In Honor of Jane Austen's Birthday

Author of six completed novels, beloved and widely adapted, Jane Austen was born in Hampshire, England on this day in 1775.

Austen’s life and books have been adapted, interpreted, and expanded every which way: for stage and screen, in fiction and nonfiction, in memoir and scholarly works, through blogs, memes, and GIFs. The breadth may seemexhaustive, but Austen and her novels are classics precisely because they are inexhaustible. "A classic,” Italo Calvino tells us, “is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say."

If you’re interested in dipping into a work of Austen-based fiction, nonfiction, or memoir, here are 10:

"My Jane Austen Education" by William Deresiewicz. Deresiewicz's memoir shares his journey from being a too-cool-for-life grad-school type to a grown-up man, achieved through reading Austen's novels. Each chapter tackles a stage in his personal development and what he learned from reading Austen's novels. Written with a scholar's insights but in the layman's language, his discussion of the books is the best part.

“Austenland” by Shannon Hale. At a hush-hush English country getaway for women of means, the conditions of Regency England are simulated (in everything from food to dress to pastimes), and women are romanced the old fashioned way. Austen-obsessed Jane Hayes is bequeathed a three-week trip to Austenland to cure her of her preoccupation with Colin Firth-as-Darcy. Compulsively readable, funny, and sweetly charming, it has been adapted for film starring Keri Russell, Jane Seymour, and Jennifer Coolidge.

"Among the Janeites: A Journey Through the World of Jane Austen Fandom" by Deborah Yaffe. "Janeites" is the term coined for the hardcore Austen fan, and Yaffee counts herself among them. The journalist immersed herself in everything Austen and shares her experience traveling the world to visit Austen landmarks in England, speaking to Austen bloggers (a passionate group, for serious), and being fitted for a Regency ball gown (corset included). It's a fun, if at times bizarre, romp through the Austen fandom subculture and may (full disclosure) leave you hankering for a trip across the pond.

"Jane Austen's England" by Roy and Lesley Adkins. The husband and wife team, both archeologists and historians, present a comprehensive social history of Austen's England. Drawn from primary texts (diaries, letters, trial records, newspaper reports), they craft a portrait of everyday life among all classes during a time of uncertainty, war, and dramatic change. The history buff will love this deep look at a Austen's age.

"Longbourn" by Jo Baker. Baker's novel follows the servants to the Bennett family in "Pride and Prejudice." We get a few peeks at the familiar characters here and there, including a major revelation about one of them, but the story truly belongs to the cook, butler, housemaids, and footman, their trials and joys, and to revealing the realities of life for the servant class.

"Death Comes to Pemberley" by P.D. James. James, who recently passed away, knew her way around a murder mystery, and in this one, she picks up the story of Darcy and Elizabeth from "Pride and Prejudice" five years and two children into their marriage. When a man turns up dead, the investigation invades the halls of their vaunted estate. James offers a lovely homage to the original text and does an impressive job replicating the rhythms of Austen's classic.

“Pride and Prescience” by Carrie Bebris. This mystery picks up the story of Elizabeth and Darcy from “Pride and Prejudice” on the day of their wedding. The big news is that snooty Caroline Bingley has announced her engagement to an American. Strange doings are underfoot (perhaps the strangest of them being how earnest and friendly Caroline becomes after her marriage), and paranormal elements may well be responsible.

“Bridget Jones’s Diary” by Helen Fielding. A modern riff on “Pride and Prejudice, this novel presents the diary of the eponymous 30-something, unlucky-in-love singleton, in which she keeps track of her weight, her calories, her alcohol intake, and her misadventures in work and relationships. These include dating her boss (Daniel Cleaver), getting dumped by her boss, and changing jobs, which lead to both disasters and successes.

"Jane Austen's England" by Roy and Lesley Adkins. The husband and wife team, both archeologists and historians, present a comprehensive social history of Austen's England. Drawn from primary texts (diaries, letters, trial records, newspaper reports), they craft a portrait of everyday life among all classes during a time of uncertainty, war, and dramatic change. The history buff will love this deep look at a Austen's age.

Do you have a favorite Austen novel or Austen-based book?

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Submitted by Southbury, CT

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