Dear Jane Austen by Patrice Hannon

Imagine if you will the beloved authoress, Jane Austen, receiving her post in 1816 while sitting at her little writing table and having just penned the closing lines to Persuasion.  The post is brought in by little Fanny, a favourite niece of the author and after a brief exchange Austen turns to her letters.  The first she opens is written by a 21^st century young woman, a “heroine-in-training” if you will, asking for Jane’s advice on her love-life.  Using examples and direct quotes from her novels, Austen begins dispensing advice with the same wit she used in personal letters to family members.

An English professor and full Ph.D, Hannon has taught Austen’s novels for many years.  In this, a “Dear Abby”-type advice book, Hannon writes as she imagines Jane Austen would on topics like love, sex, marriage and men in general, instructing would be heroines everywhere to first and foremost be true to themselves.

A great companion to Austen’s life works, Hannon does a fine job deconstructing the novels we’ve come to love and know so well.  A recommended read for every Austen lover.

Till next time, happy reading!

L J

Where the eff has September gone?

I don’t know about you, but for me, this month is flying by.  I’ve only managed to read 2 complete novels this month, and I normally read 2 a week!!  That’s how crazy this month has been.

First I was sick (yeah yeah boo-hoo, I’ve used this as an excuse long enough….), then school started.  I work in an academic library and for me, September is the busiest time of the year, getting student staff hired, trained, scheduled and back to work, not to mention welcoming all those first year students and returning students.  On top of that I decided to return to my own studies this semester.  I’m about half-way through an honours B.A. in English Literature, and had taken about a year off for personal reasons, so it feels strange to be a student again. 

I am three weeks and two assignments into a programming course that is interesting but time consuming.  The textbook only just arrived by post (had to order it through Amazon.com because it wasn’t in at the University Bookstore and Amazon.ca listed it as out of stock) this week, and I have about 6 chapters (some 200 pages) to read and make notes on before the quiz next Thursday (I’m so hoping this quiz is all code … that, I understand from class).  I will therefore be spending this upcoming weekend reading a programming text rather than my fiction book.  Boo.

And I just started reading Brisingr too, the third book in Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle.  Expect a review for that in oh, about a month or so…..Thankfully I have two reviews (from the two books I actually managed to read this month) in holding so I’ll be posting something, sometime, but if I’m not around much, you know why …. Class and reading and studying and yeah yeah I know excuses excuses…..

Now to hang my head in shame.  I have not read a CanLit book this month.  And won’t as there’s only a week left and I have, as forementioned, coursework to do and Brisingr to read.  But before you proclaim my punishment remember: I read two CanLit books in both August and July this summer, so I think I’m good to miss a month…..

Till next time, L will be ducking the wet noodles J

Cheers,

L