Deirdre spends little time with Jane and her family, and devotes more pages to the novels, their settings, and images that evoke the era and region in which the books were set. Yes, there is an overlap of information, but each author brings her own take on Jane to their book. I find it remarkable that each of these authors have a different perspective of Jane and her life. J ane Austen, The World of Her Novels by Deirdre Le Faye. Not all of Jane’s letters are included in this selection, but I would say that for those who have never read Jane’s letters before, this is a great introduction. The format is excellent and very well done. Not only do Jane’s own observations come alive, but the letters are arranged in context of her life and images of the era. My Dear Cassandra, The Illustrated Letters of Jane Austen, Selected and introduced by Penelope Hughes-Hallet. The theme of this novel is the architectural settings and interior environments of the Regency era, and its pages linger over images and information about embroidery, gardens, furniture, wallpaper, architectural styles, fashion, etc. Themes covered include etiquette, the country house, architectural themes, fashion, and entertainment.

The cover is a lush photo of a bedroom in Stoneleigh Abbey, the ancestral seat of Cassandra Austen nee Leigh’s family.

I purchased this now well-thumbed book in England when it was first published. Jane Austen’s Town and Country Style, Susan Watkins. The information is just enough for a casual reader to learn more about the era and to steer a more determined Janeite on a world of Regency era discovery. The illustrations are lush, and the content is presented on two pages, so that one moves from Courtship to Travel to The Royal Navy and The Picturesque seamlessly. Maggie, who knows the period so well, writes about Jane’s life and what daily life looked like for her and her family. When I named this blog I had no idea this book existed. Where Laurel Ann concentrated on pure biographies, I shall mention the picture books that resemble the intent of this blog in both content and form: Thankfully, Laurel Ann at Austenprose has already compiled her list to wrap up Jane Austen Sibling Week, so I only need to add in my two cents worth. Gentle reader, it is hard to name my favorite books about Jane Austen and her era. Sir Walter Elliot, of Kellynch-hall, in Somersetshire, was a man who, for his own amusement, never took up any book but the Barontage there he found occupation for an idle hour, and consolation in a distressed one – Persuasion

Jane Austen by Deirdre Le Faye