It’s a truth universally acknowledged that a single woman in possession of a free afternoon, must be in want of a Jane Austen novel.
It’s nearly 250 years since the celebrated English writer Jane Austen was born. Born in December 1775, she is one of the most respected figures in literary history and even appears on UK bank notes. The first of her six books, Sense and Sensibility, was published in 1811, and her popularity has never waned so, over the next nine months in the literary world, expect Austen-mania.
Marking this moment, there’s a spate of new TV, film and books including from the BBC via VPN, a period drama series that, based on an original, emotionally complex novel Miss Austen by Gill Hornby, attempts to fill in some of the gaps in Austen’s life, uncovering the supposed content of handfuls of the author’s letters. A ‘treasure trove’ of correspondence did exist but were burnt by her elder sister Cassandra ‘Miss Austen’, the key protagonist in the drama. It was an act of destruction that has troubled academics for centuries, and none of us will ever know what they truly said.
Penguin Books have reissued Jane Austen’s classics in bright bold covers for a TikTok generation, describing this First Impressions series as ‘like all the best romcoms’, ‘full of meet-cutes, missed connections and drama’, ‘masterclasses in the lost arts of stolen glances and breath-taking gestures’. They suggest they’re the perfect way to ‘escape the brutal nonchalance of modern dating and embrace your inner romantic’.
However the novels are billed, it’s the masterful prose and satire, and the subtlety of Austen’s novel’s love affairs that have endured the test of time. We continue to be drawn in by the strength of her leading ladies and their engaging sparkle despite their flaws. Her insights on sisterhood and female friendships and the behind-the-scenes machinations continue to be relatable today, albeit from a Georgian era, and many young Austen fans still cherish her 19th-century style.
That her books are still so beloved more than two centuries after they were written is testament to their continuing charm for generation upon generation of women. It’s now Gen Z and the TikTok generation who are lacing their cropped bodices and buttoning up their boots to stride forth into Regency romance.
Pride and Prejudice’s Elizabeth and Darcy surely stand with Anthony and Cleopatra and Romeo and Juliet as some of the greatest romantic leads of all time, and for those who prefer their characters without period costumes or any costumes at all, new this year, there’s also a ‘steamy’ version of Pride and Prejudice from the audio platform Bloom Stories. Over fourteen hours, listeners can expect to hear ‘both Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet exploring solo pleasure, as well as enjoying steamy encounters together.’ And readers can ‘enjoy guided role play’ of their own including an immersive experience of the wedding night. Oh! Mr Darcy! That certainly is a new position on an old classic. Mrs Bennett would surely have turned in her grave, although we suspect Mr Bennet would merely have made a wry remark and turned back to his newspaper.
In another recent reimagining, as an intrepid amateur sleuth, Miss Austen appears in Miss Austen Investigates by Jessica Bull, a best-selling novel last year in which our spirited heroine is suddenly thrust into a mystery when a milliner’s dead body is found locked inside a cupboard in the middle of a ball. With its sequel, Miss Austen Investigates: A Fortune Most Fatal, publishing next weekend, Jane, despite being ‘a young lady of little experience and no consequence’, must save her brother and her family’s financial security from a mysterious stranger.
Or try Tirzah Price’s series of Jane Austen Murder Mysteries which includes, for example, Manslaughter Park.
And whilst there’s more mystery and murder incorporated than Jane can ever have expected, this year is an Austen lover’s fantasy!
