Category: Sense and Sensibility
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Edward Ferrars: Love for an Underappreciated Austen Man
Hugh Grant as Edward Ferrars in Sense & Sensibility (1995) Edward suffers from two major problems when it comes to people liking him, I believe. Firstly, Jane Austen does not give him very many lines. He does hilariously make this comment about Marianne: And books!—Thomson, Cowper, Scott—she would buy them all over and over again: she…
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All the World’s A Stage – Sense and Sensibility, the theatre, and a new novel
I am most fortunate to live within an easy drive of one of North America’s best summer theatre festivals, the Stratford Festival in Stratford, Ontario, Canada. We are great theatre fans in this family, and make a point of going to several performances each summer. Sometimes we spend the night, other times we drive there…
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A Resurgence of “St. Jane,” the Never-Ending Reverence to All Things Austen
Literary lovers across the world are celebrating 250 years since the birth of one of England’s most beloved authors. I am doing my part with a June Regency tea at my local library and another program on Austen scheduled closer to her actual birthday in December. When I first started writing Austen variations in 2006,…
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How Much Did Jane Austen Earn From Her Books?
Publishing options in Austen’s day and how much she earned on her books
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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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Quiet Love vs. Romantic Dreams: Comparing Sense & Sensibility and A Civil Contract
When it comes to Regency romances, we love instant chemistry, passionate declarations, and dramatic obstacles overcome. Yet, some of the more realistic love stories involve quiet, steady partnerships built on respect and liking rather than overwhelming passion. In Austen’s Sense & Sensibility, we get this with Colonel Brandon and Marianne Dashwood. I used to be…
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A Match for Margaret Dashwood, part 6
Hello again! I’m back with the final section of my work-in-progress, an epistolary novella with characters from Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey! If you missed the first five parts (or need to refresh your memory about what’s going on), you can read the previous sections here. * * * * * * * * * * *…
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The Perfect Regency Heroine
Over the past few weeks I’ve been busy writing a new novel. I haven’t signed up for the official NaNoWriMo event this time, but I’m staying accountable in a small group with some friends. It’s been a great experience, since we’ve done some brainstorming as well as keeping up our word counts, and it’s a…
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A Match For Margaret Dashwood, part 5
Hello again! I’m back with the next section of my work-in-progress, an epistolary novella with characters from Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, and Northanger Abbey! If you missed the first four parts (or need to refresh your memory on what’s going on), you can read the previous sections here. * * * * * * * *…
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Fresh Thoughts on the 2024 AGM
It is ever so difficult to characterize an annual general meeting (AGM) of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA). There are so many different elements—local tours, specialty events, sometimes a major evening event, the plenary speeches open to all attendees. Multiple breakout sessions go simultaneously for two days so that no one person…