How much money did Darcy have? Exactly how rich was he? Any Jane Austen fan knows the easy answer: Darcy was worth ten thousand pounds per year. But a debate has gone on for years. What does ten thousand pounds actually mean in today’s terms? Lots of people (including some Austen Authors) have tried over… more goodness …
Charles Bingley, Darcy’s affable and somewhat heedless best friend, is a curious character in Pride and Prejudice. His inclusion in the plot is a little odd. After all, the love story between Darcy and Elizabeth could be told without Bingley’s part at all. Strictly speaking his story arc is completely unnecessary. But Bingley is a… more goodness …
I think Charlotte Lucas is underrated. Do you agree? Readers of Pride and Prejudice tend to overlook Charlotte as a minor character who serves little purpose but in my opinion this is a mistake. Charlotte is a strong character in her own right, and she also serves as a warning and as a plot device.… more goodness …
“That’s just like Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. She was too proud! Or was she too prejudiced and Mr. Darcy was too proud? I can’t remember.” Do you remember these words from the movie “You’ve Got Mail”? Joe Fox says them to Kathleen Kelly as they play out their own private drama that’s reminiscent… more goodness …
Today I’d like to talk about a subject that has drawn a lot of attention recently among fans of regency romances: The first time I heard about the new Netflix series Bridgerton was when I saw fellow regency fans online talking about the “mature” scenes in it. Judging by the buzz created, there must be… more goodness …
Well, it’s been almost a year since we entered this pandemic! What a year it has been!!!! With so many of our formerly favorite activities now restricted, what kinds of things have you found to fill the time? Have you developed any new hobbies? Tackled any new projects? Found yourself trying something you never thought… more goodness …
“Why aren’t there any stories about Darcy and Elizabeth after they get married?” I heard this question asked at the first JASNA event I ever went to, in Washington D.C., back in 2016 or so, and it stayed in my head. An answer to the question started percolating in my imagination and before I knew… more goodness …
When I first started writing Jane Austen fan fiction back in 2014, I was still relatively new to the genre. I had read a fair share of some of the most popular authors, but there were things about JAFF that I didn’t know. Most importantly, I did not know that there are some “facts” that… more goodness …
Last month I discussed the aristocracy of England, a system that was so pervasive in Jane Austen’s time that she had no need to explain it to her readers. Today I’d like to talk about another system that she could assume her readers understood: the clergy of the Church of England. The Church of England,… more goodness …
Aristocracy is not a word that appears in Jane Austen’s novels, but its influence shows up in them. After all, we are told that Darcy’s uncle is an earl, and Anne Elliott’s father Sir Walter obsesses over the Baronetage. Some of Austen’s funniest characters are those who revere the aristocracy the most. But what, exactly,… more goodness …
Jane Austen was born in 1775 and grew up experiencing two revolutions: the American revolution and the French revolution. The American revolution ended when she was only seven so she likely knew little of it. But the French revolution marked ten of the most formative years of her life, from ages fourteen to twenty four,… more goodness …
Pride and Prejudice is an amazing novel, full of humor, satire and heart stirring romance. But as wonderful as it is, there are certain parts of the story that didn’t make it into the novel, scenes I wish Jane Austen had included in the original story. When you read Pride and Prejudice, are there any… more goodness …
“If you could only read one Jane Austen novel a year every year for the rest of your life, which one would it be and why?” I’ve heard this question float around from time to time and it always gets a spirited response. Today I’d like to list my favorite Austen stories in order, from… more goodness …
