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The List Lover's Guide to Jane Austen
Her life, her work, her legacy—step into the world of the incredible Jane Austen.
It's Jane like you've never seen! Through fun and breezy lists, discover everything there is to know about Jane Austen, the sassy literary genius we know and love. Learn her likes and dislikes, her haves and have-nots, where she traveled, how she lived, and who she knew.
With a wealth of little-known and fascinating information, find out:
•Her friends and her beaux
•Every place she lived or visited
•Books in her library
•Her quirks
•The last lines of everything she wrote
And so much more!
It's Jane like you've never seen! Through fun and breezy lists, discover everything there is to know about Jane Austen, the sassy literary genius we know and love. Learn her likes and dislikes, her haves and have-nots, where she traveled, how she lived, and who she knew.
With a wealth of little-known and fascinating information, find out:
•Her friends and her beaux
•Every place she lived or visited
•Books in her library
•Her quirks
•The last lines of everything she wrote
And so much more!
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2013
1 person is currently reading
520 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
January 8, 2014
Every wonder what books Jane Austen read, who her relations were, where she lived and traveled, or what were her pet peeves? Well, what true Janeite doesn’t? Do you want to learn more about your favorite author than you ever expected to discover all packed up and neatly arrange in one tidy volume? Then read on…
The List Lover’s Guide to Jane Austen is a delightful little fact book on the famous author and her world that was a welcome diversion from the drama and angst of the current Austenesque fiction book that I am entrenched in. Packed full of information compiled in list format, even this die-hard Janeite learned more than a few new tidbits about Austen’s novels, characters, family, Regency culture and her life.
This beautifully designed reference book would be the perfect primer and or fact checker for a Jane Austen quiz. Broken down into categories like:
Forward: (including ten reasons for reading this book!)
Her Life: (including what she looked like, books she read, who she met on her travels and much more)
Her Correspondence: (great selected quotes)
Timeline for Jane Austen: (featuring events from every year of her life)
Her Writing: (from her juvenilia to her novels to her last poem)
Bonus List: Jane’s Royal Ancestors: (who knew?)
Bibliography: (exclusive and the best)
What a powerful wallop this tidy little volume delivers. All this information now together in one place? It is a researcher, fact-checker, game-player, and all-around Janeite’s dream! Strasbaugh has done a thorough job researching, compiling and arranging information in a friendly and intuitive way. My only quibbles, and they are minor ones, is in the book design and format. I wish that they had placed the name of the chapter at the top of the left hand page so that the reader could search and locate categories within the book more easily. Sadly, it also lacks a general index. Please, even though this is a book of lists, all nonfiction books need an index. And NO eBook format? Really? How am I to cite all the balls and dances she attended when questioned on the run?
I am delighted to highly recommend this perky gem of a Jane Austen resource book to readers who seek facts and entertainment.
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
The List Lover’s Guide to Jane Austen is a delightful little fact book on the famous author and her world that was a welcome diversion from the drama and angst of the current Austenesque fiction book that I am entrenched in. Packed full of information compiled in list format, even this die-hard Janeite learned more than a few new tidbits about Austen’s novels, characters, family, Regency culture and her life.
This beautifully designed reference book would be the perfect primer and or fact checker for a Jane Austen quiz. Broken down into categories like:
Forward: (including ten reasons for reading this book!)
Her Life: (including what she looked like, books she read, who she met on her travels and much more)
Her Correspondence: (great selected quotes)
Timeline for Jane Austen: (featuring events from every year of her life)
Her Writing: (from her juvenilia to her novels to her last poem)
Bonus List: Jane’s Royal Ancestors: (who knew?)
Bibliography: (exclusive and the best)
What a powerful wallop this tidy little volume delivers. All this information now together in one place? It is a researcher, fact-checker, game-player, and all-around Janeite’s dream! Strasbaugh has done a thorough job researching, compiling and arranging information in a friendly and intuitive way. My only quibbles, and they are minor ones, is in the book design and format. I wish that they had placed the name of the chapter at the top of the left hand page so that the reader could search and locate categories within the book more easily. Sadly, it also lacks a general index. Please, even though this is a book of lists, all nonfiction books need an index. And NO eBook format? Really? How am I to cite all the balls and dances she attended when questioned on the run?
I am delighted to highly recommend this perky gem of a Jane Austen resource book to readers who seek facts and entertainment.
Laurel Ann, Austenprose
October 26, 2014
My review for this book will be posted on Romancing the Book Blog in the near future.
June 17, 2013
Received the book from a giveaway. First time winning anything, ever. Very excited! Anyway, the book is just what the title says it is: a bunch of lists about Jane and her life. Anywhere she traveled, whatever she read, her family, even what she wore is in a list! Organized nicely and just the right size to tuck away in your purse, for those occasions when you wish you had brought a book.
June 29, 2015
Fantastic little pocket resource for anyone who loves Jane Austen. This book covers everything from the books she owned, to how much money she made from her writings (too little in my opinion), to the people who broke her heart and everything in between. Quick read and highly recommended.
November 26, 2013
Since I am a list lover and a lover of all things Jane Austen, this was the perfect book for me!
October 14, 2020
I enjoyed this a lot more than I expected! True, this is all lists, but the lists are fun and I learnt quite a few new things about Austen. The lists include her relatives, the books she owned, lists of all her heroines (with quotes!), where she stayed, who broke her heart, etc. I really liked that it quoted extensively from her letters! Would definitely recommend Austenites keep a copy in case you need some Jane Austen trivia
November 27, 2019
This would have been great to have for my college prep students taking the Austen seminar back in the day.
Read
November 8, 2021hyper-specific lists mean nothing without context!
August 26, 2023
this book is amazing, especially if you love austen like i do. it offers everything you want to know about her - and way way more.
December 5, 2024
This is a reference book to anything Jane Austen
February 5, 2025
Best book I ever by far ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 16, 2013
Just as in Jane Austen’s day, all proper young ladies had to be consummate letter writers (as witness the twenty-one letters that play a pivotal role in plot development in Pride and Prejudice), so is the modern-day woman required to be a doyen of list making (so much, in fact, that their doing so has become the subject of many a radio drama/comedy—just think of BBC Radio 4’s Kerry’s List, for one). If you think of list making as simply being a boring or mundane chore, and as a rather mechanical way of attempting to manage your increasingly hectic lifestyle, think again. It truly can be fun!
Such a sense of thoroughgoing enjoyment is conveyed through Janeite Joan Strasbaugh’s The List Lover’s Guide to Jane Austen. As befits one who is such a keen manager of aspects of the literary world that she was able to mastermind organizing the Jane Austen in the Twenty-first Century Humanities Festival at the University of Wisconsin, her latest book raises the art of annotated list making to the level of a new art.
Not only does Strasbaugh list the details of many aspects of the great novelist Austen’s life (relating to her home, family and friends, among others) that enable one to come to a deeper understanding of her work, but she also provides valuable insights into her writing as well. Best of all, these are not simple lists of objective facts, but enrich one’s grasp on what made Austen such a successful author of universal merit and renown, by including a wealth of relevant quotations that facilitate one’s growing awareness of what gave rise to life, love and laughter during the late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Century. The sources of said quotations are so various and varied that they provide a rich panoply of outlooks on Austen that could not otherwise easily have been incorporated into such a small volume, and in so easily readable a manner. The text is accompanied by numerous black-and-white illustrations that also serve to increase the reader’s understanding of the milieu within which Austen wrote.
One gains the idea throughout that what Strasbaugh is attempting to do by taking what apparently is a very lighthearted approach to Jane Austen and her world is to entice prospective Janeites into a world in which she delights, for The List Lover’s Guide to Jane Austen has so many hidden depths that it is a provocative and stimulating work, despite its relatively slim size (224 pages in all). A work that deserves to be popular, The List Lover’s Guide could just as easily grace a young girl’s locker as it could an academic’s bookshelf. In short, Strasbaugh deserves to be commended for making a subject that has elicited so much intellectual debate over the years so accessible to all and sundry in the current day.
Such a sense of thoroughgoing enjoyment is conveyed through Janeite Joan Strasbaugh’s The List Lover’s Guide to Jane Austen. As befits one who is such a keen manager of aspects of the literary world that she was able to mastermind organizing the Jane Austen in the Twenty-first Century Humanities Festival at the University of Wisconsin, her latest book raises the art of annotated list making to the level of a new art.
Not only does Strasbaugh list the details of many aspects of the great novelist Austen’s life (relating to her home, family and friends, among others) that enable one to come to a deeper understanding of her work, but she also provides valuable insights into her writing as well. Best of all, these are not simple lists of objective facts, but enrich one’s grasp on what made Austen such a successful author of universal merit and renown, by including a wealth of relevant quotations that facilitate one’s growing awareness of what gave rise to life, love and laughter during the late Eighteenth and early Nineteenth Century. The sources of said quotations are so various and varied that they provide a rich panoply of outlooks on Austen that could not otherwise easily have been incorporated into such a small volume, and in so easily readable a manner. The text is accompanied by numerous black-and-white illustrations that also serve to increase the reader’s understanding of the milieu within which Austen wrote.
One gains the idea throughout that what Strasbaugh is attempting to do by taking what apparently is a very lighthearted approach to Jane Austen and her world is to entice prospective Janeites into a world in which she delights, for The List Lover’s Guide to Jane Austen has so many hidden depths that it is a provocative and stimulating work, despite its relatively slim size (224 pages in all). A work that deserves to be popular, The List Lover’s Guide could just as easily grace a young girl’s locker as it could an academic’s bookshelf. In short, Strasbaugh deserves to be commended for making a subject that has elicited so much intellectual debate over the years so accessible to all and sundry in the current day.
July 4, 2016
Reviewed by Julie
Book provided by the publisher
Originally posted at Romancing the Book
While I am not much of a list maker myself, I do love list compiled by others which pertain to a specific topic. This book really stood out for me since I love Jane Austen. For me, Jane’s work set the tone for romance novels as we know it. I have read a moderate amount about Jane Austen’s life but I have never seen so much material gathered in one place about her as was the case with this book. If you are a huge fan of Jane Austen you simply can not pass this book up. But, even if you aren’t the biggest fan in the world, just having all these facts neatly compiled would appeal to anyone who enjoys history, list, interesting tidbits about famous people or even some pop culture enthusiast.
Some of the information included in the book are little known facts and some of it is common knowledge, while some might fall into the “too much information” category. There were even illustrations and menus. At times I did question if anyone really needed all this minutia regarding one person no matter how respected and admired they were.
However, this book would make an excellent addition to your Jane Austen library and could be used as a guide for class study, a theme paper or for information regarding this time period. If you need your memory refreshed about the characters, the books, the quotes, this book would make for an excellent reference book. I was impressed with all the work and research that went into creating these list. It was endlessly fascinating and I can not think of a single thing you could possibly add to this book. It is very, very detailed leaving no subject untouched. I kept the book by my bed and would read portions of it each night until I had looked through it all. This book is not the type of book one reads from front to back like they would a novel, but I found it hard to put aside. All in all this was a fun and informative book, one I intend to keep as a guide or even to impress my friends with all my knowledge about Jane Austen.
Book provided by the publisher
Originally posted at Romancing the Book
While I am not much of a list maker myself, I do love list compiled by others which pertain to a specific topic. This book really stood out for me since I love Jane Austen. For me, Jane’s work set the tone for romance novels as we know it. I have read a moderate amount about Jane Austen’s life but I have never seen so much material gathered in one place about her as was the case with this book. If you are a huge fan of Jane Austen you simply can not pass this book up. But, even if you aren’t the biggest fan in the world, just having all these facts neatly compiled would appeal to anyone who enjoys history, list, interesting tidbits about famous people or even some pop culture enthusiast.
Some of the information included in the book are little known facts and some of it is common knowledge, while some might fall into the “too much information” category. There were even illustrations and menus. At times I did question if anyone really needed all this minutia regarding one person no matter how respected and admired they were.
However, this book would make an excellent addition to your Jane Austen library and could be used as a guide for class study, a theme paper or for information regarding this time period. If you need your memory refreshed about the characters, the books, the quotes, this book would make for an excellent reference book. I was impressed with all the work and research that went into creating these list. It was endlessly fascinating and I can not think of a single thing you could possibly add to this book. It is very, very detailed leaving no subject untouched. I kept the book by my bed and would read portions of it each night until I had looked through it all. This book is not the type of book one reads from front to back like they would a novel, but I found it hard to put aside. All in all this was a fun and informative book, one I intend to keep as a guide or even to impress my friends with all my knowledge about Jane Austen.
June 21, 2013
This book was fast, fun, and definitely the definition of light reading. The book is set up in a series of list and they all somehow pertain to Jane Austen. If you are a Jane Austen fan then let me start by saying that this is definitely a book you may want to consider adding to your collection. The information inside pertains to Jane’s life as a writer, her likes and dislikes, and just who she was as a person. Now do not expect to sit down and read a novel about Jane Austen because that is not the case with this book. It is literally a whole book full of lists. I love how they are divided into sections and you get some awesome quotes from Jane and her books.
This book and all the information that lies within it have been well researched and that is easy to see right from the start. The categories and lists are brilliantly organized and full of information that I would have never guessed and would not have known about Jane Austen had I not picked up this book. I love that the book starts with Jane’s life as an author because I believe that is most pertinent.
There were several facts in here that I just had to jot down while reading. Did you know that Jane Austen wore a turquoise ring, and this particular turquoise ring was purchased at an auction on July 10, 2012 by Kelly Clarkson for $236,000? It was information like this that left me bewildered. It made me want to go pick up one of her books and begin reading immediately. Above, in the quotes sections, you will be able to see some of my favorite lists.
***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review***
This book and all the information that lies within it have been well researched and that is easy to see right from the start. The categories and lists are brilliantly organized and full of information that I would have never guessed and would not have known about Jane Austen had I not picked up this book. I love that the book starts with Jane’s life as an author because I believe that is most pertinent.
There were several facts in here that I just had to jot down while reading. Did you know that Jane Austen wore a turquoise ring, and this particular turquoise ring was purchased at an auction on July 10, 2012 by Kelly Clarkson for $236,000? It was information like this that left me bewildered. It made me want to go pick up one of her books and begin reading immediately. Above, in the quotes sections, you will be able to see some of my favorite lists.
***A copy of this book was provided to me by the publishers at Sourcebooks Landmark in exchange for an honest review***
September 2, 2013
As the youngest of eight children, with very little formal schooling, Jane Austen makes her mark on the world through her writing. Her most famous novels include Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice and Emma, among several others.
Jane’s life is chronicled here, from the everyday details like what she serves for breakfast to how her works get published. Much of this guide is filled with correspondence to her sister, Cassandra, and gives a real inside look into this amazing young woman. Thanks in great part to her father and brothers, she excels during a time when women are seldom given credit for their achievements.
Two hundred plus years later and the Janeites are going strong. This reference guide is sure to be a hit among those who are in love with Jane Austen’s novels, especially the detail that is given about the woman herself. I personally find the endless lists of dates, places and names–especially those of her characters–to be somewhat overwhelming, while the little tidbits of her personal life are quite interesting. All but the actual cause of her death, in which there still seems to be some question, is arranged here for any and all who wants to know the woman behind the pen.
Lototy
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
- See more at: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Book...
Jane’s life is chronicled here, from the everyday details like what she serves for breakfast to how her works get published. Much of this guide is filled with correspondence to her sister, Cassandra, and gives a real inside look into this amazing young woman. Thanks in great part to her father and brothers, she excels during a time when women are seldom given credit for their achievements.
Two hundred plus years later and the Janeites are going strong. This reference guide is sure to be a hit among those who are in love with Jane Austen’s novels, especially the detail that is given about the woman herself. I personally find the endless lists of dates, places and names–especially those of her characters–to be somewhat overwhelming, while the little tidbits of her personal life are quite interesting. All but the actual cause of her death, in which there still seems to be some question, is arranged here for any and all who wants to know the woman behind the pen.
Lototy
Reviewer for Coffee Time Romance & More
- See more at: http://www.coffeetimeromance.com/Book...
July 30, 2016
It's been such a long time since I read such a wonderful nonfiction Austen book! Everything was laid out so well, so neatly. (Can you tell I am very much a list person?) I didn't catch any mistakes, as too often I do, and I really felt as though I was reading a good scholarly work despite its lighthearted format. I've read almost all the Austen biographies and books under the sun, or so it seems, but it had been a while since I'd read one and this was the perfect refresher and I plan to buy a copy of my own (as soon as I have money...so it might be a while) to use as a reference guide in my Austen research and writing. Bravo to the author - she has done very well!
Overall: 9/10 (because sometimes it got a bit too pedantic).
Overall: 9/10 (because sometimes it got a bit too pedantic).
December 28, 2013
Jane Austen fans, is this ever a treat for you!
This little gem of a book has literally everything listed inside that you could possibly imagine and more. Everything from her family history, her writing, her hobbies, you name it, it's in the book.
I absolutely loved the pages of poetry. I felt like I had a sincere glimpse into what her life and world was like back then. Her poetry shows how she felt then.
Tons of fun raveled into this book. I love how heartwarming it is, and am sure there are tons of you that will appreciate and love it too!
I dare say, you have to be a fan of Jane Austen's though, or this book may not have that affect on you.
2.5/5
This little gem of a book has literally everything listed inside that you could possibly imagine and more. Everything from her family history, her writing, her hobbies, you name it, it's in the book.
I absolutely loved the pages of poetry. I felt like I had a sincere glimpse into what her life and world was like back then. Her poetry shows how she felt then.
Tons of fun raveled into this book. I love how heartwarming it is, and am sure there are tons of you that will appreciate and love it too!
I dare say, you have to be a fan of Jane Austen's though, or this book may not have that affect on you.
2.5/5
June 5, 2013
This book is unique in that it’s a series of quotes and quips from Jane’s life and as I was reading through the book, I was amazed at the wealth of information and research that went into this delightful little book. We know what Jane Austen wrote but how often do we really learn about an author, especially those from long ago...I think that this book will appeal to anyone interested in Jane Austen, her life and her legacy. I highly recommend it!!
Below is just a sampling of what is in this book!!
Below is just a sampling of what is in this book!!
March 11, 2015
*I received this as a Firstreads giveaway*
To anyone who loves the work of Jane Austen, this is your book. I love Jane Austen, yes, but I also love anything British. _The List Lover's Guide to Jane Austen_ is an excellent compilation of details that give us a glimpse into the every-day British life during Austen's time. Rarely do we get such a glimpse.
Any lover of Jane Austen or British things will very much enjoy this little treasure.
To anyone who loves the work of Jane Austen, this is your book. I love Jane Austen, yes, but I also love anything British. _The List Lover's Guide to Jane Austen_ is an excellent compilation of details that give us a glimpse into the every-day British life during Austen's time. Rarely do we get such a glimpse.
Any lover of Jane Austen or British things will very much enjoy this little treasure.
November 18, 2013
A treasure trove of every list you can imagine and more: of suitors, first lines, places she lived and traveled, literary references in her novels, books she read, characters in her novels, hearts she broke, and balls and dances she attended just to name a few. This is a handy little reference for scholars as well as a wonderful introduction to the great authoress.
February 27, 2014
I was so excited to finally check this out from the library. Being both a list-lover and a Jane Austen fan, I was looking forward to it. I'm not exactly sure what I was expecting, but I was disappointed. It defintely contains some fun facts and interesting tidbits, but it just didn't float my boat.
September 11, 2016
Reads more like a reference book, but some great info inside.
July 26, 2014
Good List reference book -
October 3, 2020
This entertaining little gem is filled with trivia about Jane and contains quite a bit of Jane's own words. It's also a pretty book and would make a nice gift for any Janite.
October 10, 2015
Fun lists of Jane Austen's life and books. Basically everything that could be listed is. It's a fun resource.
Read
August 12, 2018Clearly a work of love and dedication, author Joan Strasbaugh has gathered not only what we do know (lists of all locations in each novel, lists of Jane's residences) but also pulled together an impressive array of, if not unknown, unconsidered variables. There are lists of all of Jane's relatives that she had contact with during her life. There are lists of neighbors, lists of suitors (both those whose hearts Jane broke and those who broke Jane's heart), her music, her favourite foods and even her hairstyles! I was hooked.
Full review available at: https://www.janeausten.co.uk/the-list...
Full review available at: https://www.janeausten.co.uk/the-list...
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews