On the Sofa with Jane Austen

by Maggie Lane

On the Sofa with Jane Austen is a collection of essays that first appeared in the Regency World magazine. They celebrate the quirkiest corners and cleverest contrivances of Jane Austen’s art. The twenty-one topics range from coiffure to crime, from gossip to grandmothers. The title comes from the first essay, but it is also an invitation to spend time with a well-loved author in a relaxed and intimate way. The essays On the Sofa; The Hair was Curled; Lady Bertram's Fringe; A Very White World; The Silence of Mr Perry; Plump Cheeks and Thick Ankles; Reading Aloud; Arms and Legs Enough; November in the Novels; Words Overheard; Home Comforts; Shoelaces and Shawls; The Freshest Green; Neighbourhood Spies; She is Pretty Enough; Small World; Devoted Sisters; Theft and Punishment; Heroes and Husbands; Only a Grandmother and finally, Dear Mary.

Genres: Nonfiction

144 pages, Hardcover

Published November 22, 2016

Reviews

[Lona Manning · Rating 4 out of 5]

AS the title suggests, this a light, chatty read, not a serious academic tome. There were quite a few good insights and the author certainly knows her subject. But in several cases, I felt a bit disappointed as I felt the author simply picked a topic like, say, "shoes" and then just pointed out every time shoes are mentioned in any of the Jane Austen novels. Still, worth a read for die-hard Austen fans, a way to spend more time immersed in her world.

[Kirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm reminded of Bingley's comment about country manners in relation to the 20 short essays in this book....."I find them charming". No doubt Mr Darcy would play the role of critic....

[Tammy Buchli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun book of essays, each on a different topic as related to Jane Austen's novels. I enjoyed it a lot, but I probably wouldn't recommend it to anybody other than fellow true Austen fans. Others might find it a little too focused.

[Damaskcat · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a delightful collection of essays about aspects of Jane Austen's novels which first appeared in the magazine Regency World. I love reading books about books so I found this fascinating and read it in an afternoon. The topics covered range from Lady Bertram's fringe which she is always making to the way November appears in several of the novels.

I loved the way the book highlighted the small aspects of the novels which are never really obvious on first reading but only become apparent if you keep re-reading the novels. I hadn't appreciated how Austen creates the whole world of Highbury in Emma. The reader sees the various strata of society from gypsy children and poor cottagers, to Mrs Goddard's parlour boarders and Mr Perry the apothecary as well as the 'higher ups' such as Mr Knightly and Mr Woodhouse, Mr Elton, the vicar and the impoverished Bates family and Jane Fairfax who faces becoming a governess to support herself.

I found lots of minor details in this book which I have missed when reading the novels. The charming illustrations are instantly recognisable to fans of the novels and I found it easy to work out which incidents the pictures illustrate even without the captions. This is a delightful book for a Jane Austen fan and it will prove useful to anyone studying Austen's work.

[Cynthia Raleigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fun to read, short chapters written as stand-alone essays, each dealing with a different aspect of Jane Austen's novels. I enjoyed revisiting her books, some of which I haven't read in quite a while, and learning details about the commonplace practices of the time.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought-provoking read

The author has carefully analyzed different parts of Austen’s novels, and she presents her opinions in a particularly readable way. This could have been a very dry read.

[Ann Campbell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book is made up of an informative series of short essays on historically-oriented topics pertinent to Austen novels. The essays are useful for relatively new readers of Austen but there’s little new here for longtime Austen lovers.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

An enjoyable series of articles about different facets of Jane Austen's books.

[Chriss Corkscrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. Bitesize essays on different aspects of Austen's writing written in an engaging and entertaining way.