You can find me over at one of my very favorite blogs, Modern Mrs. Darcy, chatting about a very important bookworm problem: what’s the Janeite to read after finishing all of Austen’s novels?
Cultivating a Catholic family through literature, liturgical living, and urban homesteading
I love both Jane Austen and Elizabeth Gaskell! But I have a couple of other recommendations for Austen-lovers:
Frances (/Fanny) Burney. She was either a contemporary of or came shortly before JA. I liked ‘Cecilia’ and ‘Camilla’: both centre on heroines making their way in the world; sometimes a little annoyingly virtuous (like Fanny in ‘Mansfield Park’) but there’s always a happy ending like in Austen.
Maria Edgeworth. ‘Patronage’ was amazing: it’s about the intertwining lives of the children of 2 families and how their upbringing and principles play out in their adult lives.
Someone commented mentioning Georgette Heyer. She wrote in the 40s (?) but set her books in the Regency period. I wouldn’t say it was great literature – you’ll notice similar plotlines and characters in a few of the novels… – but has the wit of JA! My favourites were ‘These Old Shades’, ‘Devil’s Cub’, ‘Faro’s Daughter’, ‘Regency Buck’, ‘Arabella’…
I have to agree about the ‘N&S’ and ‘Wives and Daughters’ mini-series – loved them! I also liked ‘Mary Barton’ and ‘Ruth’ (the books) by EG: well worth a read! 🙂
Ps – I love your blog! 🙂
Thanks, Madeleine! Love these recommendations! I will certainly check them out!
I have my grandmother’s copy of “Pride and Prejudice” with beautiful illustrations from the 1930’s, so I’ve been a fan from a very young age. I agree about Georgette Heyer’s books, which are often so amusing I laugh out loud…I have all her books, some in first editions. Several other writers you might enjoy, though they’re not of the regency period are Miss Read books which if you’ve not read them, you will love as they’re written in the Austen mode of several families in an English country village. (based on her experiences as an school teacher) Another writer, though not great literature by any means, is D.E.Stevenson, a cousin of Robt.Louis Stevenson. You might enjoy Mrs. Tim of the Regiment, or Mrs. Tim Christie…both books based on Ms. Stevenson’s (aka Dorothy Peploe) own experiences as a military wife in WWII era. God bless. I love your website.
That is so wonderful! What a treasure. I’m not familiar with the Miss Read books at all, I’m so glad you mentioned them!