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A Charming Place: Bath in the Life and Times of Jane Austen
Book by Lane, Maggie
104 pages, Paperback
First published October 27, 1988
57 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
July 5, 2023
This is quite a slight book, with a pretty narrow subject matter, Bath in Jane Austen's time and her novels. Well, I love Jane Austen, and I love Bath, a city I'm very familiar with as I live nearby. The author takes us through the customs and entertainments that would have been available to Jane Austen when she lived there, and shows us how she weaves it into her plots, particularly Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. It is an entertaining and easy read, accompanied by some beautiful line drawings, that made me want to go there and pay m it's attention to the locations she used in her novels. The subject matter is perhaps a little niche for many, but for someone with an interest, I think this is pretty great.
I'm now really looking forward to a re-read of Northanger Abbey, which I plan on getting to very soon.
I'm now really looking forward to a re-read of Northanger Abbey, which I plan on getting to very soon.
August 27, 2015
The further I got in this book, the more interested I became. It's very short and very narrow in scope (as the title suggests) but Lane cleverly interweaves the history of Bath, its appearance in Austen's novels, and Jane Austen's personal experiences with it. The contrast between Bath's portrayal in Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, written years apart but published at the same time, is striking when juxtaposed as it is here. Lane includes a period map/sketch of Bath that I wish were available as a foldout instead of as four book pages. Unfortunately, the narrowness of the subject matter suggests to me that its audience is probably similarly narrow--I suspect it will be of interest only to devotees of Jane Austen or those interested in the history of Bath who want a slightly different approach. 3.5 stars real rating, rounded to 4 because the final chapters captivated me.
June 5, 2009
I purchased this book in the early 1990's during a trip to bath. It is chock full of useful information about that unique city.
January 14, 2021
This small treasure packs a memorable and informative Jane Austen punch. "A Charming Place" was first published in 1988, written by author Maggie Lane, a co-founder of the Bath and Bristol Branch of the Jane Austen Society. The illustrator is Bridget Sudworth. Together, author and illustrator produced a remarkable small book that explores Jane Austen's life in the city of Bath, revealing her intimate knowledge of its streets, gardens, shops and the lifestyle of the city during the time period.
Persuasion and Northanger Abbey fans, be ready to learn a variety of things. Here is the perfect amount of information to keep you delighted. Did you know there was more than one pump room in Bath? Who was the master of ceremonies? And those "long walks" in the country were definitely a thing! The black and white illustrations of Bath's streets, houses, and shops serve to illuminate what Jane and her heroines saw and much of what present day visitors to the city can visit on a walk through Bath. For those of us who cannot travel there, the illustrations reveal the history and feel of the place. The illustration of Camden Crescent (upper Camden Place) is an example that made me aware of what a boom town Bath was historically, with architects vying to build ever newer and fancier buildings to house wealthy visitors, who might stay months or years, hoping to improve their health. Author Maggie Lane knits references from Austen's novels set in Bath as well as pieces of her Bath correspondence to her outside family to create a picture we can immerse ourselves in. Well worth the read. Recommend.
Persuasion and Northanger Abbey fans, be ready to learn a variety of things. Here is the perfect amount of information to keep you delighted. Did you know there was more than one pump room in Bath? Who was the master of ceremonies? And those "long walks" in the country were definitely a thing! The black and white illustrations of Bath's streets, houses, and shops serve to illuminate what Jane and her heroines saw and much of what present day visitors to the city can visit on a walk through Bath. For those of us who cannot travel there, the illustrations reveal the history and feel of the place. The illustration of Camden Crescent (upper Camden Place) is an example that made me aware of what a boom town Bath was historically, with architects vying to build ever newer and fancier buildings to house wealthy visitors, who might stay months or years, hoping to improve their health. Author Maggie Lane knits references from Austen's novels set in Bath as well as pieces of her Bath correspondence to her outside family to create a picture we can immerse ourselves in. Well worth the read. Recommend.
September 2, 2017
Can someone please book me in for a surgery, I would like to have this book sewn onto my body. Oh Maggie Lane! I wish you had an internet presence so I could be your friend and follow you to the ends of the earth!
This book shows the fascinating social customs of Georgian era Bath, but more than this, these customs are explored expressly in the context of Jane Austen. This is possibly the most niche book written in the English language.
Lane highlights parts of Jane’s letters to Cassandra as well as discussing some of the finer, easily-missed nuances of the two Bath novels—Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. This book will guide you through ‘Shopping’, ‘Walks and Drives’ and ‘Public Entertainment’ as well as my favourite section ‘House-hunting’. You will discover why Sir Elliot prefers Camden place to the lower part of town and why Henrietta Musgrove would prefer a situation that does not involve Queen’s Square (which had grown out of fashion by the time Persuasion was written). I was fortunate enough to have visited Bath last year, staying in the ‘Miss Musgrove disapproved’ Queen’s Square where Jane Austen herself lived (!), and just a short walk away from the Jane Austen Centre. When Lane talks of Milsom Street or Pulteney Bridge, Bath Street, the Abbey, The Crescent or The Circus, I can picture them vividly from having walked there. It feels as if Lane has given me a priceless gift.
This is by far the best book I have ever found in a book sale. That is no exaggeration, it truly is. I can’t believe someone was heartless enough to have forsaken it, and I can’t believe my good luck at having found it.
Original Review Posted at: https://suspectnarglesblog.wordpress....
This book shows the fascinating social customs of Georgian era Bath, but more than this, these customs are explored expressly in the context of Jane Austen. This is possibly the most niche book written in the English language.
Lane highlights parts of Jane’s letters to Cassandra as well as discussing some of the finer, easily-missed nuances of the two Bath novels—Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. This book will guide you through ‘Shopping’, ‘Walks and Drives’ and ‘Public Entertainment’ as well as my favourite section ‘House-hunting’. You will discover why Sir Elliot prefers Camden place to the lower part of town and why Henrietta Musgrove would prefer a situation that does not involve Queen’s Square (which had grown out of fashion by the time Persuasion was written). I was fortunate enough to have visited Bath last year, staying in the ‘Miss Musgrove disapproved’ Queen’s Square where Jane Austen herself lived (!), and just a short walk away from the Jane Austen Centre. When Lane talks of Milsom Street or Pulteney Bridge, Bath Street, the Abbey, The Crescent or The Circus, I can picture them vividly from having walked there. It feels as if Lane has given me a priceless gift.
This is by far the best book I have ever found in a book sale. That is no exaggeration, it truly is. I can’t believe someone was heartless enough to have forsaken it, and I can’t believe my good luck at having found it.
Original Review Posted at: https://suspectnarglesblog.wordpress....
April 1, 2024
Read for the 2024 Jane Austen July Readathon.
The book is riddled with references to Jane Austen's two Bath novels. So if you're interested in understanding the setting of Northanger Abbey and Persuasion more, this book is for you.
It's short and packed with interesting information.
Detailed review here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
The book is riddled with references to Jane Austen's two Bath novels. So if you're interested in understanding the setting of Northanger Abbey and Persuasion more, this book is for you.
It's short and packed with interesting information.
Detailed review here: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
September 7, 2016
A nice little book. Even though it was written in 1988 and I'm sure there have been a lot of changes in Bath since then, it's nice to know where Jane Austen stayed and what she thought of it.
September 27, 2019
A niche subject I'm sure, but for those who read who already have a background of Austen, they will appreciate it all the more.
October 14, 2008
Subtitle, bath in the life and times of Jane Austen. I saw this when I was visiting the Gay st. museum in Bath, and used it to decide which places to visit. As Jane books go, it doesn't really give me much more info about her, but it does have charming illustrations of the various places and gives good contemporary (to Jane) descriptions of the place. I'm enjoying it, but find the library's ILL policies frustrating: it came while I was on vac and I have one day to read it. Which means the loan was all of...2 weeks. Max.
May 31, 2015
A very thorough investigation into the City of Bath in the time of Jane Austen. It is beautifully illustrated and written, covering Bath as a Spa Town and Jane's perception of it, both as illustrated through the characters in her novels and her own viewpoint.
It should be required reading for all JA fans, visiting Bath.
It should be required reading for all JA fans, visiting Bath.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews