Online Book + Film Discussion: Emma by Jane Austen

On March 8, New York Public Library is hosting a virtual online book and film discussion for Emma.

From the event page:

Join the staff at Muhlenberg Library for a film discussion of the 2020 feature  Emma. based on the 1815 classic novel by Jane Austen.

Emma is a headstrong, high-spirited, and privileged young woman who severely overestimates her matchmaking abilities as she meddles in the romantic lives of those around her. Hard-won knowledge about the intricacies of love compels her to reconsider her vow to never marry.

Participants will have read the book Emma and watched the 2020 film at home before the discussion.

The event will be held via Google Meets and you can register here.

Jane Austen Season Events

Jane Austen Season

Literature Cambridge is proud to present Jane Austen Season.

Set over the course of January through April 2022, each month has a different theme.

  • Match-making in Emma with Fred Parker, Senior Lecturer in English and Fellow of Clare College, University of Cambridge ((January)
  • Money in Sense and Sensibility with Claire Wilkinson, University of Cambridge (February)
  • The Art of Influencing in Persuasion with Ildiko Csengei, author of Sympathy, Sensibility and the Literature of Feeling in the Eighteenth Century (March)
  • Home in Pride and Prejudice with Alison Hennegan, Retired Fellow of Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge (April)

Full price is £28.00 for adults and £23.00 for students and CAMcard holders

The events start 6.00 pm British Time and is virtual.

More information can be found at Literature Cambridge’s website.

Best Treatment

“I always deserve the best treatment because I never put up with any other.” Emma by Jane Austen

Silly Things

“Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.” Emma by Jane Austen

Thug Notes: Emma, Jane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights

Image of Dr Sparky Sweets for Thug Notes

If you’re not hip to Thug Notes, you really need to be. A series produced by Wisecrack. each video gives the summary and analysis of books ranging from 50 Shades of Grey to Fahrenheit 451. Thug Notes covers over 100 books (!) with more coming every month.

Last year I covered Thug Notes’ Pride and Prejudice video and I was thrilled to discover “Dr. Sparky Sweets” has also covered EmmaJane Eyre, and Wuthering Heights. If you have a few minutes and you’re not opposed to some not safe for work language, you really need to check these out.



Smells like Jane Austen

Image of the perfume stick of Longbourn by Latherati Soap.

I am a big fan of perfumes, scented oils, candles, and anything else that smells good and has some kind of theme or idea attached to it. It should be no surprise, then, to discover there are quite a few perfumes, soaps, and oils that can help you feel like you’re a part of Austen’s world whether drawing from the Regency era or inspired by.

Below are some of the scents you can buy to get you in the Austen mood.

Pemberley: A Jane Austen Inspired Perfume by Immortal Perfumes ($30+)
The notes are rosewood, coriander, cedarwood, honeysuckle, hyacinth, peony, and vetiver. The scent is best described as sweet and floral.

Longbourn by Latherati Soap  ($12)
The scent is best described as sweet honeysuckle & tart lemon mellowed and warmed by amber, tonka bean and musk.

The Jane Austen Solid Perfume Palette by Latherati Soap ($16)
Six samples of the following scents:

  • Barton Cottage – rose, violet & lily of the valley sit on a bed of green ivy with fruity notes of juicy raspberry & sweet yellow pear grounded in patchouli, caramel, white vanilla and sandalwood
  • Hartfield – ripe strawberries mingle with orchid, jasmine, muguet & violet and a touch of plum, musk & vanilla
  • Longbourn – honeysuckle with green leafy grass notes smoothly blended with zesty lemon and herbal undertones immersed in tonka bean and musk
  • Mansfield – a cup of red clover tea marbled with sweet baby roses and earthy sandalwood
  • The Abbey – soothing lavender floating on a base of cedarwood, rosewood, cardamom, warm amber, vetiver and tonka bean.
  • The Cobb – marine, ozone & sea spray with whispers of jasmine, freesia, lily, citrus and wood grounded by the slightest hint of musk

Latherati Soap has an extensive collection of perfumes, lotions, bath salts, and soaps inspired by Austen.

Jane Austen Perfume Collection by Wicked Good Perfume  ($14.95)
Another sampler based on Austen’s six novels. Each perfume is paired with a quote from the book it is named after and is “Impeccably packaged in a commanding book cloth covered print.”
The scents are:

  • Sense & Sensibility – ‘Sense will always have attractions for me’ – Scented with earl grey, vanilla and lavender.
  • Pride & Prejudice – ‘Happiness of marriage is entirely a matter of chance’ – A mysterious blend of exotic, spicy pomegranate, wild bergamot, dewberry, iris, jasmine; followed by spicy notes of cinnamon, clove, nutmeg, with base notes of precious woods and cedar.
  • Persuasion – ‘What is right to be done cannot be done too soon’ – Frankincense, myrrh, patchouli and warm, powdery sandalwood
  • Emma – ‘There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart’ – A delicate tea rose with nuances of green and powder.
  • Northanger Abbey – Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothing’ – Tea at the Abbey. Berry sorbet, vanilla and lemon ice infused with Kombucha tea create an addictively refreshing impression with an Asian twist.
  • Mansfield Park – ‘There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort’ – Top notes of pear and a hint of raspberry are blended with mid notes of osmanthus, vanilla, cinnamon, and clove, on a base of redwood, cedarwood, sandalwood, and light musk.

Mrs. Bennet’s Anxiety Balm by Little Bits(LBCC Historical) ($10)
Little Bits has an extensive collection of make-up and perfumes that replicate make-up from the Regency era or is inspired by Austen.

Elizabeth Bennet by The Little Book Eater
The notes are white tea, apricot, nutmeg, ginger, and gardenia. The scent is best described as sweet and floral. The Little Book Eater also has a few other scents available in the vein of Austen.

You can check out more scents at Etsy!

 

*Prices subject to change

Book Review: Manga Classics: Emma

Image of the product reviews header image

Title: Manga Classics: Emma
By: Jane Austen and Stacy King
Pub date: June 24, 2015
ISBN: 978-1927925355

[Amazon][Powell’s][Library][GoodReads][LibraryThing]

In one of my many bios across the internet, I proclaim I contain multitudes and I make a good addition to any trivia team. This is most certainly true as my interests range from Jane Austen to Doctor Who to Formula 1 racing and back again to the Edwardian age (and everything in between). One of the things I do is I write reviews for No Flying, No Tights, a graphic novel review site that is geared for parents and librarians. Since I am a librarian and I love graphic novels, here we are!

With that said, a few years ago I did a review for Stacy King’s Manga Classic: Emma. I love some good paraliterature so I snapped this up in a hurry. While I cannot reproduce the review in whole here, copyright and all that (but you can find the full review link at the bottom), I can summarize to say I liked this quite a bit, I gush about it in the review, and I recommend it if you were interested in reading manga as this would be  good entry point (Udon, the publisher, has other classical tales in manga form) as well as it would be a good entry point for someone who is intimidated by the classics.

You can find the full review here.

 

Jane Austen and Charlotte Brontë web series

Now that we’re in the middle of winter and we are all getting cabin fever, it’s time to turn to YouTube for some entertainment!

Web series have been popular for awhile covering everything from make-up tutorials to unboxing, so it seems ripe that there would be retellings of Austen and Brontë’s works and behold, there is! Below you’ll find modern adaptations of four of Austen’s works, one Jane Eyre, and a quick summary and analysis of Pride and Prejudice just in case you have forgotten.

Word to the wise each of the series runs between 75 – 100+ episodes but each of the episodes are 2 – 4 minutes long. This should keep you plenty entertained during those slow days at work.

(I will recommend you start with The Lizzy Bennet Diaries since those are the most well known as well as popular.)

The Lizzy Bennet Diaries (Pride & Prejudice)

Autobiography of Jane Eyre

Emma Approved (Emma)

Northbound (Northanger Abbey)

Elinor and Marianne take Barton (Sense & Sensibility)

Pride & Prejudice – Thug Notes Summary and Analysis

Don’t let the name fool you. “Dr. Sparky Sweets” gives a great summary and really thought out analysis of the book, so if you’re not adverse to some strong language, definitely check this out.