The Janeites on the James meet every other month or so. This past time I brought my new stash of four Jane Austen resource books and showed them around. One elicited a laugh the moment the Janeites saw it: Jane Austen for Dummies."Let them laugh," I thought, handing it around and keeping quiet. Sure enough, the first Janeite, the youngest among us, opened the book playfully. As she leafed through the pages, she became thoughtful. "This is good," she declared, keeping the book a long time.
"Hah," I thought. "That shows 'em." At the end of the evening one of the Janeites borrowed the book, and all declared they were going to order it as soon as possible. The majority of us have graduate degrees, and all of us can only be described as discerning females, so this was no mean feat.
The contents in this book alone are worthy of praise. In addition to a clear and concise organization of thoughts and topics, the author, Joahn Klingel Ray, PhD, writes with much authority. The book is an outstanding addition to any Jane lover's library. Dr. Ray is an English Professor at the University of Colorado and the pAST President of the Jane Austen Society of North America.
Believe me when I say: She knows her stuff. The book is rather large to put in one's purse, so I would bring The Jane Austen Handbook when traveling. But for reference at home, I would turn to this book as well.
4 comments:
Thanks for the recommendation! I have "Grilling For Dummies." It is a great one!
I have 'Statistics for Dummies', a good one too! Perhaps I should get 'JA for Dummies' if ebay provides me a good price! :-D
Sometimes a book's cover is deceptive, as this one is. Its organization is such that, if you need to verify something quickly, it can be accomplished.
It is good! (from the youngest among us)
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