Penguin Clothbound Classics: Jane Austen Collection

The six novels of Jane Austen from the Clothbound Penguin Classics with Coralie Bickford-Smith's covers are now available at this site. It would be great if Penguin Classics also published Lady Susan, the juvenilia, and Jane's incomplete books, such as Sanditon and The Watsons!

The patterns used by Coralie intrigued me. Some of them represent an analogy, but I cannot quite understand the meaning of the chairs on the Emma cover!

Does someone have an idea? What do you think that might be the meaning of the illustrations on each cover?

Contributed by Raquel Sallaberry, Jane Austen em Portugues

Win a Copy of the new Penguin Classics Pride and Prejudice Designed by Rueben Toledo

Penguin Classics has just released a new edition of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen with a sparkling new cover by fashion illustrator Rueben Toledo.

We have seen many traditional cover art designs for Pride and Prejudice over the years, but I must say that I think that Toledo’s new cover qualifies as the snazziest. The two most pressing questions are: 1.) Do you judge a book by its cover? and, 2.) Do you need yet another copy of P&P in your library? Penguin Books is hoping you do, and I wholly confess to answering yes to both questions. One can never have too many editions of P&P and this transformation of Lizzy, Darcy &C into “Couture Classics” is irresistible.

To enter the drawing to win one of five copies of the Penguin “Couture Classics” edition of Pride and Prejudice, leave a comment before midnight ET on September 20 revealing your favorite scene in the novel and why. Winners to be announced on Monday, September 21st (shipping to US residences only). Good luck, and happy reading.

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Penguin Classics On Air Launched: First Up – Jane Austen

I must say that Penguin Group (USA) has their priorities straight. They have selected Jane Austen as the first classic author to discuss on their new online "Penguin Classics On Air." This online radio segment includes the first episode of "Why We Love Jane Austen" in three parts: 1.) an interview with Austen scholar Juliette Wells as she discusses Austenmania, what it means to be a Janeite, etiquette in Austen’s time, and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, 2.) Alan Walker, introduces listeners to Excellent Women by Barbara Pym on “Reading the Classics from A to Z,” and 3.) Stephen Morrison offers up the opening to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice in his segment, “First Pages.”

Check out what Juliette Wells has to say about Janeites, and why she does not consider herself one. Whatever. Ok -- I will now do my best Jane Bennet impersonation and not pass judgment on that remark. ;-)

Penguin has an excellent selection of Jane Austen’s novels available in tradition book format and the illustrated and expanded Ebook edition that will make a certain Ebook exponents very happy. Being a book purist, I have my eye on their new edition in the queue of Pride and Prejudice due out August 25th with a very interesting new cover design by Ruben Toledo. Jane can now hit the runway in high fashion!

Cheers, Laurel Ann, Austenprose

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