Subject Headings

  • There are many subject headings related to Jane Austen.  To look at the complete list, go to the library home page (www.lfpl.org), then click on the link on the left side of the page for the library catalog, and then click on “Browse” on the blue bar below the LFPL logo.  In the search box, type “Austen, Jane” and choose subject in the drop down box.  Click “Go.”  You can look through the various headings and click on one to conduct a search.  Examples:

       o       Austen, Jane

o       Austen, Jane, 1775-1817. Pride and prejudice

o       Austen, Jane,--Criticism and interpretation

o       Austen, Jane,--Fiction

o       Austen, Jane,--Film and video adaptations.

o       Austen, Jane,--Quotations.

·         You can also browse through search terms related to general British and English authors/literature and society.  These results will be very general and may not include books about Jane Austen.  However, these can be helpful if you want contextual information.  Examples:

o       Women and literature--England--History--19th century

o    Literature and society -- England -- History -- 19th century

o    England -- Social life and customs -- 18th century

o    England -- Social life and customs -- 19th century

o    Novelists, English--19th century--Biography

Keyword Search Terms and Example Search Strings

·         You can perform a keyword search by going to the library catalog and typing keywords in the “Keyword search for” box.  Your keywords will depend on what information you would like to find.  The results will not be as precise as using the subject terms above.  Examples:

o        “Jane Austen” is the most general, and will return results for books and materials about her (biography, criticism, sequels, new novels) and books by her.

o        Jane Austen critic* (will return results for book about literary criticism, critical pieces, etc.)

o        Jane Austen life or Jane Austen biography (for books about her)

o        Jane Austen England

o        The limiters on the catalog site are also very effective.  For example, a search of just “Jane Austen” can be narrowed by author search (results in mostly books by Austen), subject (books about Austen), title (the title of the book will include Jane Austen), etc.  Click on the “Search by” drop down box on the main catalog page and look at and choose one of the options to search if desired.  You can also use the “Limit To” drop down list to choose just books, or just large print books. 

Call Numbers in Nonfiction

·         Look at books with the call number 823.7 for books about Jane Austen.  Browse around the rest of the 820s for books about other English authors and English literature.

Examples of Books (these can all be found at St. Matthews)

·    Biographies (biographies are shelved according to the subject’s last name, so look for Austen on the shelf)

o        Jane Austen

§         By: Carol Shields

§         Shields’ book is a straightforward, fairly short (less than 200 pages), biography.  The biography is not arranged by subject, as it is meant to be read from beginning to end.  If looking for specific information about Jane Austen or her works, then another source may be better.  However, this is a solid, general, biography that will provide a great deal of insight into Austen’s life.

o        Jane Austen: a life

§         By: David Nokes

§         Nokes’ book is similar to Shields’ biography about Austen.  However, this biography has a table of contents and an index.  Therefore, locating specific topics in the biography is easier.  There are also years listed on the top of the pages on the right side (1786-1791, 1806-1809, etc.).  This is a very strong and comprehensive biography.   If looking for a general overview of Austen’s life, one of the books listed below or one of the sources in the “Topic Overview” section of this Pathfinder might be appropriate. 

o        Note: Some of the other books (and all other materials like reference and websites) also contain a good deal of biographical information in addition to the various other purposes of the source.  The books listed above are strictly biographies. 

·         Books About England and Context for Austen’s Novels

o        Jane Austen’s World: The Life and Time of England’s Most Popular Author

§         Author: Maggie Lane

§         Location: Biography section, look under “Austen.”

§         Lane’s book begins with a short biography about Austen.  Most of the book is about England at the time Austen lived.  There are chapters like “Society and The Spirit of the Age” with one to two page sections called, for example, The British Empire, Church and Clergy, The Royal Family, etc.  There is another chapter called “Daily Life in Jane Austen’s England” with sections called Meals and Manners, Housekeeping. A Little Education, etc.  A third chapter is “Who Was Jane Austen?” that includes a section called “Love and Friendship.”  The book is easy to use, very colorful, and it includes many illustrations and pictures. 

·         Critical Works

o        Bloom’s BioCritiques: Jane Austen

§         Location: Nonfiction

§         Call number: 823.7

§         Introduction by Harold Bloom

§         This book contains a biography, a few critical essays, a chronology of Austen’s life, and a list of works about Austen.  The essays are not about specific books.  One is general, and the others focus on themes throughout Austen’s novels.  This is a nice all-in-one book. 

o        Modern Critical Views: Jane Austen

§         Edited with introduction by Harold Bloom

§         Location: Nonfiction

§         Call Number: 823.7

§         This book has a variety of critical essays.  The topics and approaches vary.  Some of the titles are: “‘A Pair of Fine Eyes’: Jane Austen’s Treatment of Sex,” “Guessing for Ourselves in Northanger Abbey” and “Austen’s Ambiguous Conclusions.”  These essays stand alone as scholarly work and might provide ideas for further research. 

o        Searching for Jane Austen

§         Author: Emily Auerbach

§         Location: Nonfiction

§         Call number: 823.7

§         Auerbach’s book is primarily a critical work (there are chapters about each of Austen’s main novels), but Auerbach intersperses some humor into her discussions.  There’s also a chapter titled “Behold Me Immortal: Finding Jane Austen Today” that has various tidbits of interesting information and illustrations and pictures.  Auerbach also includes the full text of Mark Twain’s “Jane Austen” essay and provides her opinion of it. 

·         General books about Jane Austen and/or her works

o        The Friendly Jane Austen: A Well-Mannered Introduction to a Lady of Sense and Sensibility

§         Author: Natalie Tyler

§         Location: Biography (look under “Austen”).

§         Tyler’s book includes quizzes, interviews, and many illustrations.  There are three main sections (Early Life, Major Works, and The Legacy) with numerous chapters and short sections.  The short sections on selected topics can be read out of context.  This is an easy to read and enjoyable book. 

o        Flirting with Pride & Prejudice: Fresh Perspectives on the Original Chick-Lit Masterpiece

§         Edited by: Jennifer Cruise

§         Location: Nonfiction

§         Call number: 823.7

§         This book is a compilation of essays about a variety of topics such as Austen’s life, England, and her novels.  There are a number of sections like “Jane as Universal Social Commentator,” “Jane’s Hero,” and “Jane in the Twenty-first Century.”  Some of the essays include “Pride and Prejudice. With Cell Phones,” “‘Does this petticoat make me look fat?’” and “My Darling Mr. Darcy.”  As the titles imply, this is a lighthearted, though informative, look at all things Austen. 

o        101 Things You Didn’t Know About Jane Austen

§         Author: Patrice Hannon

§         Location: Nonfiction

§         Call number: 823.7

§         This book, as the title implies, is split into 101 short sections that are arranged in seven categories.  Each of the 101 sections is a good introduction to various aspects of Austen’s life and works.  One of the sections/categories is called “Silence and Disappointed Love” and includes sections called “The marriage proposal” and “Jane’s mysterious Devon Lover.”  Another section is called “Brilliant Beginnings” and includes sections called “Arrested for shoplifting!” and “Eliza: cousin and friend becomes sister.”

  • Fiction

  •  Note: There are many novels that have been published in recent years about Jane Austen, her characters, and her novels.  A good way to find them in the catalog is to do a keyword search for “Jane Austen” and look for books that have fiction or mystery as the call number.  Here are some examples of the books St. Matthews has:

  • Title: Jane and the prisoner of Wool House

  • Author: Stephanie Barron

  • Location: Mystery

  • Barron's book is a mystery and Jane Austen is the main character. Austen investigates what appears to be a murder involving someone her brother knows in the Royal Navy during 1807. Barron has also written similar books.

  • Title: Mr. Darcy's Daughter

  • Author: Rebecca Ann Collins

  • Location: Fiction

  • Collins' book is a sequel to Pride and Prejudice. The book focuses on Cassandra, the daughter of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Collins has written many similar books as part of the Pemberley Chronicles.

  • Title: Jane Austen in Scarsdale

  • Author: Paula Marantz

  • Location: Fiction

  • Marantz's novel is an entertaining twist on the plot of Persuasion. The main character is a guidance counselor at a prep school and finds that an old boyfriend's nephew is enrolled in the school. What follows is a fun romantic comedy.

  • Title: Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance - Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem

  • Author: Seth Grahame-Smith

  • Location: Fiction

  • This parody includes most of the original Pride and Prejudice text, but it incorporates a new zombie subplot. England has become overrun by zombies and Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are zombie killers. (There are other similar books by other authors, such as Sense and Sensibility and Sea Monsters by Ben Winters.)

      



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