Jane Austen

[Courtenay]

Hope I can say this, but I like one of the (many) authors that has done the Jane Austen book writing spin-off, in this case, written a fictionalised account of Jane Austen‘s life. Her name is Syrie James and I loved the first one I read of hers so much that I contacted the author, and she replied, albeit a brief acknowledgment plus her encouragement to read further books in the series! I have done, and I would definitely re-read these again.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175 ... ane_Austen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

That sounds fascinating, Anne! I think I'll have to give that book a go too. Jane Austen is one of my favourite authors of all time and I've always felt she must have had at least one serious love interest in her life, for her to be able to write about romantic love (and loss) as brilliantly as she does. We'll probably never know the truth, but it's fun to speculate...

Actually, at the moment I'm reading an Austen continuation / rewrite from another character's viewpoint: Mrs Clay, by Dorothea-Sofia Rossellini, imagining the story of Mrs Clay from Persuasion (a relatively minor but intriguing character in the original book). It's very good so far, written rather tongue-in-cheek and not attempting to imitate Jane Austen's style (probably for the best), but lots of fun, if a bit slow-moving. But the author has obviously done her research well and is hinting that there are some secrets to be uncovered — hidden within the original novel but not made known until Mrs Clay's side of the story was revealed — so I'm interested to see what happens as it unfolds.

[Machupicchu14]

I am super excited about having been admitted to course on Jane Austen, it is called "Jane Austen as a Global Author" and deals mainly with P&P, Mansfield Park and Persuasion as her two studied novel while also focusing on what has been writing about her and her literary style, and the her importance as an author in world literature. My love for literature hasn't died so I am doing my best to incorporate literature courses alongside my physics degree, which is something that makes me feel very satisfied with myself! And well, I am over the moon with this course because as you all already know Jane Austen is one of my favorite writers so having this opportunity is a dream come true!

[Jack400]

It's always good to be able to follow ones dreams. Pleased for you, Machupiicchu

[Boodi 2]

That sounds wonderful and I hope it lives up to your expectations, although I am sure it will, so ENJOY studying Jane Austen!

[Courtenay]

I am super excited about having been admitted to course on Jane Austen, it is called "Jane Austen as a Global Author" and deals mainly with P&P, Mansfield Park and Persuasion as her two studied novel while also focusing on what has been writing about her and her literary style, and the her importance as an author in world literature. My love for literature hasn't died so I am doing my best to incorporate literature courses alongside my physics degree, which is something that makes me feel very satisfied with myself! And well, I am over the moon with this course because as you all already know Jane Austen is one of my favorite writers so having this opportunity is a dream come true!

Ooh wow, Maria Esther, I'm super excited for you too — I wish I could be doing that course!!! Those are actually my three favourite Jane Austen novels — Persuasion is my number 1, closely followed by Pride and Prejudice, then Mansfield Park in third place. I'm sure you'll have a fantastic time! And well done for doing literature courses within your physics degree, too. I think that's a great idea!

[Courtenay]

Hope I can say this, but I like one of the (many) authors that has done the Jane Austen book writing spin-off, in this case, written a fictionalised account of Jane Austen‘s life. Her name is Syrie James and I loved the first one I read of hers so much that I contacted the author, and she replied, albeit a brief acknowledgment plus her encouragement to read further books in the series! I have done, and I would definitely re-read these again.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/175 ... ane_Austen" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I just looked back at this thread and realised I'd forgotten to post this at the time — I bought and read The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James last year and I LOVED it! I'm not normally much into fan-fic, but this author has really done her research and written a very believable account (fitting it in with all the definite historical facts, too) of what might have been, if Jane Austen had secretly met the man of her dreams...

I've always felt that from the way Jane writes about romantic love — especially in Persuasion, which just about bowled me over when I first read it (it's still my favourite) — that she surely must have had at least one serious romantic attachment (and heartbreak) in her life, even though there's no hard evidence that she did. I must admit Syrie James's imagined answer to that mystery was so enjoyable to read that I was left wishing it could be true! Definitely recommended to anyone else who loves Jane Austen and a good love story!

[Anne Gracie]

Courtenay, would you read any others by Syrie James? I plan to read the Charlotte Bronte one. I have read the ‘missing manuscript’ and it was very good, but I thought ‘the lost memories’ was the best.

[Kate Mary]

Every so often I feel the need to lose myself in a Jane Austen novel and this time it's Persuasion. It makes a change from all the children's books I usually read. I decided on Persuasion after remembering Kipling's poem which ends:

Jane lies in Winchester, blessed be her shade!
Praise the Lord for making her and her for all she made,
And while the stones of Winchester or Milsom Street remain
Glory, Love and Honour unto England's Jane!

Couldn't agree more.

[Courtenay]

Jane lies in Winchester, blessed be her shade!
Praise the Lord for making her and her for all she made,
And while the stones of Winchester or Milsom Street remain
Glory, Love and Honour unto England's Jane!

Couldn't agree more.

Same with me! Persuasion is my favourite of her books (as I see I mentioned previously) and I hope you're thoroughly enjoying it.

Courtenay, would you read any others by Syrie James? I plan to read the Charlotte Bronte one. I have read the ‘missing manuscript’ and it was very good, but I thought ‘the lost memories’ was the best.

Sorry, Anne Gracie, looks like I missed this when you posted it last year! I haven't looked at anything else by Syrie James and I'm not a big fan of the Brontes, so I probably wouldn't read that one.

I've just had a look at James's website and found she's written another life-of-JA fan fic, Jane Austen's First Love, which could be interesting, but I'm not sure I see a need for it, so to speak. It's pretty well accepted that Jane's real-life "first love" was one Tom Lefroy, nephew of a friend of hers, whom she met and flirted with over a few weeks when she was about 17, but neither of them had any money to bring to the relationship and it didn't last, if indeed it got that serious — it's hard to tell from the few rather tongue-in-cheek comments about him that survive in letters between Jane and her sister Cassandra. And Syrie James, as I mentioned earlier in this discussion, certainly invented a compelling story in The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen, in which Jane meets a young man who truly understands and appreciates her great intelligence and wit and skill as an author, and who soon becomes the love of her life and the inspiration she needs to finish her first two novels and write the later ones. (Though of course, in keeping with real life, they don't marry each other and their relationship is hidden from history, for reasons that it would spoil the story to reveal here. )

I'm a little surprised that the same fan fic author felt the need to invent yet another great romantic interest for Jane, who, in The Lost Memoirs, doesn't mention ever having fallen in love this deeply before — it's heavily implied that her secret lover in that story is THE one and only man she ever truly connected with on that level. And it's a jolly good yarn that, by the end, had me wishing it could be truth and not fiction! I'd rather not mess around with that story by introducing an earlier fictional love interest for Jane, but obviously Syrie James didn't feel that way herself...