I am continuing this blog’s giveaways in celebration of the 200th anniversary of Pride and Prejudice and 6 millionth visit to my blog with one free copy of the reissue of Maggie Lane’s Jane Austen’s World, courtesy of Sterling Publishing.
Jane Austen’s World takes a look at Jane Austen’s private life and examines the world she inhabited—a time when England was developing into a colonial power, the Napoleonic Wars raged, and the Regency took hold.
Maggie Lane is an active committee member of the Jane Austen Society and has written several highly acclaimed books on the author, including Jane Austen and Food (Hambledon Continuum), Jane Austen’s England (Robert Hale), and Jane Austen’s Family (Robert Hale). She has also appeared on television as a Jane Austen expert.
Like the 2005 reissue (left) this book features a short introduction by Brian Southam and a Jane Austen timeline, and is filled with colored plates and illustrations. Interestingly this reissue was printed and bound in Dubai. The reason I say this is that I found the color in the plates to be brighter. It’s a matter of taste, I know. Some will like these images over the somewhat more subdued color palate in the other edition.
If you already own a copy of the book with the cover on the left (first published in 1993), be aware that only minor changes have been made. For those who already own the book, this reissue will be the perfect gift for their Janeite friends and relatives.
To Enter the Contest: This contest is open only to those who live in the U.S. Tell us what you want to know about Jane Austen’s world that eludes you or will help you understand her novels better. Contest closes April 3rd. Note: Click here to enter another giveaway on this blog of The Jane Austen Handbook and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies. That contest, open to those who live in the U.S., U.K., and Canada, closes April 1st. CONTEST CLOSED. Congratulations, Raquel Muniz!
Jane Austen's World 
Another great giveaway!
I’d like to know more about Jane Austen’s family life. In all her novels, one of more of the characters has a strong familial bond – often times between sisters. I’d like to see where she drew inspiration for this. Also, I would interested in learning more about the social levels at the time – perhaps I would better understand Caroline Bingley and Lady Catherine’s obsession with rank.
I’d like to learn more about the working class– the builders, decorators, seamstresses, food merchants — that kept life going.
I’d like to know more about entailments and inheritance laws in England. It seems terribly unfair that one family member gets so much and others get so little, especially the women. Also, was the father required to provide a dowery for a daughter? and what if he had many daughters?
Thanks for the contest. I’d like to know what type of ‘work’ (embroidery) these heroines are always working on. Does it serve a purpose besides becoming accomplished at fine needlework? Just curious.
Vic,
Congratulations on 6 million. Now to show how relevant Jane Austen is today, check out “manners” teacher – a young man, and article constantly refers to Jane.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/women/womens-life/9952908/How-to-be-a-lady-in-the-21st-century.html
Thank you so much for this give-away! I am interested in so many things about Jane Austen and her times: The every day, the fashions, the maps, the political climate, etc. I just can’t get enough!
Thank you for the opportunity to win this book, would love to have anything dealing with Jane Austen’s world. Like Cathy, I would like to know more about the working class and really their association with the above stairs family. Was the “norm” really a removed association or did there develop a family-like relationship between the two over time, assuming a good bit of the staff stayed on for years. I, personally, would find it hard to have people work for me that I really had no association with.
I’d love to know more about the day to day life of people who weren’t of the privileged class.
Tweeted.
I’d like to know more about the times in general so that I will get and/or be aware of the in-jokes in Austen’s books. I think a lot of what the contemporary reader would find illuminating about a character or humorous goes right over a modern reader’s head.
Miss Austen doesn’t talk much about children. What was society’s attittude toward children. I know child prostitution was legal which would indicate a pretty harsh view.
It is fascinating to me, the music from Jane’s era; also the clothing, military and gentry; the parties are very much an interest, and the luxury of the upper class. I want to know whether the niceness and decorum was performed out of biased necessity, or an individual disposition towards truly being a better person.
I just want to know everything! It’s a beautiful time period – graceful, polite and feminine…I love to immerse myself in it any way I can. ~
Finding out more about Jane, her heroines and her era helps bring out the lady in all of us!
Thank you for a chance to win this marvelous book. I would like to know more about everyday life of people during her life. Thus said, I want to know everything about lifestyle and what gifts were popular in Jane Austen’s time.
I love and admire greatly Elizabeth Bennett’s relationship with her father in ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ I would relish very much knowing more of the dynamic existing between Jane and her own father. Thank you for such a fabulous opportunity to win such a wonderful book!
I wish Cassandra had not burned Jane’s letters. Then we would know much more about Jane and her books.
I’m a fiber artist and would like to learn more about the fashions of her time and her heroines, and also about the needle/textile crafts they practiced.
I am currently building a virtual world of Jane Austen in which players can role play their own Regency period characters in an online multi-player game that is not about kill or be killed, but invite or be invited. I need every ounce of information I can put my hands on to improve the authenticity of the world, a demo version of which is expected to launch this summer.
So little has been written about Jane Austen’s relationship with her brothers. We have a few hints, but nothing that I know of that deals with their relationships as adults. That would be interesting to me.
I am curious about shopping – not as a recreational activity such as we sometimes think of it – but I am curious how people acquired goods, what they had to make or make do with, what was ready made, what were the shops like, etc.
Thank you for this giveaway. I am particularly interested in learning about the Austen brother who was sent away and what might have been his malady and how the Austens and other families at that time dealt with this situation.
I am sad again, contest open to US citizens only…I want to know EVERYTHING: I want to know if the real Austen was like someone portrayed by Anne Hathaway in “Becoming Jane” or the one in “Miss Austen Regrets”, which seems more probable to me, apparently compelled not to take anything seriously (but taking the serious things in life most so)… will the book tell me that? Or something more, or less or similar? Someone (maybe Vic) tell me, then I will order right away.
So many marvelous books about our dear Jane She wrote for women of any time, she knew all about the difficulties of being a women at any time in history.
Wow! I had so many questions of mine mirrored the 20 or so entries above. For one of the commenters above, I believe that there is a book about Jane Austen and her seafaring brothers written by Brian Southam, mentioned above as having written an introduction to the book above. I think it his book is called Jane Austen and the Navy. I’ve always been curious about the seemingly terse relationship Jane had with her mother, from birth to her death. In her last decade or so, I have often thought that she placated her mother more than actually did what her mother wanted out of love and respect and that has always made me feel sad for both of them.
I have always wondered how Jane filled her days when she wasn’t writing. I know her household wasn’t wealthy. Did she and Cassandra do laundry and scrub chamberpots?
There are two main reasons that I should own this book. First, the treasure trove of information it contains would no doubt help me write my Austenesque novels with more accuracy and insight. The other reason is that I understand my first novel (The Darcys of Pemberley) is mentioned in it!
I would like to know more about day to day life at that time.
I am so fascinated by Jane Austen’s work and I have read it so many times over and over again that…when I wrote my own stories I have realized that I am very much influenced by her style…I know it can’t be good for a serious author, yet I couldn’t help of feeling very proud when reviewers told me I reminded them of Austen :).
Thanks for the giveaway. It is my understanding that Jane, her sister and mother lived modestly. I would like to know why Jane’s brother did not help out his sisters and mother more, if he had the means to do so.
I too would like to know more about everyday life in Jane’s time; what a typical day would be like, for example. Thanks for the giveaway!
I would like to understand how Jane truly understood about the depths of love that her characters like Darcy and Elizabeth felt. What marriages did she observe that were very happy?
I would love to understand more of the nuance of social decorum, establishing acquaintances and maintaining them. I mean, for example how close or familiar would you need to be before an extended visit is extended/accepted? The whole visiting for weeks here and there with people is fascinating. It would be so interesting to see how she managed these things in her own life, too.
I want to know more about the domestic details of managing a household, like “the only right way” to pack dresses. Also, why is Charlotte’s poultry so important that everyone from Lady Catherine to Lady Lucas is asking about it?
I love to find “parallel history”–what was going on in the USA during the same period as Jane–War of 1812, Dolly Madison saving the White House, etc…was the culture and attitudes of English country life so different from our new country?…Congrats, Vic, on 6 million!!
I am a little puzzled about the availability of education for women of Jane Austen’s time and social class. Women were expected to be accomplished in domestic arts. But surely, to run a household one must also have knowledge of basic math, management and psychology! In some cases too much eduction, or too much reading, seemed to be frowned upon. How did women learn what they needed to know or get the chance to learn about the world beyond the home?
I would like to know if she had any particular pets or horse friends. I wonder if she would have had any she would have remembered fondly.
I would like to know more about Regency letter writing. How often did people write? I’ve seen Victorian letter writing manuals. Did such exist in Jane’s time? I’m an avid letter writer myself.
What did it mean for a girl to be “out” in society? Did she have to have a debut party, or was it simply that she was of an age where she starts attending balls?
I’d like to know more about the whole entailment situation and how it affects a woman’s choice to marry.
Wonderful giveaway! I’d love to know more about the rules of etiquette in Jane’s time. Elizabeth Bennett is one of the most forthright characters in her books, but weren’t women supposed to be more of the meeker sex? Elizabeth is one of my favorite characters, but to me she seems so much more modern than the world she inhabits.
Thank you for this contest. I have been a Jane Austen fan for a number of years. I have taught a continuing education class on Jane Austen and her books at our community college. I am always striving to increase my knowledge and make my classes more interesting.
I would love to learn more about the needlework of Jane’s time. What were the fashionable designs, supplies used, etc… Also how did these differ between the classes? And lastly, who were the suppliers and how did they manufacturer their goods? Thanks for offering such a great give away!
Congratulations on your six million visitors!!! Although, of course, they deserve some congratulations for having the sense to visit here!
I would like to know how common it was for ladies to carry miniature almanacks. I have seen a number of them from the late 18th century into the very early 1800s, but have I have not yet found any with Regency-era copyright dates.
Regards,
Kat
I would be interested to know what “normal hours” for a character’s day would have been. In at least one novel (Persuasion, I think?), characters arrive at a social event at 10 pm, and this before electric lighting. There must be something I’m missing, perhaps the time of sunset in summer in England, but I am curious to know what.
Thank you for another lovely giveaway.
Love Jane Austen novels, but I find myself even more intrigued by her personal life and that of her family. So much is spoken of family in her letters and her devotion to them is quite evident. I would like to read a more indepth account of her brothers lives and the lives of her many nieces and nephews, whom she was so very fond of. Who were they as people? What became of them? Their stories and how they all interacted as a family would be of great interest to me.
Love the blog!
What was behind that locked tea cabinet that Jane was intrusted with the key to? Tea was certainly a prized commodity back then. I would be interested in knowing what might have been behind that locked door, the decorum of a tea party in Janes’ day and the art of a proper pot of tea.
I’d like to know more about the food and how people ate during Jane’s era. What were the culinary trends? How did world conditions/wars/travel modes affect what was available and what was in fashion? What was the average farmer’s diet back then versus the other classes? How much would Jane have eaten, and what were the most common foods? How much food did an estate grow for itself, and what was available during the winter?