My little sister recently gave birth to a baby girl. Because of various reasons, I won’t get to hug her and meet my new niece in the flesh for some time. It’s difficult, because I’m very close to her, but for now we will have to remain apart, at least for a bit. I like [...]
“When first Mr. Bennet had married, economy was held to be perfectly useless, for, of course, they were to have a son. The son was to join in cutting off the entail, as soon as he should be of age, and the widow and younger children would by that means be provided for. Five daughters [...]
The fresh autumn breeze is here, and with it, the beautiful russet colours of the season. Autumn always reminds me of Jane Austen’s Persuasion and poor Anne Elliot. An Autumnal Novel Anne Elliot, at 27, is Austen’s oldest heroine. Not unlike Charlotte Lucas in Price and Prejudice, Anne is considered well past her best, practically a spinster. (These days, nobody [...]
My friend Emma, a fellow Janeite, hinted at something outrageous about Mr Darcy last time I saw her. It was a good three months ago, but her words so struck me that I needed some time to process what she said. It all started with some casual chat about Darcy and Wickham’s dislike for each other. [...]
My sister, a nurse, is dismayed at the sheer amount of false information, medical or otherwise, doing the rounds on social media these days. Not all of it is malicious: a great deal of it is useless as it is harmless. However, blindly following some of the worst advice can be positively dangerous. Of course, [...]
One of the common characteristics in Jane Austen’s novels is the fact that heroes are not always present while the action develops. In all of her works, the leading man is absent, whether for short periods of time or even years, as is the case in Persuasion. Thus, in Pride and Prejudice, Mr Darcy and Elizabeth spend [...]
Every week I spend a minute of unbridled joy answering the quiz sent out by the Jane Austen Centre in Bath. It’s always challenging, even for seasoned Janeites, so I was delighted to get a full 10/10 on the last one. It was about families, and specifically siblings, in Jane Austen's novels. I had never [...]
Jane Austen lived at a time where servants were numerous and pervasive. Most of her characters employ people to run their homes and tend to their needs, and footmen, housekeepers, maids, and manservants are a constant background presence in Austen’s novels. In some cases, Jane Austen mentions servants in passing, to add depth to her [...]
Those following me on social media may have noticed my sudden interest in everything Mansfield Park, from the excellent audiobook version read by Karen Savage to the articles I have been posting on the novel and its characters. The fact is that I'm re-reading Mansfield Park while writing the follow-up to Miss Darcy's Beaux in [...]
Much has been said about the importance that finding the right husband has for Jane Austen's female characters. In her novels, young ladies often strive for the attention of suitable males of marriageable age. It is understood that all girls want to get married, and when they don't, it is because they haven't met the [...]
Eliza Shearer 