And the "P&P Starter Kit" Winner is . . .

This week has been a bit crazy and I keep remembering I need to post the name of the winner of my "Pride and Prejudice Starter Kit" contest while I'm at work. Then I get home and space out!

Finally I've remembered while at home! The winner is . . .

Carly M.!!! I'll be sending the items listed here ASAP, Carly!

-1 new dvd copy of the 2005 film "Pride and Prejudice"
-1 new copy of the novel "Pride and Prejudice"
-3 Regency cards with envelopes & 1 Regency postcard
-1 box of Twinings tea, black tea variety pack
-1 pair of cream colored wristwarmers, hand-knit by me (or a color of your choice, based on what I have on hand)

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Thank you all for entering! I wish I could send the whole thing to all of you (maybe someday)! If you would like to receive a little consolation prize please comment on this post and I will e-mail you!

Cheers! x

Happy 202nd Anniversary, Pride and Prejudice! ---And a Very P&P Giveaway!

Happy 202nd Anniversary to one of my favorite novels, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice! It was published 28 January 1813.

I don't blog very much these days but have been wanting to do a P&P giveaway for awhile. What better day to do it than today?

The Details:
No purchase necessary! This giveaway is sponsored solely by me.

The "starter kit" prize includes these items, pictured below:
-1 new dvd copy of the 2005 film "Pride and Prejudice"
-1 new copy of the novel "Pride and Prejudice"
-3 Regency cards with envelopes & 1 Regency postcard
-1 box of Twinings tea, black tea variety pack
-1 pair of cream colored wristwarmers, hand-knit by me (or a color of your choice, based on what I have on hand)

There are several ways to enter, some which can be done daily, which you can check off in the Rafflecopter box below (or else you won't be entered):
-Leave a comment on this blog post
-Visit my Etsy store Facebook page
-Tweet a link to this blog post
-Pick a favorite item in my Etsy store (you don't even have to buy anything!)
-Follow me on Twitter (if you want, not mandatory)
-Share this post on some social media site

The contest runs today through midnight PST, Friday, 30 January 2015 (actually, 11:59pm PST Friday). The winner will be chosen randomly with Rafflecopter, be contacted via e-mail, and (hopefully) announced Saturday, 31 January 2015! If the winner does not respond within a reasonable amount of time I will choose another winner---unless I decide to wait to announce, which wouldn't be so much fun. ;)

 The winner will need to provide me with a mailing address (which will be kept confidential) so I can send you your prize. Contest open to US residents only, please. (Sorry and thank you!) I might make an exception for Canada!

Enter below! a Rafflecopter giveaway

Happy Netherfield Ball Day!!

Happy Netherfield Ball Day!!

"We have not met since the 26th of November, when we were all dancing together at Netherfield."
~Jane Austen, "Pride and Prejudice"

191 Years Ago

On this date, 18 July, 1817, the great Jane Austen died. She was only 41 years old. Celebrate her life by reading one of her brilliant novels!

Pride and Prejudice
Persuasion
Sense and Sensibility
Emma
Northanger Abbey
Mansfield Park



More links about Jane's life, work, and the times:

The Jane Austen Centre in Bath
Jane Austen Society of North America
Austen.com
Jane Austen E-Texts
Bibliomania: Austen E-Texts
Jane Austen's House
Republic of Pemberley
Finding Jane Austen

Austen-tatious
Jane Austen's World
Jane Austen Today
Jane Austen Quote of the Day
AustenBlog

Portrait of Tom LeFroy for Sale!

If you don't know who Tom LeFroy was, then don't pay attention to the recent film Becoming Jane, which manufactured a huge romance between our beloved Jane Austen and Tom. It is true that Jane and Tom enjoyed a mild fliration over a couple of weeks, but there is really no evidence that it was anything serious or that Tom proposed.

Anyway, a miniature portrait of Mr. LeFroy is for sale:

This week, a rare miniature portrait of the man who some believe may have provided the inspiration for him is going on sale.

One of only two paintings known to exist of Thomas Langlois Lefroy, a 20-year-old law student who met Jane Austen while he was visiting his aunt and uncle in Hampshire, it shows an attractive and sensitive-looking young man dressed in a blue velvet jacket and white cravat. An original watercolour by George Engleheart, it was painted in 1798and is going on sale for £50,000.
[. . .]
The watercolour, which is painted on ivory and measures just 3 inches by 1 ¼ inches, is on display at the Grosvenor House Art and Antiques Fair, at Park Lane in London, from Thursday. It is by Engleheart, the great English miniaturist, and the only one which is dated and signed with the artist's distinctive cursive E. The other portrait remains in the hands of Lefroy's descendants.

Wasn't he a handsome young man?

I think it is utterly absurd to say that Jane Austen could only have "imagined" the character of Mr. Darcy if she had indulged in her own romance. That sells her intellect short and does her such disservice. She was a brilliant woman, capable of coming up with ideas without experiencing them herself.

Book Review: Emma & Knightley

When Emma and Knightley marry at the end of Jane Austen's Emma, Emma is a very young 21 or 22 years old. While she has been mistress of her father's house for a number of years, she has never had to balance her role as a daughter caring for her (hypochondriac) father with her new role as Mr. Knightley's wife. I for one always wondered how their relationship continued to develop after the close of Austen's novel.

Fortunately for us, Rachel Billington's novel Emma & Knightley: Perfect Happiness in Highbury: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Emma brings the reader into Emma and Knightley's life after their marriage.

As is usual, I am sure, the Knightleys have their little difficulties adjusting to married life. Knightley has agreed to live to live at Hartfield, rather than his home of Donwell Abbey, so that Mr. Woodhouse will not be disturbed too much. Emma is trying to figure out how to relate to Knightley as her husband, rather than the beloved older neighbor. And he is trying, as always, to help Emma continue to grow into a well-rounded, thoughtful lady, and to help her see him as the love of her life, not just a loving familiar face.

Their lives are further complicated by the difficulties of those around them. Mrs. Bates has died, leaving poor Miss Bates alone. Jane Fairfax Churchill dies, leaving a bereaved (and half-mad) Frank Churchill with a newborn. Knightley's brother John has major financial difficulties, which they hide, for a time, from Emma's sister Isabella. And, it seems as if every couple is having children, except the Knightleys.

I confess, while I love Emma, it is probably my least favorite of Jane Austen's novels, partly because Emma does not seem to grow as much as a person as the other Austen heroines do. That's why I am delighted that Billington did such an excellent job on Emma & Knightley. Her novel continues Emma's growth as a human being and a woman, rather than a girl, and shows how the Knightleys figure out how to relate to eachother as spouses and settle into their marriage.

Billington also did a good job continuing the secondary characters Austen wrote. The Westons are lovely and, naturally, expanding their family. Miss Bates is her usual chatty self, but ends up providing perfect companionship for Mr. Woodhouse. Frank Churchill is a selfish cad and causes Emma difficulties. Billington also introduces new characters, including Mrs. Philomena Tidmarsh, who challenges some of Emma's ideas.

I was also happy with the fact that Billington did not try to change the characters or make them behave in ways inconsistent with their Austen-written characters. The plot was well-developed and satisfying.

Emma & Knightley is a delightful continuation of a beloved book. I recommend it for any Austen fan and anyone interested in following the development of Emma and Knightley's marriage. You can find it at any bookstore or through Amazon.com.

Book Information: Emma & Knightley: Perfect Happiness in Highbury: A Sequel to Jane Austen's Emma by Rachel Billington (Sourcebooks Landmark; ISBN: 1-4022-1207-0; $14.95; 368 pages; paperback)

Book Review: The Darcys Give A Ball

Elizabeth Newark's novel The Darcys Give a Ball is subtitled "A gentle joke, Jane Austen style" and it is an amusing little continuation of Jane Austen's novels. While the title focuses on the Darcys (I love the Darcys), the book largely concerns the Collins and their interactions with the Darcys.

As the back of the book says,

Whatever will Mr. Darcy say . . . when his second son falls in love with Mr. Collins's daughter; his first-born, Juliet, is almost lured into an elopement; and Georgiana's timid daughter Lucy becomes the new target of Miss Caroline Bingley's meddling?

The book is divided into a prologue and 13 chapters of varying lengths, each beginning with an appropriate Jane Austen quote. The first three chapters are sort of visits, by the reader, to Hunsford Parsonage, Longbourn, and Pemeberley. At each place, the reader learns how the lives of the inhabitants have spent the last 25 or so years, their children, thier occupations, and their plans.

Mrs. Darcy and Mrs. Bingley decide to hold a ball at Pemberley, now that their children have reached marrying age. They invite all sorts of characters from other Jane Austen novels (and some of their children) to attend: Brandons, Wentworths, Bertrams, Knightleys, Elliots, Churchills, and more. Miss Caroline Bingley is still trying to make matches. Various young people are meeting and falling in love (to the dismay or happiness of their parents). Much of the first half of the book is dedicated to preparing for and arriving at the ball. The second half of the book takes place at Pemberley and at the ball, where lots of things are happening. It was very interesting to see all the characters again, meet their children, and see which characters would pair up.

The Darcys Give a Ball is a pleasant book and a very quick read. It was enjoyable to "see" many of the familiar JA characters again and "meet" their children. As usual, any number of the children from different novels pair up by the end of the book. Most of the characters remain true to form. Elizabeth Darcy is a rather more snobbish than I would expect her to be, but mellows by the end of the novel. Mr. Darcy, however, is exactly as I would expect him to be after 20+ years of marriage to Elizabeth: a very wonderful man who, though very rich and high in the world, knows how to make everyone feel welcome.

I enjoyed reading The Darcys Give a Ball. Although it wasn't exactly as I would expect Pemberley and my favorite characters to be after years and years, I was happy to read it as "a gentle joke, Jane Austen style," and laugh at and with the characters. If you can't get enough JA adaptations, I recommend you pick up a copy of The Darcys Give a Ball by Elizabeth Newark. It is in stores now.

Book Information: The Darcys Give a Ball by Elizabeth Newark (Sourcebooks Landmark; ISBN: 1-4022-1131-7; $12.95; 176 pages; paperback)

Jane Austen, Head Writer

This short essay wonders about what it would be like If Jane Austen Wrote The Office.

Very interesting!

Book Review: The Watsons and Emma Watson

A whole new round of Jane Austen-inspired books is coming out this spring, beginning, for me, with a fragment written by Jane Austen and taken in a new direction and "completed" by Joan Aiken, The Watsons and Emma Watson.

According to the Republic of Pemberley website, The Watsons,

was written by Jane Austen about 1803-1805, but was not published until 1871, as part of James Edward Austen-Leigh's Memoir (Jane Austen had left it untitled; the title "The Watsons" was provided by Austen-Leigh). It describes Emma Watson's return, after a long absence, to her family, who are on the lower financial fringes of the "genteel". She attracts the interest of a nobleman (and according to tradition in Jane Austen's family, she was later to receive and refuse an offer of marriage from him, and marry a clergyman). It is not clear why Jane Austen did not continue this fragment . . .

Though the fragment and Aiken's story are contained in one edition, I will "split" them briefly to write about Austen's story and probably spend more time explaining the characters in The Watsons, as they are also used in Emma Watson.

I confess: I had not read The Watsons before reading this edition and Aiken's take on it. It felt very odd to be reading something of Jane Austen's that was not as dear and familiar to me as the six completed novels are.

The Watsons begins with Emma Watson, newly returned to her family home, after living with a beloved aunt for 14 years, and being taken by her eldest sister Elizabeth to a nearby village, where she will stay the night with the Edwards family and attend her first ball. Emma's family is rather poor, her father is often ill, and she doesn't really know any of them, brothers Robert and Sam or sisters Elizabeth, Penelope, and Margaret. After the death of her mother, Emma had been sent to live with an aunt, who taught her fine manners and appreciation for nicer things.

As they travel to the ball, Elizabeth tells Emma about their sisters and some of the people she will undoubtedly be meeting at the ball, including the dashing and (possibly) dangerous Tom Musgrave who is "a young man of very good fortune, quite independent, and remarkably agreeable, a universal favourite wherever he goes. Most of the girls hereabouts are in love with him, or have been" (2). Apparently their sister Penelope was hoping he would look her way, but she's a bit troublesome (having encouraged Elizabeth's love to marry elsewhere in the past). Elizabeth hopes Tom dances with Emma, but does not want Emma to fall for him. Also mentioned are the Edwards, whose daughter Sam Watson is hoping to marry, but who might prefer a Captain Hunter; Lord Osborne, his mother, Lady Osborne, his sister, Miss Osborne, and their party, which Emma later learns includes a Mr. Howard, former tutor to Lord Osborne and a clergyman, his sister, Mrs. Blake, and one of her sons, Charles, who is about ten.

At the ball, Emma meets many people, dances, and is admired by the gentlemen. At one point, she shows kindness by dancing with little Charles Blake, when Miss Osborne, who had promised to dance with him goes off with another partner. Emma instantly wins the gratitude of Mrs. Blake, her brother, and the attention of Lord Osborne and Tom Musgrave.

Much of the rest of The Watsons entails Emma's interactions with these characters and her family. Her eldest brother Robert, who is quite stuffy, and his wife Jane (who reminds one of a cross between Fanny Ferrars from S&S and Mrs. Elton from Emma), come for a visit, bringing another sister, Margaret, who appears friendly but is really very petty, dislikes Emma's fine manners (though Emma does not put on airs), and hopes Tom Musgrave will fall in love with her.

The novel fragment ends with Robert and Jane wanting Emma to come for a visit, but Emma would rather stay with her poor father, who is nearing his end.

The Watsons, obviously, cuts off very abruptly, but fortunately for us, Emma Watson by Joan Aiken begins where Jane Austen left off and imagines the fates of Jane's characters. There are many twists and turns, loves and deaths. Emma begins to know her siblings better (which is not always a good thing). Emma becomes friends with Mrs. Blake and has a bit of a crush on Mr. Howard, who might become engaged to Lady Osborne. Her trying sister Penelope shows up married to an older man named Dr. Harding, who is rich, and buys a big local house, which first must be remodeled. This leads to Emma meeting a Captain Fremantle, with whom she feels an instant connection. Tragedy strikes when Emma's father dies. Emma and Elizabeth, who have no income, are to be parceled off to live with their siblings.

The story ends tidily with reunions, marriages, and just rewards. I was quite glad to read it after reading The Watsons because that fragment had no ending. Really, one hardly gets into the story before it abruptly stops. If I hadn't been able to read Emma Watson I would have been quite unsatisified. Aiken did an excellent job of taking Jane Austen's characters and developing them more fully, as characters are often developed in full-length novels. I did not like every twist and turn Aiken introduced, but I was happy with Emma's ending. She deserved nothing less.

I recommend The Watsons and Emma Watson to any Jane Austen fan or anyone who likes an interesting story. It is in bookstores now (and indeed, I saw a copy or two in one last week!) or at Amazon.com. If you read it, do come back and tell us how you liked it!

Book Information: The Watsons and Emma Watson by Jane Austen and Joan Aiken (Sourcebooks Landmark; ISBN: 1-2033-1229-1; $14.95; 256 pages; paperback)

Josh Groban as Mr. Darcy!?!?

In my dreams! :) Over at one of my favorite blogs, Jane Austen Today, Ms. Place is having another fantastic contest: a Pride and Prejudice Musical Contest. This one is so clever and exciting!

Here is how to enter:

I have put together my ideal Pride and Prejudice musical cast. You can disagree with my choices. Just leave a comment suggesting other singer/s and in which role they should sing. You may make as many suggestions as you like, but all your nominees must be singers. At the end of two weeks (March 29), I shall place the names of everyone who left a suggestion in a hat and draw the winner.

Ms. Place has chosen my favorite, Josh Groban, as my favorite, Mr. Darcy, and Emmy Rossum, who was fabulous in The Phantom of the Opera, as Lizzie Bennet. Oh, and gorgeous Gerard Butler as Mr. Wickham! I can't argue with any of those choices! Use the above link to read the rest of Ms. Place's musical cast and enter your own! I know I plan to do so.

The winner gets a cd copy of "Pride and Prejudice, the Musical" by Rita Abrams and Josie Brown. You can listen to clips by visiting Ms. Place's post for the links.

I will post my cast here and in the comments on Ms. Place's post after I have thought about it for awhile.

Good luck!

Josh Groban as Mr. Darcy?!?! Oh la la!

Vote for the Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen!

The other day I mentioned the Jane Austen's Regency World Awards! Don't forget to vote. You have until 10 May.

I would highly recommend (reading!) voting for The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen. I got the opportunity to read it in November and give away 2 copies on this blog. It was absolutely fantastic (you can read my review here.).

Vote in the "Jane Austen's Regency World" Awards!

The Jane Austen Centre in Bath is holding the first annual "Jane Austen's Regency World" Awards! You can vote (only once) here!

Here is some of the information:

The Awards are to recognise the contribution of the nominees in furthering the understanding, appreciation and enjoyment of the work of Jane Austen.

[ . . .]

Voting will continue up to the 10th of May after which time the link will be closed.

There are seven awards and the winners will be announced and awards presented at a black tie dinner event at the Hilton Hotel in Bath on 15th May 2008.

If you would like to attend the event, a limited number of tickets are available for purchase from the Jane Austen Centre online giftshop. http://giftshop.janeausten.co.uk

What fun! I am looking forward to seeing the winners!

Time for Tea

I just came across this lovely little article on having a proper tea time. If you enjoy tea or want to have a tea, you will find some excellent tips and recipes, as well as a bit of history on tea in England.

Here is an excerpt.

PennLive.com: Tea time---

With English author Jane Austen undergoing a popularity boom through feature films and a PBS series, it's an opportune time to consider what just might have been her favorite beverage: tea.

In Austen's novels, being invited to stay for tea was a symbol of social acceptance. And while more than one romantic intrigue deepened over the rim of the teacup, affairs of the heart were always tempered with practicality -- just like afternoon tea.

I think having tea every day around 4pm is a delightful custom and one I would gladly take up. It provides a delicious little moment where one can relax and let the stress of the day fall away before beginning to prepare dinner. Plus, its tea!

Becoming Jane Icon Winners!

The winners of the Becoming Jane Icon Contest have been posted at at Jane Austen Today. Go wish them congratulations!

Vote for your Favorite Becoming Jane Icons!

Ms. Place has opened up voting in the Becoming Jane Icon Contest! Click Jane Austen Today to view the icons and place your vote! The voting period runs through midnight, Wednesday, 5 March.

Becoming Jane Icon Contest!

Over at the fabulous Jane Austen Today, Ms. Place and Laurel Ann are having a Becoming Jane Icon Contest!

All you have to do is create a "Becoming Jane" icon of Jane or Tom (or one of each). Each person can enter two icons in the contest.

The two winners will each receive a copy of the film Becoming Jane (I still haven't seen it!).

You can find all the information and enter at Jane Austen Today.

The contest runs through 27 February. Starting 28 February, Jane Austen Today readers will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite icons.

Good luck!
Icon by Ms. Place

And the Winner Is . . .!

Congratulations to Denise, the winner of my little Jane Austen Contest to celebrate the kick-off of PBS' The Complete Jane Austen Season. I pulled Denise's name randomly out of my blue English teapot and she wins a copy of the 1995 Sense & Sensibility starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet (not a PBS version!) and some loose leaf English Evening tea, and some other little things.

Congratulations, Denise! Please send your address and e-mail to me at TheLadyJane@gmail.com! I will be sending your prize this week. :)

(Sorry, the prize doesn't include my Union Jack Bag! :) lol)
Thank you to Kimba, Lizzie, Karen in Maryland, Luthien84, Susan, and Elizabeth who all visited and entered! I appreciate all your visits and comments! Come back soon for another contest!

Jane Austen: Spokane Style!

I was just reading our local paper and came across this in The Slice, a local column by Paul Turner full of little quips, reader anecdotes, questions, and odd tidbits (the link requires registration):

Reader challenge: Make up a book title that sounds like the name of a Jane Austen novel but is actually inspired by life in Spokane.

What an excellent notion! I will have to think about it. Any ideas about where you live?

And don't forget to enter my Jane Austen Contest!

New Jane Austen Contest!

In honor of the beginning of PBS' The Complete Jane Austen Season, I thought I would have a little JA Contest!

The prize is a copy of the 1995 Sense & Sensibility starring Emma Thompson and Kate Winslet (not a PBS version!) and some loose leaf English Evening tea, and possibly some other little things. (I'll post a picture in the next few days).

Here are the rules:

• Write a comment on this post by 9pm pst Monday, 21 January 2008.
• Your comment can be about anything related to Jane Austen.
• I will randomly pick a name out of my blue English teapot Monday night and post the winner.

That's it! Good luck!

Jane Austen Season Begins Tonight!

PBS' The Complete Jane Austen Season begins tonight with a new version of one of my top two JA novels, Persuasion. Use the website above to find what time it airs in your area. You will also find a discussion board, a book & film club, learning resources, a biography, and more.

Over at Jane Austen Today, Ms. Place and Laurel Ann have posted tonight's cast of characters here and here.

Plus, more coverage at AustenBlog.