Gardens make regular appearances in Jane Austen’s novels, often as the setting of key scenes, a source of pleasure or concern, or a place for the heroines to escape when they need some alone time. But how should we imagine these gardens, and why does it matter? The Rise of the Pleasure Garden Until the… Read the full blog post …
In December 1794, the Reverend George Austen bought a gift for his second daughter Jane. Her birthday was on the 16th, and she was to turn nineteen. As the loving and generous father he was, he was keen to get her the perfect present – never an easy task, even less so where young women… Read the full blog post …
Like many of my fellow Janeites, I recently indulged in season 2 of the series Bridgerton. Although Bridgerton does a marginally better job to follow Regency customs and etiquette than other shows (Sanditon, I’m looking at you), it does little more than find inspiration in the era. Instead, Bridgerton builds a fantasy world based on… Read the full blog post …
With April’s Fool is just around the corner, fans of practical jokes will be considering their best moves for 2022. But no matter how inventive their ideas, they are likely to pale in comparison to those of Regency prankster extraordinaire, Theodore Hook. Born in 1788, Theodore Hook fancied himself a bit of a jester (one might… Read the full blog post …
Paying and receiving social calls was one of the keystones of social etiquette during the Regency, and as such is a constant in Jane Austen’s novels. The socially acceptable time for ‘morning calls’ was between breakfast and dinner, so they spanned a good few hours from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. or thereabouts, and an… Read the full blog post …
Towards the end of Pride and Prejudice, in a letter explaining Mr Darcy‘s role in securing Lydia’s marriage to Mr Wickham, Mrs Gardiner writes to her niece Elizabeth, whom she suspects the master of Pemberley admires very much: “I shall never be quite happy till I have been all round the (Pemberley) park. A low… Read the full blog post …
My little sister gave birth to a baby girl right before Christmas. Because of covid, 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 my sister, and as you can imagine, I can’t wait to see her. I like to… Read the full blog post …
I’ve long had a soft spot for Mansfield Park. I wouldn’t say it’s my favourite Austen novel, but I always enjoy reading it. The last time I opened my well-thumbed volume of Mansfield Park was during lockdown, and what struck me is how prevalent the Seven Deadly Sins are in the novel. As a good… Read the full blog post …
The Edinburgh Medical School was a top destination for medical students during the Regency. It’s a topic that has raised its head in the forums a few times, so I thought that, as an Edinburgh resident myself, I had to have a close look at it. Edinburgh is 430 miles or 700 km north of… Read the full blog post …
I am a proud Edinburgh resident. As such, I’m spoilt for choice when it comes to reminders of the Regency, from windows and house doors to family portraits in museums and art galleries. However, only a few days ago, one of such reminders disappeared forever. It was a living being, one already in existence when Jane… Read the full blog post …
Today I received an invitation to the first real-life event of the Scottish branch of the Jane Austen Society UK, and I cannot express how much I am looking forward to it. As excellent as the online events have been, being on Zoom prevents us from having those all-important chats. The meeting got me thinking… Read the full blog post …
I have recently become acquainted with the fantastical story of Princess Caraboo, the Beggar Princess of Bristol. It is so incredible, and had such an impact on Regency society, that I simply had to share it here. A mysterious woman On April 3rd, 1817, a mysterious young woman looking lost appeared in the small village… Read the full blog post …
Jane Austen’s novels are brimming with formidable and highly opinionated ladies. At a time when the female ideal was passive and even-tempered, she never shied away from creating characters that were quite the opposite. Today, we will look at some of the older women in her novels, how the author portrays them, and who amongst the… Read the full blog post …
