By Brenda S. Cox “We are all trying to make our way in the world. Some of us are guided by what we think of ourselves, others by what others think of us.”—Elinor, in the new Hallmark adaptation of Sense and Sensibility Most Janeites would agree that Jane Austen’s novels are “practically perfect in every way.” And for some people, that’s enough. We can just keep re-reading the novels, seeing new aspects and messages each time. And we read nonfiction that tells us more about Austen, her world, and her writings from new angles. Novels However, Austen only wrote six full novels (unless you count ..read more

A Review by Brenda S. Cox The idea suddenly came to Mrs. Breckyn Wood that JASNA needed a podcast. Breckyn says, “My main goal is to attract a whole new generation of JASNA members–younger Jane Austen fans who maybe have read a book or two or seen one of the adaptations, but who didn’t know there was a whole organization dedicated to Austen. I had already been to a few meetings of my local Georgia Region and was blown away by the talent and intelligence of its members, so I knew JASNA would have a huge pool of potential podcast guests from which to draw.” Being a young lady of ingenuity ..read more

Book Review by Brenda S. Cox “I can wait in silence no longer. . . . I am trapped between agony and hope.”—For Darkness Shows the Stars, by Diana Peterfreund In a post-apocalyptic society, far in the future, a girl named Elliot North is one of the Luddites, descendants of those who survived the technological destruction of the world. Elliot’s father, a spendthrift baron, runs his estate poorly, while Elliot’s sister focuses only on appearances. Kai is the son of one of their workers. Genetic experimentation led to most of mankind becoming “Reduced,” with limited intelligence and speech capac ..read more

Book Review by Brenda S. Cox “Walking in a maze mirrors life’s twists and turns and dead ends. Perhaps that is why humans enjoy the experience so much.” “Indeed. Although in a maze, you can retrace your steps and find the correct way. In real life, one wrong turn can have serious consequences.”–The Lord and the Lady Astronomer by Alissa Baxter I just finished a series of three delightful novels, the Grantham Girls by Alissa Baxter. I love it when I get to learn more about science in the Regency period and enjoy a good story at the same time. Minor strands of faith and the church are woven in ..read more

by Brenda S. Cox Last week we honed in on the chapel at Stoneleigh Abbey, which no doubt at least influenced  Austen’s picture of the chapel at Sotherton in Mansfield Park. The whole abbey, of course, is amazing.  Stoneleigh Abbey library, replenished by the Adlestrop branch of the family after the fifth Lord Leigh, Edward, bequeathed most of his library to his college at Oxford (before he went mad, see other posts for his story). Wouldn’t you love to hang out here and read the books? Much of the Abbey was destroyed by fire in 1960, though most of the contents were saved. A huge rest ..read more

by Brenda S. Cox “Now,” said Mrs. Rushworth, “we are coming to the chapel, which properly we ought to enter from above, and look down upon; but as we are quite among friends, I will take you in this way, if you will excuse me.”–Mansfield Park, chapter 9 I have wanted to see the chapel at Stoneleigh Abbey ever since I learned that it was probably the model for the Sotherton chapel in Mansfield Park. A key scene takes place there, where Mary Crawford shows her disdain for the clergy, then discovers that Edmund Bertram plans to become a clergyman. Jane Austen visited Stoneleigh Abbey in 1806 wi ..read more

By Brenda S. Cox If Edward might be judged from the ready discharge of his duties in every particular, from an increasing attachment to his wife and his home, and from the regular cheerfulness of his spirits, he might be supposed no less contented with his lot . . .”–Sense and Sensibility, chapter 50 Jane Austen often wrote about clergymen. We think of foolish Mr. Collins of Pride and Prejudice, honorable Edward Ferrars of Sense and Sensibility, ambitious Mr. Elton of Emma, upright Edmund Bertram of Mansfield Park, witty Henry Tilney of Northanger Abbey, and earnest Charles Hayter of Persuas ..read more

Book Review by Brenda S. Cox “They did not understand Margaret’s fascination with all things alive, all things in motion — the vagaries of breeze and brook, rainclouds swimming across the sky, all of Nature’s animate secrets.”—A Life of Her Own Margaret Dashwood plays a minor part in Austen’s Sense and Sensibility. Austen writes, “Margaret, the other sister, was a good-humored, well-disposed girl; but as she had already imbibed a good deal of Marianne’s romance, without having much of her sense, she did not, at thirteen, bid fair to equal her sisters at a more advanced period of life.” In movi ..read more

By Brenda S. Cox The sycamore, capricious in attire,    Now green, now tawny, and ere autumn yet   Have changed the woods, in scarlet honours bright.—William Cowper, The Task, Book I The Seasons and Austen and Cowper I lived in the desert for many years. Sometimes it was warmer, sometimes it was cooler, sometimes there was rain, mostly there was sunshine. Now that I’m living in Georgia once again, I love the seasons. I delight in the changing array of flowers throughout the year. The trees are bare, then lovely shades of green, and now they are changing to red and yellow ..read more

By Brenda S. Cox Jane Austen, when questioned about whether her characters were based on real people, “expressed a dread of what she called such an ‘invasion of social proprieties’. She said that she thought it quite fair to note peculiarities and weaknesses, but that it was her desire to create, not to reproduce; ‘besides,’ she added, ‘I am too proud of my gentlemen to admit that they were only Mr A. or Colonel B.’”—A Memoir of Jane Austen, by James Edward Austen-Leigh, chapter 10 Do you ever wonder where Jane Austen got her story ideas? Her characters and plots weren’t copied directly from ..read more