiful illustrations and pictures, both from the various adaptations of Jane's books and from contemporary sources. It is not an in-depth biography by any means, but offers a wide-ranging overview not only of Jane's life but of the cultural and political forces that shaped her life and her writings. I just adore this book and I'm so glad I bought it.
LeFaye, Deirdre: Jane Austen (The British Library Writers' Lives) - This is a lovely though slim volume, loaded with glossy pictures. There is nothing spectacular or new here, but it is surprisingly complete for such a short book. It is a perfect gift for a new or younger Janeite, and an excellent addition to any Janeite's library.
Odiwe, Jane: Effusions of Fancy - We Janeites tend to be a sentimental lot, even those who like to pretend that they are hard-nosed objective scholars. Every biography of Jane Austen has a chapter on Tom Lefroy and the Mysterious Suitor-by-the-Sea. Let's face it: we like to think that the woman who created timeless couples such as Lizzy and Darcy and Anne and Wentworth had romances of her own. Jane Odiwe is no different. Like many Austen scholars, she was unsatisfied with the perception of Jane Austen as a spinster confined to a country life of little incident. Effusions of Fancy attempts to show that Jane Austen's life was one of active enjoyments. The book is a collection of watercolor fantasies of Jane Austen's young womanhood: traveling, dancing at balls, shopping for fashions and visiting the Pump Room at Bath, writing her novels and spending time with her beloved sister, Cassandra. The paintings are a treat for fans of the period and of Jane Austen.
Southam, Brian: Jane Austen and the Navy - If you are even mildly interested in the naval aspects of Mansfield Park and Persuasion, this book is a must-read. Mr. Southam places Jane Austen's fictional sailors on an historical backdrop, rich with detail about naval politics and patronage. He examines the lives and careers of Jane's sailor brothers and how Jane borrowed from (and improved upon) them in her novels. This is one of the most absorbing books I've read related to Jane Austen.
Tomalin, Claire: Jane Austen, A Life - The biography of choice for many, although not as complete as some. It is definitely the most readable and an excellent choice for one's first Jane biography. However, in the HP's not-so-humble opinion, Ms. Tomalin's critical opinions on the various novels are really out in left field. I actually found them kind of off-putting. But don't let that stop you from reading this otherwise-excellent biography.
Troost, Linda & Greenfield, Sayre, ed.: Jane Austen in Hollywood (First Edition) - A collection of essays about the various film adaptations of Jane Austen's novels. Some of the essays are interesting, some are so scholarly they are nearly incomprehensible. Some are just plain boring. If you're reaaaaalllllly into the movies you might like it, though. P.S. There is a second edition that covers the abomination that is MP2, though I haven't read it myself.
Tucker, George Holbert: Jane Austen, The Woman, Some Biographical Insights - Not really a biography, but a collection of essays on the life and work of Jane Austen. Mr. Tucker's research is meticulous and his theories are well-thought out and well-supported. He's clearly a gentleman scholar of the Chapman/Cecil type, and he presents excellent ideas about Jane's work while leaving the sensational stuff to others. Good reading, and good for our blood pressure as well.
Tucker, George Holbert: A History of Jane Austen's Family - This informative and carefully-researched book is not about Jane Austen, but her family--the ancestors both noble and not; the father who taught her; the mother who passed on her sharp sense of humor; the brothers who shaped her taste; and the sister who first read and criticized her novels. Mr. Tucker is careful to avoid controversial speculation, trusting the reader to draw her own conclusions, a refreshing change in Austenian scholarship.
Watkins, Susan: Jane Austen In Style (previously published as Jane Austen's Town and Country Style) - Not a biography, although there is biographical information; this is more of an overview of Regency style, not just in fashion but in landscape, architecture, interior design, and art. Tons of pictures of real Georgian houses can really help to create the proper impression of the times. A wonderful resource and just a beautiful book that I take down to look at and delight over every so often.
Weldon, Fay: Letters to Alice on first reading Jane Austen - Written in the form of a series of letters to Ms. Weldon's niece, who is reading Jane Austen at university. Life advice is included as well as the sneaking in of some biographical information about Jane and some information on the culture of the time. There is quite a bit of literary criticism, too, about the various novels. A quick, pleasant read, though I disagree with some of Ms. Weldon's literary conclusions (go figure).
Wilson, Kim: Tea With Jane Austen - The title of Tea With Jane Austen conjures up the most delightful fantasy: sitting comfortably by the fire in the breakfast parlor at Chawton Cottage as Jane Austen pours one a cup of steaming, fragrant tea and passes a plate of muffins and jam, then settles in for a cozy chat about Madame d'Arblay's or Mr. Scott's latest production. Kim Wilson takes us back to Jane Austen's time and shows us how the humble cup of tea formed an intrinsic part not only of Jane Austen's life and works but of her society. The book is well-researched and wide-ranging, exploring the history of tea consumption in England and the culture that sprang up around it as well as providing recipes from contemporary books along with versions that can be recreated by modern cooks. Tea was not merely a beverage: it was a sign of social position and of fine hospitality as well. Ms. Wilson has an engaging sense of humor that shows itself continuously, but not uproariously; a true Janeite enjoyment of the ridiculous.
Sequels, Retellings, &c.
An amazingly complete, cross-referenced list of sequels; I am not sure how recent it is or how frequently updated, but seems to be fairly complete through 1999.
Aidan, Pamela: An Assembly Such As This - The first of a trilogy of books purporting to tell Pride and Prejudice from Mr. Darcy's point of view. It is one of the better retellings, though flawed by the authoress' tendency to historical infodumps and a want of copy editing, though we understand the latter has been corrected in later printings. We also wish the authoress had published the trilogy as a single work. However, we don't think the average Darcy fan will be at all put off by our curmudgeonly complaints and will most likely adore this (really quite well-done) book.
Aiden, Pamela: Duty and Desire - In the second volume of the "Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman" trilogy, Darcy struggles with the task of forgetting Elizabeth Bennet's fine eyes, as well as with the task of raising his younger sister. For most of the book the plot makes a great deal of sense, until it takes a sharp turn into Gothic territory. Jane Austen knew that the social interactions of human beings provide sufficient horror for the knowing observer without introducing the supernatural. One hopes that the author will lighten her tone and subject matter in the third volume of the trilogy, in which Darcy's story reconnects to Elizabeth's.
Aiken, Joan: Jane Fairfax - This book is the story of Jane Fairfax's life, before and including the action in Emma. It's not bad, but in my opinion has a bit too much angst for a Jane Austen-based novel. I have read and enjoyed Ms. Aiken's gothic novels in the past, but methinks she may have slipped into Radcliffian mode whilst writing this one. If you like Emma and are interested in Jane Fairfax, it's worth a read. It stands very well on its own, separate from the original, which is a plus.
Aiken, Joan: The Youngest Miss Ward - Did you know that Lady Bertram, Mrs. Norris and Mrs. Price from Mansfield Park—the former Miss Wards—had a younger sister? Neither did we! Harriet Ward is a young lady of a poetical bent who is nonetheless practical. She is shipped around to various relatives, rather like her niece Fanny, until she has an adventure and finds unexpected romance. There is an overabundance of funerals (ladies didn't go to funerals in those days, yet Ms. Aiken had several important plot points occur at funerals) and, while we enjoy a surprise ending as much as anyone, found this one a bit much. Despite all that, and the fact that the book really had very little to do with Mansfield Park, we rather liked it anyway.
Aston, Elizabeth: Mr. Darcy's Daughters (published in Europe as The Way of the World) - Imagine Fitzwilliam Darcy, who had been openly critical of Mr. Bennet's parenting skills, saddled with five headstrong daughters of marriageable age, or close to it. Further imagine that Mr. and Mrs. Darcy have been called to Constantinople on a diplomatic mission, leaving those daughters loose upon the ton under the auspices of a frivolous chaperone, and you have the premise of this novel. It is a pretty good read, with an interesting, complicated, though flawed plot; however, we do not think it is a very good sequel to Pride and Prejudice.
Austen-Leigh, Joan: A Visit to Highbury - A delightful retelling of Emma, in the form of a correspondence between Mrs. Goddard (the schoolmistress) and her sister, just embarked upon her second marriage. Mrs. Goddard (who turns out to be a pretty sharp old broad) has an interesting perspective on the hijinks in Highbury, and Mrs. Pinkney has a story of her own to tell. This added story serves to make the novel instantly more interesting than the majority of changed-perspective retellings, which after all are basically the original all over again. Ms. Austen-Leigh was Jane's great-great-great-great-grandniece and it shows, both in her effortless literary style and her grasp of the original. Highly recommended.
Austen-Leigh, Joan: Later Days at Highbury - A sequel to A Visit to Highbury, not quite as good as the first but still excellent. It's great to revisit the new friends we made in the first book, but if you're looking for the futher adventures of the Knightleys look elsewhere, as Ms. Austen-Leigh herself says in the introduction. Another epistolary novel, it picks up shortly after Mr. Woodhouse's death, about two years after the end of Emma (as Jane herself told her nieces and nephews). Mrs. Goddard has a new crew of silly, ignorant parlour-boarders, and the Pinkneys have a niece from Antigua who is an inmate at that snooty boarding-school that screwed poor Charlotte out of health. Mrs. Pinkney also occasionally hears from Charlotte, and we are even treated to the correspondence of Mrs. Elton and her sister, Mrs. Suckling, which is pretty much as you might expect (and therefore hugely amusing). Another good read, and also recommended; however, you must have read the first to completely understand the stuff going on in Mrs. Pinkney's household.
Aylmer, Janet: Darcy's Story - If (like me) you never thought it was possible to make Pride and Prejudice boring, somehow Ms. Aylmer manages to do it. This is an especially amazing feat considering that ninety percent of the book is lifted directly from the novel. I guess it's boring because you're hoping for something more. However, the story picks up some once Darcy leaves Hertfordshire, and then again when he leaves Kent, and it does have a few great moments. I particularly liked the first proposal, when the only thing he was worried about was whether Lizzy (who stayed home from Lady C's pleading a headache, you'll remember) would be well enough to receive him so he could propose. He had no doubt of his success and "waited confidently for her answer." I sat there snickering behind my hand (even more than usual) when my girl Lizzy shot Ol' Fitz down like a wooden duck at a carnival. In general I thought the pace of the book was a little too fast. We know a lot more about what Lizzy is thinking in P&P than we know what Darcy is thinking in this book. And it's just very DRY. Painfully so. And not in a good way. But if you see it in the library, it's worth a read. I always like to get other people's takes on the different characters and that's more or less what this book is.
Bader, Ted and Marilyn: Desire and Duty - The authors mean well; they used the bits of information that Jane gave her nephews and nieces about the disposition of various characters in P&P, but unfortunately the story that they produced reads like a fan fiction written by a ten-year-old. There is none of the excitement or elegance of the original, and the overbearingly preachy (and entirely twentieth century) religious sensibility, despite the authors' claims, is present in none of Jane's novels. Don't even get me started on the alleged historical research. It's firmly in the Emma Tennant "read-only-as-a-curiosity" category.
Barrett, Julia: Presumption, An Entertainment - Another P&P sequel--it wasn't bad, but it wasn't that great, either. There isn't much in the way of plot, but it is basically unoffensive. It ain't P&P, and it ain't Jane. But then what is? A little more attention to detail and a tighter plot would have made this book a lot better. It had potential, but that potential was unfulfilled.
Barrett, Julia: The Third Sister - A sequel to S&S. Like Presumption, I didn't hate this book, but I had a tough time getting into it. It's better than Presumption, though the plot is still so lightweight that it gets lost in all the fancy language. Speaking of the fancy language, Ms. Barrett needs to dial it back some in the dialogue.
The story is about Margaret Dashwood, of course. The authoress claims that Margaret's creator underestimated her, which is an interesting premise, but I think I would have liked the book better if Margaret had started out as unpromising as Jane indicated and improved as the novel continued. Instead, the young lady is a paragon of Mary Sueian proportions throughout, reportedly having learned wisdom from l'affaire Willoughby. It doesn't make for a very interesting character, or plot. All in all, it was a pretty, fluffy, mildly diverting read, but it left me ultimately dissatisfied.
Barron, Stephanie: Jane and the Unpleasantness at Scargrave Manor - The first of the utterly delightful Jane Austen Mysteries series. In this book we are introduced to the central conceit of the series: that a set of journals kept by Jane Austen have been lately discovered in a Maryland estate previously owned by some relative of Jane's. We are also introduced to Lord Harold Trowbridge, a "gentleman rogue" who interests--and is interested by--our Jane. Lord Harold crops up, even for a single scene, in almost all of the novels, and their friendship intensifies as the series goes on.
In this first book, it is December, 1802, and Jane is visiting her good friend Lady Scargrave, with whom she became acquainted in Bath. Lady Scargrave's husband of three months dies mysteriously, and when she is accused of the murder, Jane sets out to find the truth. Ms. Barron is clearly feeling her way a bit in this one, especially as compared to the later books, but the story hangs together quite well, and if you can ignore the biographical missteps and some other problems such as the proper forms of address to peers, the books is utterly un-putdownable and sent me scrambling to obtain the rest of the series.
Barron, Stephanie: Jane and the Man of the Cloth - It is September, 1804, and Jane, Cassandra, and their parents are on holiday in Lyme Regis, where murder and adventure find Jane once again. She becomes involved with the search for a smuggler known as "The Reverend," who is also considered responsible for two murders. Could the mysterious and very attractive Mr. Geoffrey Sidmouth be The Reverend? And can Mr. Sidmouth be the mysterious Suitor-By-The-Sea of every Jane Austen biography? In some ways, this is my favorite of the series, though most people consider it the weakest. I just dig Sidmouth. LURRRRVE those bad boys!
Barron, Stephanie: Jane and the Wandering Eye - It is December, 1804, and Jane is back in Bath; she attends a masquerade, at which one of the revelers is murdered. Lord Harold's nephew is accused of the crime, and Jane helps him to find the truth while getting mixed up with portrait painters, actors, and other people that a nice parson's daughter has no business being involved with.
Barron, Stephanie: Jane and the Genius of the Place - It is August, 1805, and Jane is visiting her brother Edward and his family at Godmersham. It is a frightening time in Kent, as Napoleon is gathering his troops along the French coast in preparation for an invasion of England. Closer to home, one of Edward's neighbours, a lady of dubious reputation who also happens to be French, is brutally murdered. Edward is the local magistrate, and Jane helps him to investigate the crime.
Barron, Stephanie: Jane and the Stillroom Maid - It is August, 1806. On a visit to Derbyshire, Jane quite literally stumbles across the eviscerated corpse of what appears to be a handsome young man, but which turns out to be a woman in male clothing: a woman who was the stillroom maid at a nearby estate and known as something of a local wise-woman. Jane sets out to solve the mystery of the maid's death and becomes entangled with the extremely dysfunctional Cavendish family at Chatsworth, which is in mourning for Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire. Lord Harold, a close friend of the Cavendishes and the late Duchess, is there as well, and Jane is conflicted about her feelings toward him--and Lord Harold's feelings about Georgiana's daughter, Harriot.
Barron, Stephanie: Jane and the Prisoner of Wool House - A book to warm the cockles of this navy-lover's heart! It is February, 1807, and Jane, Cassandra, and Mrs. Austen have taken a house in Southampton with Captain Francis Austen and his pregnant wife. Frank's good friend, Captain "Lucky Tom" Seagrave, is accused by his first lieutenant of murdering a French captain who had just surrendered to Seagrave. Seagrave will hang from the yardarm unless Jane can prove him innocent. The only drawback was the complete absence of any Lord Harold sightings, but there is a fascinating French surgeon with whom Jane spends some time...ooh la la!
Barron, Stephanie: Jane and the Ghosts of Netley - It is October, 1808; Jane is contemplating a removal from Southampton, along with her mother, sister, and her friend Martha, to a house owned by her brother Edward in Chawton village, when Lord Harold Trowbridge summons her onboard a passing Royal Navy brig and requests her assistance. He asks Jane to keep an eye on a beautiful new neighbour, who might have ties to Napoleon, as port towns and Royal Navy ships are being burnt along the coastline. We were disappointed with this latest entry in the Jane Austen Mysteries, not only by the abrupt and shocking ending (with which we are excessively vexed) but by a greater quantity than usual of the overblown, unbelievably melodramatic dialogue. However, we are curious to see where Ms. Barron takes the series after this.
Barron, Stephanie: Jane and His Lordship's Legacy - As the eighth book in the Jane Austen Mysteries series opens, it is July 1809, and Jane and her mother have arrived in Chawton to take possession of the cottage in which Edward Austen's late bailiff lived. Village sentiment is against the squire's womenfolk displacing the bailiff's widow, and when a corpse is discovered in the cellar within a few hours of their arrival, suspicion falls on several neighbours who have a score to settle with the Austens--or with one another. Despite Lord Harold's absence from this book, he is very much present via excerpts from his papers, which are sometimes shockingly personal. Ms. Barron's knowledge of the political and military history of the time, as well as her background in intelligence work, inform these excerpts and give them a ring of veracity that will fascinate students of the time period.
Berdoll, Linda: The Bar Sinister - This book reads rather as if Bridget Jones and her pals Jude and Shazzer rewound the pond scene from P&P2 a couple of hundred times while getting ripped on Chardonnay and then wrote a hormonally-charged fantasy about Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy, complete with drunken typos. Although I dare say that the BJD girls, being romantics at heart, would have spared us the sticky details; unfortunately, Ms. Berdoll did not. (One word: Ewwww!) I have read the authoress' defensive claims that the book was meant to be tongue-in-cheek, but as satire is is incredibly clumsy and as a sequel to P&P (or P&P2) it is sadly lacking. It doesn't even succeed as a parody of turgid fiction in the Bulwer-Lytton style, though I know a lot of people who thought it was an (inadvertent) howl.
Birchall, Diana: Mrs. Darcy's Dilemma - Five and twenty years after the end of Pride and Prejudice, the master and mistress of Darcy have three children who are embarking upon their own romantic adventures. The writing is very fine, the story not outrageous, but we would have liked to learn more about the children and seen more of their adventures. However, if you are tired of angsty, melodramatic P&P sequels (and who isn't?) you will most likely enjoy this book.
Bonavia-Hunt, D.A.: Pemberley Shades - I downloaded this shortish sequel and started to read it when I was struck with a mighty blow: Mrs. Elizabeth Darcy had given birth to a son! Within a year or so of her marriage! And apparently without any excessive dramatics! Needless to say I was obliged to sit down and have a cool drink to give my feverish brain time to assimilate this idea, which seemed to be in violation of the Code of Behaviour of the Jane Austen Sequel Writers Society. After a few minutes I was able to go back to the novel, which I enjoyed very much indeed. It is lighthearted and fun and the characterization and language is right. At first I was a little jarred by Lizzy's habit of calling her husband "Fitz," but decided that it was part of her master plan to teach him how to be laughed at, and the fact that he continued to put up with it showed that he is learning.
This book is out of print and older editions are prohibitively expensive. Fortunately an enterprising webmaster has provided a download of the novel in violation of pretty much every copyright law in existence, but I would personally rank this as Fair Use. How else would we be able to read it? Click here to go to the download page. Make sure you download the file with the extension .pdf, and yes, you need Adobe Reader to view the file (available for free download at the Adobe site).
Cohen, Paula Marantz: Jane Austen In Boca - This book has the most imaginative setting of the legion of modern pastiches upon Pride and Prejudice: a Jewish retirement community in Boca Raton, Florida. The storytelling lives up to the clever twist of the setting. The authoress happened upon a perfect micro-society, an admirable substitute for Jane Austen's ideal of three or four families in a country village. The amorous adventures of the widowed friends, enlivened by details of life in Boca, makes for a delightful comedy of manners that can be appreciated even by non-Janeites. To anyone familiar with P&P, the plot holds little surprise, but the characters and engaging and multi-dimensional and the book is a lot of fun. It is a perfect beach book, or for a couple of pleasant afternoons by the fire with a cup of tea.
Dawkins, Jane: Letters from Pemberley: The First Year - A pleasant, unoffensive little book. The basic plot is a collection of letters from Lizzy to Jane during the first year of her marriage. Ms. Dawkins brings a lot of familiar characters into the book...doppelgangers for the Dashwoods (named the Norlands!), the Elliots, Lady Russell, the Eltons, and the Knightleys. No Henry Tilney, though, although Lizzy's letters often contain text that is lifted directly from NA. She also uses a few phrases from Jane Austen's letters, which is kind of fun and sound exactly like Lizzy should--yet more proof that Jane created Lizzy at least partly in her own image. It's cute but kind of blah, and is completely missing the restless edginess of Jane's writing in which I take great delight. It's like literary junk food--pleasant enough to consume but an hour later you're hungry again.
Fenton, Kate: Lions and Liquorice - A terrific modern retelling of P&P, without the self-consciousness of PP&JF, and the added twist of gender switching--of ALL the characters! Plus there's another twist in the middle of the story that gives it an added oomph. I truly enjoyed this book and it is one of the very, very few Jane sequels/retellings that is worthy of comparison with the original. HIGHLY recommended.
Fielding, Helen: Bridget Jones's Diary - This book made me late to work for a week straight, both by keeping me up nights reading it and then by keeping me from getting in the car and driving to work because I wanted to read just a little more! I recall at one point laughing so hard I couldn't catch my breath, and tears were spurting from my eyes. It's BLOODY BRILLIANT! I don't know if it really qualifies as a retelling, though, as the plot is very loosely based on P&P. There is a Mr. Darcy, yes, and Colin Firth portrayed him in the film version (thus earning him the permanent label A Helluva Good Sport in the HP's book, though she did not care for the film version overmuch), but Lizzy Bennet was never quite as neurotic as Bridget. But I love ol' Bridge anyway. We modern girls may want to BE Lizzy Bennet, but we more likely ARE Bridget Jones. Don't say what, say pardon!
Fielding, Helen: Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason - Good hearty belly laughs: 72, giggles and snickers: too many to count, hysterical fit where could not stop laughing though could not breathe and tears were spurting from eyes: 1, moments of detesting Mark Bloody Big Shot Barrister Jump To Conclusions Darcy in manner of detesting Frederick Bloody Big Shot Sea Captain Grudge Holder Wentworth in beginning of Persuasion: 2 (v. good), moments spent wondering how Helen Fielding might morph Mark Darcy into Henry Tilney (be still my heart): 2781, new catchphrases picked up: 1 ('Mentionitis'), times tempted to call in sick to work so could continue reading: 4 (v.v. good).
In this continuation of BJD, Ms. Fielding uses elements of Persuasion to illustrate the continuing adventures of Bridget and Mark, though again the plot only bears a passing resemblance to the original (which I have decided is just fine--too close an adherence to the original can become a trifle irritating after a while). A highlight is Bridget's interview of Colin Firth, where our hero (ahem) is proven to be not only A Helluva Good Sport but a v. smart man as well.
Fowler, Karen Joy: The Jane Austen Book Club - This book is a delightful comedy of manners that holds many joys for readers and many more joys for Janeites. Each chapter includes a discussion of one of Jane Austen's novels and a month in the lives of the members of the club, five women and one man. Each chapter also tells the story of the leader of that particular book's discussion, with the entire chapter, past and present, echoing the original novel under discussion in interlocking twists of narration, so subtly that even the well-read Janeite can miss the references if she is not careful. We (in the editorial sense) spent a week delightfully immersed in Ms. Fowler's reimagining of Jane Austen's world, reminded once again why we (in the sense of "all Janeites") still read Jane Austen's novels two centuries after they were written: because they speak to the universal themes that are as relevant and recognizable in the 21st century as they were in the 19th; because a heroine—or a hero—does not have to be a "picture of perfection" to be likable; and because everyone loves a happy ending.
Levine, Laura: This Pen For Hire, "A Jaine Austen Mystery" - A friend passed this on to me without comment, so I wasn't sure what to expect. At first it seemed to be a typical Kensington cozy mystery, light and fluffy and enjoyable but utterly disposable, with nothing much to do with Our Jane. (We are told that the protagonist's mother was an Anglophile who couldn't spell. One presumes the surname was happy coincidence.) It is a fun, pleasant read, though a good editor with a sharp red pencil wouldn't hurt it any. At first, one wondered why the authoress chose her protagonist's name, as Our Jane seemed to have nothing to do with the book other than to provide moments of mild comedy whenever the protagonist meets someone new: the snarky response to an introduction is always, "Love your books." However, alert Janeites should have no problem figuring out whodunit, though perhaps not why. Fun, but not a must-read.
Nathan, Melissa: Pride, Prejudice & Jasmin Field - This book, another modern retelling of P&P, was truly funny but its side-by-side adherence to P&P is a little TOO precious. The characters are appearing in a charity production of a play of P&P, and don't realize that their lives are mirroring the story almost exactly? My disbelief will suspend greatly BUT... I did like it very much and it's hilarious. Jasmin Field is much more of a true Lizzy Bennet than the neurotic Bridget Jones, but I know BJD, BJD is a friend of mine, and PP&F is NO BJD, though it is definitely worth a read.
Nathan, Melissa: Persuading Annie - I love Persuasion, I am constantly inspired by that story, but this modern retelling did not really work for me. It has some funny moments and likeable characters, but misses the creative spark of Edge of Reason. The authoress' endeavours to remain true to the original plot, while understandable and even admirable, sometimes strain reason. I think to translate a Jane Austen plot from the 19th century to the 21st, you have to do a little more surgery than Ms. Nathan seemed willing to do. However, this is a funny, pleasant, and basically inoffensive read.
Ross, Inez: Persuaded: A Great Lakes Story - This modern retelling of Persuasion, set in and around the Great Lakes, unfolds at breakneck speed. The setting is well-evoked, especially the part of the story that takes place on Mackinac Island, which stands in for Bath. The story takes some interesting twists and turns, and has some fun in-jokes for Janeites in general and Persuasionites in particular. However, the breathless pacing does not leave much room for either character or plot development. We never really get to know 'Ann Eliot' on any but the most superficial level, and the mellow, autumnal feel of the original is rarely sensed. It's a pleasant and rather quick read but could stand more of depth and substance.
Shapiro, Juliette: Excessively Diverted - This book reminded me of some of my first attempts at fanfic: bizarre plot twists, a want of historical rectitude, and convoluted, tortured prose that desperately attempted to imitate Jane Austen but failed miserably. The authoress would have been better off publishing this story at the DWG or Bits of Ivory, where it would have gotten a friendly reception. It's not quite ready for prime time, or hard copy publication.
Street, Mary: The Confession of Fitzwilliam Darcy - WAY better than Darcy's Story. Even the title is more interesting. In this changed-perspective retelling of P&P, Darcy is the warm, rather sensitive fellow that we get to know later in P&P. He's sweet as all get out to his sister, and clearly has the hots for Lizzy, while she cruelly ignores him. 
Ms. Street's Darcy is a lot cooler than Ms. Aylmer's Darcy, and a lot more human. Confession is an enjoyable, readable retelling. Note: This book is back in print! Click here for ordering information.
Tennant, Emma: Pemberley - Once I got over the trauma of reading this travesty, I developed a theory about Emma Tennant: she has Literary Pretensions. She takes these nice little books written by the nice little spinster auntie with the nice little happy-ever-after endings and shows us deluded Janeites that it's all just romantic hogwash. Of course Lizzy and Darcy don't have a happy marriage--never mind what Jane Austen had to say about it in the last chapter of P&P! And just to show us how deluded we are, Ms. Tennant doesn't concern herself overmuch with the details of the original novel. They're not important; the ART is what is important. Well, we have only one thing to say to that: Emma honey, take your Literary Pretensions, write 'em on a 3x5 card, and send it to the Department of Who Gives A Rat's Ass. Oh, and leave Jane Austen alone, okay? Because sweetie, you just don't get it.
The only earthly reason to read this book is to render oneself able to diss it knowledgeably with one's fellow Janeites. Please don't buy it. Don't enrich the coffers of the people who produce this garbage. Get it from the library.
White, T.H.: Darkness at Pemberley - Your basic 30s murder mystery, quite enjoyable (but not touching Dorothy L. Sayers). The book has nothing to do with P&P except that much of the action takes place at Pemberley--yes, that Pemberley--and two of the characters are descendants of Elizabeth and Darcy. It is not a typical detective story; indeed, the detective knows whodunit fairly early on. His problem is proving the murderer's guilt, and thwarting the psychopath from ending the Darcy line, permanently. There's not much detection for the reader to do; we are not really given much in the way of advance clues. We simply enjoy the story as it unfolds. Incidentally, I think the current Darcy could find employment today as a movie special effects man...the Hornblower movies could have used his expertise! FIYAH! I don't think this book is in print at present; try interlibrary loan.