Jane Austen: In Style

by Susan Watkins, Hugh Palmer (Photographer)

Examines the styles and customs of Jane Austen's England, discussing the elegance and refinement of the period

Genres: Jane Austen, Nonfiction, History, Research, Regency, Art, Historical

224 pages, Paperback

First published August 15, 1993

About the author

Susan Alice Watkins is Professor in the School of Cultural Studies and Humanities at Leeds Beckett University, and the Director of the Centre for Culture and the Arts. She is an expert in contemporary women's fiction and feminist theory. Susan's main research interests are in the field of contemporary women's fiction and feminist theory.

Reviews

[Melisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not gonna lie, I mostly pursued the photos in this book (which were all very beautiful). A great resource for Jane Austen fans to get a visual and learn more of the times about which she writes.

[Sophia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am always on the hunt for opportunities to read more about the world that Jane Austen and her characters inhabited so I grabbed this one up when I saw it lying on the clearance shelf. It needed a good home. Haha!

I got so much more than I paid for in this one. It is richly illustrated with pictures, drawings, sketchings and details of the late Georgian and early Regency period particularly as they relation to Jane Austen. There is daily life, society, fashion of home and person, politics, locations, and so much more. It would make a nice reference tool, but also handy to have nearby when reading period books. There is a chronology, bibliography and biggest plus, the index.

Nicely organized and worth the perusal.

[Lesley-Anne McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the same book as Jane Austen Town and Country Style. It is one of the best introductions to the Regency era that I have encountered.

[Jen3n · Rating 3 out of 5]

A cute and very specific book regarding the homes and habits of Georgian and Regency gentry-class UK citizens in general, using the extended family of novelist Jane Austen as a jumping-off point.

Some really beautiful photographs here of homes from the period, either as they are now or reproductions of how they would have been then. Some little trivia that I didn't know, and a couple of good recipies. Not as much fun as other reference books for the era like An Elegant Madness or as straightforwardly encyclopedic like What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew, but useful and pleasant to read.

Frankly, late 18th and early 19th century history and culture so far as the British Empire is concerned is sort of my "thing." Everybody needs a hobby. The point is: I'm not at all subjective about it. I liked this book because I'm very interested in its very specific subject matter, but some people would probably find this book very, very dry.

Recomended, if you're in to this sort of thing.

[Cyndi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anyone interested in writing a story set in the Austen period of England would find this book very helpful. The information is priceless. After reading Jane Austen's book countless times I finally know what a 'ha-ha' is.

[Judy Scheibach · Rating 2 out of 5]

Would prefer fewer descriptions and more pictures.

[Nell · Rating 3 out of 5]

This has sat on my shelf for many years, but I had never more than leafed through it. Finally I read it from cover to cover. As much or more illustration as text, but it has basic biographical information about Austen and her family, quotations from her and her contemporaries and those who influenced her, commentary about the characters in her books and the real-life people who might have inspired them, and similar speculation about the country houses she visited and which ones may have served as models for the novels she set in them. Mansfield Park figures prominently. Homes and their grounds, history, furnishings, inhabitants and their guests' manners and dress, even meals served there all illuminate the life of relative ease Jane lived when she stayed with family and friends of greater means than her own.

[Keith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is highly readable book that focuses on the world that Jane Austen knew: daily activities, special occasions, customs and recreation, homes and gardens, and many other aspects of Jane Austen's own life and the lives of the characters in her novels.

[Sophie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful pictures.

[Lesley-Anne McLeod · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simply the best introduction to the Regency World.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really liked it, made me feel like I was in Jane Austen's world

[Autumn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderfully old-fashioned and unacademic. Perfect for history lovers, Austen lovers, and design lovers.

[Rosemary · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very interesting glimpse into life in Jane Austen's time. Comprehensive study complete with illustrations depicting every aspect of the Regency lifestyle, from fashions to ballrooms and more.

[Sarah Toton · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book about life in Jane Austen's era. Difficult to read for long periods, but a great book.

[Phyllis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a wonderful and interesting book relating to Jane Austen's life, the culture and all how it relates to her writing. Loved it!

[Upik · Rating 4 out of 5]

A nice reference to Jane Austen's period style.

[Jeanne McElvaney]

Ms. Watkins took me into the details of Regency England's gentry... making me feel that much more connected to all things Jane Austen.