- Jubilee offer: spend £10 or more on any product sold by Amazon.co.uk on or before June 6 and you can buy The Diamond Jubilee A Classical Celebration Album for just £2.50 Here's how (terms and conditions apply)
| |||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Plus, get an extra £5 Gift Certificate when you trade in books worth £10 or more before June 30, 2012. Visit the Books Trade-In Store for more details. |
Special Offers and Product Promotions
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Review
'Charming guide to period etiquette and social niceties' Financial Times Book of the Year 'How to refuse a marriage proposal politely, address someone correctly or dance without social embarrassment and other issues of the day are accompanied by a range of witty and beautiful watercolours that emphasise the elegance of Austen's world and lead you straight back to her inimitable fiction' Good Book Guide 'Warm charming' New Statesman 'Has everything from how to refuse a proposal of marriage to what to wear for a nice morning walk' Sunday Express
Product Description
How to pay and return formal 'calls'; how to refuse a proposal of marriage; who should lead off the dancing at a country-house ball; what to wear for a morning walk...Today such social niceties are largely ignored or forgotten, but they underpin all of Jane Austen's timeless novels and are explored and dealt with in this highly original book. Written as if intended for Austen's original readers in the Regency era, and illustrated with exquisitely witty watercolours, Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners is a light-hearted, entertaining and instructive little handbook of etiquette as depicted in Jane's novels and letters. It will not only offer sound wisdom and pearls of advice, but also encourage the modern-day reader to look back at Jane's work with a new and deepened appreciation.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
There are no customer reviews yet on Amazon.co.uk.
5 star
4 star
3 star
2 star
1 star
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
23 reviews
91 of 92 people found the following review helpful
Helping to explain some of the more obscure aspects of Jane Austen's works, with elegance and art
26 Dec 2006
Format:Hardcover
Being a fan of nearly everything Jane Austen, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that I would buy this book. The Regency period of English history -- from about 1790 to 1820 -- has always interested me, and has been a lucrative trade for modern romance writers, but I was curious about something. How was the Regency period actually? And to solve that question, writer Josephine Ross goes right to the source: none other than the most famous author of the Regency period, Jane Austen, who wrote six novels, and a wide selection of letters, to find out what were the correct manners of the time.
The Regency period was a time when to know how to behave was important. Having the knowledge of when to speak, how to speak, dress, and even introduce yourself could make or break your social success. With a gentle tongue-in-cheek humor, Josephine Ross takes examples from Austen's heroes and heroines to show the right way to behave, in a series of chapters that run the gamut from conversation to marriage and children.
Beginning with an Introduction about the Authoress, Jane Austen herself, the reader is guided into the world of polite society, starting with Manners, Introductions, Conversation, Dining and Dancing, Dress and Taste, Matrimony, Family and finally, Servants. For each aspect, Ross draws on the observations made in the books and letters, and more importantly, shows why a blunder -- or save -- was made.
What I really liked about the book is that it suddenly opened up some of the more obtuse passages in the books that didn't make much sense to me when I had first read them. Of course, Jane Austen already knew that her audience were very familiar with the background that she was working with, and so naturally, didn't bother to explain anything. But for the modern reader, with our quick world of the internet, flashy clothing, and a rather casual attitude towards relationships, some of the behavior seems downright strange. Why would plain white clothing make a woman fashionable above all else; why would a gentlewoman never, but never, visit a man alone, and how being able to make an introduction could prove to be invaluable later?
And yes, many of these same ideas apply in our own world. Some might find them to be terribly old fashioned, but some basics still matter -- especially when a person finds themselves in a scenario where good manners do count, such as say, in a business setting or when meeting potential in-laws, and both skill and tact are called for.
Along with the humor and various aha! moments, the other pleasure of this book were the delicate watercolours painted by Henrietta Webb that illustrated the book throughout. They caught the mood perfectly, and with just a dash of irony as well.
For collectors and fans of Jane Austen's novels, and anyone who needs a good laugh or quiet chuckle, this slim volume -- it's under 150 pages in length -- would make a delightful little present. The layout and design is lovely, and easy on the eyes, presented in a small, hardback format. Josephine Ross has also written a more scholarly work on Jane Austen, which goes into more detail about life in the Regency period.
Happily recommended.
The Regency period was a time when to know how to behave was important. Having the knowledge of when to speak, how to speak, dress, and even introduce yourself could make or break your social success. With a gentle tongue-in-cheek humor, Josephine Ross takes examples from Austen's heroes and heroines to show the right way to behave, in a series of chapters that run the gamut from conversation to marriage and children.
Beginning with an Introduction about the Authoress, Jane Austen herself, the reader is guided into the world of polite society, starting with Manners, Introductions, Conversation, Dining and Dancing, Dress and Taste, Matrimony, Family and finally, Servants. For each aspect, Ross draws on the observations made in the books and letters, and more importantly, shows why a blunder -- or save -- was made.
What I really liked about the book is that it suddenly opened up some of the more obtuse passages in the books that didn't make much sense to me when I had first read them. Of course, Jane Austen already knew that her audience were very familiar with the background that she was working with, and so naturally, didn't bother to explain anything. But for the modern reader, with our quick world of the internet, flashy clothing, and a rather casual attitude towards relationships, some of the behavior seems downright strange. Why would plain white clothing make a woman fashionable above all else; why would a gentlewoman never, but never, visit a man alone, and how being able to make an introduction could prove to be invaluable later?
And yes, many of these same ideas apply in our own world. Some might find them to be terribly old fashioned, but some basics still matter -- especially when a person finds themselves in a scenario where good manners do count, such as say, in a business setting or when meeting potential in-laws, and both skill and tact are called for.
Along with the humor and various aha! moments, the other pleasure of this book were the delicate watercolours painted by Henrietta Webb that illustrated the book throughout. They caught the mood perfectly, and with just a dash of irony as well.
For collectors and fans of Jane Austen's novels, and anyone who needs a good laugh or quiet chuckle, this slim volume -- it's under 150 pages in length -- would make a delightful little present. The layout and design is lovely, and easy on the eyes, presented in a small, hardback format. Josephine Ross has also written a more scholarly work on Jane Austen, which goes into more detail about life in the Regency period.
Happily recommended.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Great book for the Regency Period
15 April 2008
Format:Hardcover
This book is great if you are interested in etiquette, dress and marriage - Regency style. The book enlightened me on several things like - if I would refuse to dance with a man when he asked me, I would have to sit out two dances - if he found another partner. If he did not find another partner, I could not dance the rest of the night! It incorporates the characters of Jane Austen - why they did what they did, or why they didn't. Great book to have! I've shared it with all of my friends!
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Beautifully Presented
7 May 2008
Format:Hardcover
Not only is the content of this guide insightful, witty and fun, the presentation is just wonderful. It is a slightly small book, hardcover, with a cover jacket (as pictured), as well as a string bookmark. The watercolours throughout are delightful, and add to the content.
The excerpts from Austen's letters add to the information being presented, as well as illustrative examples from her novels. This guide helped to explain some of the finer points and traditions featured throughout the novels.
A very handsome looking book with impressive content.
The excerpts from Austen's letters add to the information being presented, as well as illustrative examples from her novels. This guide helped to explain some of the finer points and traditions featured throughout the novels.
A very handsome looking book with impressive content.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
