Austenesque Novels: How Jane Austen Inspired a Whole New Book Genre
Hi Meredith, thanks again for hosting me during my Grand Tour of the blogosphere in celebration of the release of my new Austen-inspired anthology, Jane Austen Made Me Do It. The anthology contains twenty-two stories in the Austenesque genre. Since your blog is devoted solely to this style of writing, I thought it quite appropriate to blog today about why we just can’t get enough of Jane Austen’s characters and stories, and how she has inspired a whole new book genre.
2011 marks the bicentenary of the publication of Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen’s first published novel. Three more novels would follow in her lifetime: Pride and Prejudice in 1813, Mansfield Park in 1814, and Emma in 1815. Her two final novels: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion would be published posthumously in 1817. Six major works, some juvenilia, her minor works & personal correspondence is all that remain of this beloved author who died in 1817 at age forty-one. Compared to Shakespeare, Dickens, Twain, or just about any other classic author who have dozens of books in print, six novels is just not enough for those who want to re-visit her world.
Jane Austen’s style also leaves us wanting more. Some have criticized her for not writing about Regency history or culture in more detail in her novels, but I feel it actually works in her favor. So did her contemporary novelist, Sir Walter Scott:
“READ again, and for the third time at least, Miss Austen’s very finely written novel of Pride and Prejudice. That young lady has a talent for describing the involvements and feelings and characters of ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful I ever met with. The big bow-wow strain I can do myself like any now going; but the exquisite touch, which renders ordinary commonplace things and characters interesting, from the truth of the description and the sentiment, is denied to me.—From The Journal of Sir Walter Scott, March, 1826.
Scott, who wrote big sweeping historical novels still appreciated Jane Austen’s intimate take on “three or four families in a country village.” I think that in retrospect, most of her readers through the centuries appreciate that quality too. Leaving all the descriptive elements to one’s imagination challenges our intelligence. In addition, she also excelled at building romantic tension, focused on dialogue to move her narrative along, choose language like it was poetry, one word at a time, and added enough tongue and cheek humor to give Society a backhanded slap and not realize it at first glance. Ha! That is powerful arsenal for any author. But in Jane Austen’s skillful hands, it is Incomparable!
Since her nieces Anna Austen Lefroy and Catherine-Anne Hubback attempted to write continuations of her stories in the mid-eighteen hundreds, other writers have been also been inspired to take us back into her world or place us in a contemporary setting influenced by her philosophies and ideals. No one could possibly match her wit, style and beautiful language, and happily that is not what most Austenesque authors who have chosen to write the many prequels, sequels, retellings, continuations and inspired by her novels attempt to do. As the editor of Jane Austen Made Me Do It, I was responsible to encouraging my twenty-four authors to write stories within the concept that my publisher and I visualized for the anthology. I chose to take a lighter approach that Jane Austen might approve of. Like Austen, I began by narrowing my focus (two or three families in a country village) and hand selected my authors, and then gave them my trust with an open reign (leaving all the descriptive elements to one’s imagination).
Jane Austen Made Me Do It: Original Stories Inspired by Literature’s Most Astute Observer of the Human Heart, edited by Laurel Ann Nattress
Ballantine Books • ISBN: 978-0345524966
Giveaway of Jane Austen Made Me Do It
Enter a chance to win ONE copy of Jane Austen Made Me Do It by leaving a comment by October 21st, stating which of the 22 short stories are you most excited about reading. Story blurbs can be found on the Jane Austen Made Me Do It website, at THIS LINK.
The winner will be drawn at random and announced on October 22nd. Shipment to US and Canadian addresses only. Good luck to all!
Thank you, Laurel Ann for stopping by Austenesque Reviews, we heartily wish a fantastic new release with Jane Austen Made Me Do It!!!
I really appreciated this in-depth posting of how Jane Austen has kept up her universal appeal. The Sir Walter Scott quote was nice (incidentally, I adore Ivanhoe).
I have four stories that I’m interested in: ‘Waiting’ and ‘Heard of You’ because I adore Persuasion, ‘What Would Austen Do?’ out of curiosity, and ‘Jane and the Gentleman Rogue’ because I love that author’s made up hero. To be honest, I can’t imagine not enjoying the whole book.
Thanks for the opportunity for a give away and Congrats on the Release of this treasure chest of stories.
This was a great post! I can’t wait to read this anthology–there’s a bunch of stories I’m looking forward to, but I think “The Riding Habit” is at the top. I love stories about Elizabeth and Darcy after they’re married…
Thanks again for such a great post!
Laurel Ann: I’m going to follow your “grand tour around the blogosphere” like a little puppy. Your introductory remarks praising our divine Miss Austen are so heart-felt. JA has made me a more civil person, a more careful reader, and her characters fairly leap off the pages 200 years later with loving familiarity. Having read the works of at least a dozen of the contributing authors of JAMMDI, this is a perplexing question to answer! However, my very favorite contemporary author happens to be Lauren Willig and I will have a difficult time staying away from her offering first when I get this anthology into my grateful hands.
Oh, my! To name just a few stories that sound interesting? There are so many that sound interesting! A few would be:
“The Chase,” by Carrie Bebris
“Jane Austen’s Cat,” by Diana Birchall
Nothing Less Than Fairy-land,” by Monica Fairview
“Jane Austen’s Nightmare,” by Syrie James
Thanks so much for the giveaway! 🙂
Thanks for such a great in depth interview. I am most looking forward to reading “Letters to Lydia,” by Maya Slater.
tmrtini at gmail dot com
I too cannot pick just one, but I can winnow to two stories.
“Faux Jane,” by F. J. Meier (Frank Delaney & Diane Meier)- I keep thinking of the protagonists as Nick and Nora Charles.
“Intolerable Stupidity,” by Laurie Viera Rigler- the idea makes me giggle, I’m curious to see what Darcy says.
I really want to read Pamela’s story “The Riding Habit”
All stories sound very intriguing but the one I am most interested in is “The Love Letter,” by Brenna Aubrey. elaine489@gmail.com
I had no idea that Jane’s neices attempted to write their own JA sequels in the mid 19th century! I would read all the short stories, but the one I’ll read first is “Letters to Lydia”, because I’m curious as to how such a minor character could have contributed in any way to Elizabeth and Darcy’s happy ending.
I’m interested in “Faux Jane” it sounds really interesting! Thanks!
Margaret
singitm@hotmail.com
“What Would Austen Do?,” by Jane Rubino and Caitlen Rubino-Bradway. Can’t wait to hear what the average teenage boy thinks!
Oh my gosh, they all sound so good. I think I am most excited to read “Jane and the Gentleman Rogue,” by Stephanie Barron.
Thank you for a chance to win a copy.
pamo321(at)comcast(dot)net
difficult to say but i must choose Jane Austen’s Cat as it appeals to this lover of felines.
thank you.
The one that I most want to read is “Mr. Bennet Meets His Match,” by Amanda Grange. Thank you for the opportunity to win a copy of this book.
~Megan~
lovetoread205 [at] gmail [dot] com
thank you for this giveaway!!
the short story i can’t to read is the one by Amanda Grange, about Mr. Bennet!!!!
cyn209(AT)juno(DOT)com
I’m really looking forward to the story by Stephanie Barron. She’s been my favorite Austen author for a while.
Loved the review, Laurel Ann!! Please don’t enter me in the drawing as I just received my copy of the book – I’d had it on Pre-order for about 8 months! LOL Just wanted to wish you luck with the book! 🙂
I have gotten so that I really enjoy an anthology. I won one on the AE we had here and have so enjoyed “The Road to Pemberley” (over and over). This sounds like another great project of putting together various artists to celebrate Jane Austen. Hope to win one!
Would love to read Jane and the Gentlemen Rogue…adore Stephanie Barron have all her books
Stephanie
I’m excited for all of them! Several of my favorite authors are in this book, so it’s impossible to choose just one.
I cannot possibly chose only one! I am looking forward to the Knightley and Wentworth ones. Of course I can never get enough of Darcy and modern versions are always fun…see I just cannot choose! Good thing you get so many great stories all in one.
Indeed, such a list is hard to narrow down to one or two choices! I’ll pick “Letters to Lydia,” by Maya Slater and “Mr. Bennet Meets His Match,” by Amanda Grange, for now, but they are all intriguing, and since I am on a quest to read every Austenesque novel ever printed, I shall read them all!
“Nothing Less than Fairy-Land” sounds like a lovely story. Can’t wait to read it.
It is so hard to choose just one! I can’t wait to read them all, but I will probably read “Me and Mr Darcy, Again” first, because I loved Emily and Spike in Me and Mr Darcy and I knew theyd be fighting again before too long! Lol
Thanks again to Meredith for hosting me on my Grand Tour, and for everyone’s good wishes. Editing the anthology was an amazing experieince that I hope to have again.
It is great to see all of your selections of stories from Jane Austen Made Me Do It that you want to read. It is a diverse as Austen’s eduring influence on her readers.
Cheers, Laurel Ann
I can’t wait to read “Mr. Bennet Meets His Match,” by Amanda Grange, to find out how in the world those two ever got together!