Category: Community
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Holiday Musings
Though the posting cycle shoots me past Austen’s birthday and Christmas, it is still a time of holiday reflections. Let us begin with the seemingly Grinch-like rejection of the following “Pride and Prejudice” holiday wishes, which we occasionally see on Austen-themed cards and knickknacks: “I sincerely hope your Christmas … may abound in the gaieties…
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Haud Hogmanay! Lang May Yer Lum Reek!
The celebration of the New Year is one of humanity’s oldest and most universal traditions, rooted in ancient customs and cultural practices. But everyone does it a little bit differently. Here’s a short overview of the unique and lovely Scottish new years tradition of Hogmanay.
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Decorating for the Holidays, Regency Style
As the season in which it is traditional to gather with family and friends continues, I cannot help but reflect on the similarities in decorations in the many countries where I have spent some or all of the season. From evergreen, faux, or real, to twinkling lights and windows decorated to look like a wrapped…
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Giving Thanks with Austen
With Thanksgiving just past–and passed with family–I revisit the holiday and examine the extent of the formal giving of thanks in Jane Austen’s work. The November U.S. holiday has spread to most of the Americas. The English have a more general harvest-related tradition of providing bread and other food to the poor, often through the…
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A much needed boost.
Hi everyone. Hope you are all well. I can’t believe that it is near the middle of November. My grandmother always said that when you are a kid, time can’t go by fast enough. When we are older, time goes by way too fast. In trying to decide what I should write about, I would…
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Regency Thrills and Chills
My two favorite holidays are Thanksgiving, for family and American-style football, and Halloween. The first has never caused another to even blink in surprise; the latter has caused more than one arched brow of consternation, given that I’m a wuss of the highest order. While none can convince me that IT is not waiting for…
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1995 vs. 2005 – An Unacademic Analysis
The author explores the divided fanbases of the 1995 and 2005 adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, emphasizing their distinct approaches: the former as a faithful historical docu-drama and the latter as an emotional romantic comedy. The piece examines social media polarization, audience demographics, and celebrates diverse interpretations of Austen’s work.
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North and South at Times Wanders Off Course
Elizabeth Gaskell’s North and South is often described as an “industrial” Pride and Prejudice. Written a half-century after Jane Austen’s novel, Gaskell’s book features an intelligent, independent woman and a self-made man so confident he makes Darcy look indecisive. The protagonists clash every time they meet but are also attracted to the intellect and spirit…
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From Pall Mall to Shin-Kicking: Regency Sports Not in the Olympics
Are you enjoying the Olympics, or are you one of those people who changes the channel whenever you hear that majestic theme song start? Whether you’re an avid fan or a couldn’t-care-less, there’s no doubt that the Olympics are a high profile event that get a lot of attention whenever they are held. The Olympics…
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Book Borrowing During the Regency
I cannot think of a time when I did not have books tucked into the cubby on my headboard, eventually accompanied by a Walkman. I had a shelf full of books to reread beside a small desk I bought with babysitting money. It was not long before the works of Stephen King, Anne Rice, and…