Jane Austen and Marriage

by Hazel Jones

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." - Pride and Prejudice The question of marriage lies at the center of Jane Austen's novels. The issues bound up in the pursuit of love, happiness, money, and status were those of her day and informed the plots and morals of her work. In this fascinating book, Hazel Jones explores the ways in which these themes manifest themselves in Jane Austen's life and fiction, against the backdrop of contemporary conduct manuals, letters, diaries, journals and newspapers. Drawing on original research, this entertaining and detailed study provides a charming and profound insight into the world of Jane Austen.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Regency, Books About Books, Literature

256 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 2009

Reviews

[Jade (beauty.andherbooks) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this for an essay I'm writing on Pride and Prejudice and it gave me a lot of quotes to use! So if you're wanting to write an essay or want to learn more about Austen herself and the Regency Era. I eventually had to start skimming the book since I wasn't writing on all of her novels; it became too tedious to read everything especially since P&P is the only Austen novel that I've read.

[Hilda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great study of the do's and don'ts in the 19th Century. And of course the way Jane Austen shows us the characters who break the written and unwritten rules.

[H · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked it. very useful for my bachelor project

[Margaret Kearney · Rating 3 out of 5]

April 2018-This was an interesting read if you like the history of everyday life. It was full of fun little bits of gossip and information as well as a view of Jane Austen and her family.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a study of marriage when Jane Austen was writing her novels. Although I didn't find the discussion of wedding cloths very interesting, I found the rest of the book very enlightening. I was already aware that the status of women in the late 18th and early 19th centuries was not good. We have come a very long way since the days when women were chattel whose main function was to bear and raise children, keep house and provide a sexual outlet for their husbands. In other words, they had the status of a cow.

About a quarter of women did not marry. For some that was a choice, but for most that meant a life of grinding poverty.

For gentlewomen, the number one cause of death was childbirth. One of Jane Austen's sister-in-law died in childbirth during or after her 11th birthing. As I recall, another died after her 5th birthing.

So getting married was often a choice between poverty and a risk of death.

The author uses plenty of quotes and examples from Jane Austen's letters and novels. She makes it clear that Jane was very conscious of the status of women.

All in all, I found this book interesting to read and a valuable research source for authors and other people interested in people's lives in Regency England.

[Judith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a necessary read for anyone interested in Jane Austen, cultural history, fiction, and biographies of her time. Jones makes copious references to the various couples, before and after marriage, mentioned in Austen's novels, whether major, secondary, or minor characters. Jones has read the secondary literature widely and offers insights into marital and social customs and situations of the period. As you can see from the book's table of contents, Jones proceeds according to the "life situations" of a young woman of the period, from courtship and for about 25% (I was surprised it was that high, given the dangers of childbirth and pregnancy of the period, but was also surprised at the estimated percent of men that remained unmarried or never married) of the women that did not marry.

For those writing those regency porn romances, read this and you will realize how unrealistic your plots are.

[Annie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very flat study of the theme of marriage in Jane Austen's works and life. For who knows her novels well, it is very boring, because it is purely descriptive. For example I would have expected at least a quote on Edward Said writings on the sujet of what is home, what is abroad, what is domesticity, and how those writings are affected by being written in a patriarcal and imperialist society.

[Hannah • So Obsessed With · Rating 2 out of 5]

Love learning more about Jane Austen & life during that time, but this book took me so long and I ended up skimming a lot of it. I wasn't very engaged in the book, which is why I'd say it's only "okay." But it would great for anyone doing research on the topic!

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating study of marriage and the relations between the sexes during Jane Austen's time, both in her novels and the real world. I read this for research purposes, but I found myself enjoying it far more than I had anticipated.

[Guanhui · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this book dispels any doe-eyed notion of Austen's fiction.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great study on the marriage situation for women in Georgian England - centred around Jane Austen (both in her personal life and her writing).