First Editions of the Novels of Jane Austen

The Cataloguer's Desk provides a detailed overview of Jane Austen's publishing history as "A Lady". This post is filled with good information and excellent images.

Pride and Prejudice 1813

In the early 1790s Austen started composing full-length novels, beginning with Sense and Sensibility. It was not yet finished when, in 1796, she began work on “First Impressions”, the book that would become Pride and Prejudice. The first of her novels to be completed, this became a family favourite and was offered by her father to the publisher Thomas Cadell in 1797, but was turned down. Undaunted, Austen in 1798 and 99 completed her third novel, first titled “Susan”, and then “Catherine”, but renamed Northanger Abbey when it was later published posthumously. 

Sense and Sensibility 1811

Sense & Sensibility finally appeared in October 1811 as a three volume set in a print run of fewer than 1,000 copies, priced 15 shillings each. Despite Austen’s fears, it was a success, selling quickly and garnering positive reviews. The copy pictured above is a first edition in the original boards. This is a truly rare survival, as the board bindings produced by early nineteenth-century publishers were relatively flimsy and not originally intended to be permanent.

Click here to read the rest of this fascinating post.

Embracing Austenmania

Penguin Classics, those wonderful book publishers who have been supporting classic authors since 1838, have a great section on their web site promoting The Complete Jane Austen series on Masterpiece Classics. It includes a calendar listing of the air dates for each of the adaptations, a video trailer for the series, and a biography of Jane Austen.

They are the official book publisher for the PBS series and are offering each of Jane Austen’s major novel’s in trade paperback size, which include insightful introductions to the novels and an unabridged text. Each of the six covers features beautiful classic portraits of Regency era ladies and the gold embossed Masterpiece Classics emblem.


For those of us who can never have too much of our favorite authoress, explore the Austen-Mania section which features a fun quiz to challenge your Austen trivia habit. Go further on to discover a section devoted to books, movies, and scholars inspired by Jane Austen. The list of featured Austen inspired title’s is quite impressive including; The Jane Austen Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowler, The Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Vera Rigler, Lost in Austen, by Emma Campbell Webster, and Dear Jane Austen, by Patrice Hannon.

A big thank you to Penguin Classics for designing beautiful editions of Jane Austen’s novels, and embracing our Austenmania by publishing Austen inspired authors. Bravo!

Posted by Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Mansfield Park E-Sightings

Persuasions, the online Jane Austen Journal, offers many articles about Mansfield Park. Click here to find them. Of particular interest is Crawfords on the couch: a psychoanalytical exploration of the effects of the "bad school" on Henry and Mary Crawford, January, 2006. Here's the description of why Mr. C and Miss C were referred to the doctor:

Miss C was referred to my practice by her half-sister because of symptoms of depression, described as "low spirits," "refusing dinner invitations," and "playing plaintive airs upon the harp." Mr. C was referred to my practice by Dr. G, also because of symptoms suggestive of depression, described as "reading Shakespeare by the hour," "leaving half his dinner untouched," and "refusing even my best claret." These symptoms, according to the Gs, increased "most alarmingly" with an announcement in the London papers last fall of a marriage between Miss Frances Price and Mr. Edmund Bertram, with whom Mr. and Miss C respectively were, according to the Gs, deeply in love.

• Find a multitude of links to Mansfield Park, the novel, in this link.
• Pre-Review: Fanny Not Sent to Portsmouth in New Mansfield Park Adaptation
• Newby Hall: Setting for Mansfield Park
• Cast of Mansfield Park
  

The History of England

Written by Jane Austen when she was only 15 years old, The History of England can be viewed at the British Library site using a flash player (which you can download for free).

Click on Jane Austen's early work, and choose your connection speed. Then click on the arrow at the bottom. You can magnify each page or click on the audio and listen as you read along. Each page is available in manuscript form as well. The book is written in her hand and the illustrations are by her sister Cassandra. The History is delightful, full of sassy humor and wit, and is a foreshadowing of great things to come from Jane's mighty pen.

Persuasion, A Question: What Are Your Thoughts?

Gentle Readers,

Some weeks ago my online friend Eric asked me a simple question: Which Jane Austen book would I recommend? He had already read Pride and Prejudice and seen the movie. First, I was so excited that a man wanted to read a Jane Austen novel, so without hesitation I replied: Persuasion.

Eric is 2/3 of the way through the book, and he has a few questions. For the fun of it I thought I would solicit the Janeites to help answer them. Here are his observations:

By the way, I'm two thirds of the way through Persuasion. It's an odd book compared to Pride and Prejudice. Austen mocks people for their excessive class pride but she seems so class conscious herself it seems a little hypocritical. And Ann seems a little confused, too. She's embarrassed that her family was forced to rent the manor and move to Bath but her original idea was to rent the manor and move into a cottage in their own village? That's such a bizarre idea. I tend to wonder why they didn't move to Bath sooner; the father and sister seem to be perfectly suited for that lifestyle.

And I had forgotten that the sisters were quite as old as they are. Still on the market in their late 20s? Shocking! I know Elizabeth's age is made into a joke (she doesn't seem to understand how she has gotten so old). But Ann is certainly piling on the suiters, isn't she? Anyway, I'm enjoying it. Looking forward to seeing the movie! Eric

So, readers. Please feel free to make a comment and share your well-informed thoughts with Eric. I will mull his points over and make comments as well.

Ms. Place