To answer questions about
Pride and Prejudice,
please sign up.
Ale
Try "North and South" by Elizabeth Gaskell ;)
Lady Margaret
Thackeray's Vanity Fair is my choice too. It's set in England at about roughly the same time period. A very memorable anti-heroine, and other class conscious characters make this book much fun, indeed.
Tanmay Tikekar
Though not exactly a 'comedy of manner' per se, Catch-22 is arguably the definitive work of satire. It's more biting than Austen and more serious than Wilde, though.
Sammy
I'd like to recommend "Vanity Fair" by William Makepeace Thackerey.
It's wickedly funny and very well written. One of my favourites.
It's wickedly funny and very well written. One of my favourites.
Janaki
If you really loved the light-hearted style of Pride and Prejudice (which I love so much!), you should check out Emma by Jane Austen. It has the same mood and the same plot skeleton that Pride and Prejudice has!!
Melindam
Maybe you should try Anthony Trollope's Barchester Towers
Joy Panagides
Georgette Heyer is a wonderful writer of Regency satires/comedies of manner. Superb detail, great story line, the best for Austen fans wanting more.
Nissim
You might enjoy books by P. G. Wodehouse.
Mayte
Evelina by Frances/Fanny Burney is a satire on the fashionable society of eighteenth century London. Jane Austen admired Burney's novels. I am currently reading and enjoying it :)
Aditi Singhal
George Bernard Shaw's -Pygmalion & Candida
Katie Maya
I would recommend reading her other novels, Emma and Persuasion. I'm currently reading Persuasion and if you like her sense of humor you will like these novels!! Emma has a particular sarcastic funny sense as well.
Barbara K. Zarins
Barbara Pym is a British author whose stories take place in settings similar to Austen's, but mid 20th century. Her humour is as biting.
N
You might enjoy "Jonathan Strange And Mr Norrell" by Susanna Clarke, and the collected works of P.G. Wodehouse.
Marian Rakestraw
If you like Austen, try Georgette Heyer. Many of her books are gentle Regency romances, full of witty conversations and memorable characters.
Diane
Are you specifically looking for classics, or just the comedy-of-manners tone? I'm a fantasy fan, but the great thing about fantasy is it allows all manner of plots and tones, from epic to comedy-of-manners. You should try Gail Carriger's 5-book Parasol Protectorate series. Her flavor of alt-Victorian steampunk has been called "teapunk" or "mannerpunk". I also enjoyed indie author W.R. Gingell's frothy murder-mystery-fantasy take on Beauty & the Beast, Masque.
Ben Sandeen
Charles Dickens's sense of humor is relatively similar to Jane Austen's. His is a bit more exaggerated and comical, but it has a similar "feel" to it.
Antonio Tavanti
E.M. Forster comes with a similar subtle humour as Austen's about such topics as society, love, wealth etc.
Give Howards End a try.
Give Howards End a try.
Jamie
A Room With a View by E. M. Forster
Reshma Nair
You should read Psychopathic love Story. super humour.
Steffi
Have you read 'Lady Windermere's Fan' by Wilde? I likes that one.
Krishna Jain
'sense and sensibility' is also a good book.
Samantha Anderson
I enjoyed "She stoops to conquer" by Oliver Goldsmith. It's play, so a slightly different style of reading.
Carrie
Frederick Marryat is a bit more over the top with satire, but I found him delightfully hilarious.
Diana
Here's a blog that might interest you. http://austenprose.com
I agree with the Wodehouse recommendations! I recently finished reading One Plus One by Jojo Moyes and some of the humor was reminiscent of Jane Austen.
I agree with the Wodehouse recommendations! I recently finished reading One Plus One by Jojo Moyes and some of the humor was reminiscent of Jane Austen.
Franceseattle
I would recommend Anthony Trollope's The Warden, followed by his Barchester Towers. There really is no one else I can think of with the wit and observational talents of Jane Austen, but you might possibly enjoy the 44 Scotland Street series by Alexander McCall Smith, Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons (great movie version of this with Kate Beckinsale). Bonfire of the Vanities is a great satire, but rather biting. And you could also see if the Mapp & Lucia series, by E.F. Benson tickles your fancy. For funny, light-hearted romantic fiction, I would recommend Sophie Kinsella's I've Got Your Number, Twenties Girl, The Undomestic Goddess.
Trudy Bodwell
Fatma, I know it's been 7 years ago that you asked this question. I would still like to recommend the Mapp and Lucia stories by E.F. Benson. They take place in the late 20s - early 30s. They are set in small villages in England. Benson's humor is very witty and sarcastic. The plots are about nothing of importance to anyone but the characters involved.
Emma
I recommend Northanger Abbey; Jane Austen's first novel. I ascertain this Austen to be a little different, perhaps because the main character seems so young and naïve, but with a very affectionate heart, and open and cheerful disposition. Austen mentions many contemporary novels by name as the heroine is loves reading books by Ann Radcliff and poems by Pope, Thompson, Gray and Shakespeare, which provides some interesting insight into the period.
It follows Catherine Morland, a naïve young woman with an enthusiastic love of Gothic novels. When an opportunity arises for her to visit Bath, she becomes acquainted with the Tilney family. It’s not long before she is invited to visit them in their home—the mysterious and foreboding Northanger Abbey. Catherine must discern whether her imagination is getting the better of her, and which of her new friends is worthy of her love and trust.
It is not quite a comedy, because it is a horror, much like: Is the family concealing a terrible secret within the elegant rooms of the Abbey? Who can Catherine trust? What is the mystery of the Abbey?
But they humor and wit in the book are wonderful.
It follows Catherine Morland, a naïve young woman with an enthusiastic love of Gothic novels. When an opportunity arises for her to visit Bath, she becomes acquainted with the Tilney family. It’s not long before she is invited to visit them in their home—the mysterious and foreboding Northanger Abbey. Catherine must discern whether her imagination is getting the better of her, and which of her new friends is worthy of her love and trust.
It is not quite a comedy, because it is a horror, much like: Is the family concealing a terrible secret within the elegant rooms of the Abbey? Who can Catherine trust? What is the mystery of the Abbey?
But they humor and wit in the book are wonderful.
D.
Comedies like this- but more modern (British Satire): Stella Gibbons' Cold Comfort Farm, also The Pursuit of Love/Love in a Cold Climate. The Cold Climate, a sequel to Pursuit of Love, by Nancy Mitford is more biting than Austen's books. You question led me, on a quiet weekend morning to realize that Mitford, described on this website as "larger than life" had an interesting life herself. So now I have marked a biography of her "Want to Read"! Enjoy reading......
Maryam Tahir
Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.
Katie Robinson
I would recommend Jeeves and Wooster, by P.G. Wodehouse. It's very similar to The Importance of Being Earnest, and just as funny! The stories centre around Bertie Wooster, who is continually getting himself into all kind of scrapes. It falls upon his valet Jeeves to get him out of them. It features a whole host of equally ridiculous side-characters. I would also highly recommend Vanity Fair (which I see has been recommended here before). Thackeray's satire simply drips off the page!
Brensie
I would recommend anything by P.G. Woodhouse.
Laura Blanco
I strongly recommend Terry Prattchet! His ironic narrative style is gorgeous!
Gauri H
For those who love simple and pure romance, this engaging story has it all. An arrogant king, a reluctant prince, warriors looking for revenge, a kingdom surrounded by enemies, fantasy and true love. This story emphasizes on the fact that things are often not what they seem.
Read, like, review share this e book available on amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DB7SF8Y
For those who love simple and pure romance, this engaging story has it all. An arrogant king, a reluctant prince, warriors looking for revenge, a kingdom surrounded by enemies, fantasy and true love. This story emphasizes on the fact that things are often not what they seem.
Read, like, review share this e book available on amazon
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07DB7SF8Y
Kate Fulford
Fatma -
May I be as bold to recommend my recently released debut? My favourite book of ALL TIME is Pride & Prejudice.
Why? It has a feisty, opinionated heroine, a plot that works like a dream, and, as Sammy says below, it’s so wickedly funny. I believe it to be a masterclass in writing and has influenced my own approach.
My release - In-Laws & Outlaws - is a modern take on a centuries-old challenge - family relationships. As a recent reviewer here noted: " the way things got twisted closer to the end of the book made me race to finish it. I just had to know. So many secrets, so many characters involved"
I would be, as a debut novelist, very keen to read your review.
Kate
May I be as bold to recommend my recently released debut? My favourite book of ALL TIME is Pride & Prejudice.
Why? It has a feisty, opinionated heroine, a plot that works like a dream, and, as Sammy says below, it’s so wickedly funny. I believe it to be a masterclass in writing and has influenced my own approach.
My release - In-Laws & Outlaws - is a modern take on a centuries-old challenge - family relationships. As a recent reviewer here noted: " the way things got twisted closer to the end of the book made me race to finish it. I just had to know. So many secrets, so many characters involved"
I would be, as a debut novelist, very keen to read your review.
Kate
David
Dorothy Parker also wrote excellent comedies of manners, although early 20th-century American, rather than English. Some of her stories are available here for free:
http://freereadingbook.com/read-book-...
I agree, P.G. Wodehouse is excellent and hilarious.
Another excellent comedic satirist is James Thurber.
http://freereadingbook.com/read-book-...
I agree, P.G. Wodehouse is excellent and hilarious.
Another excellent comedic satirist is James Thurber.
Janet Aylmer
Try Darcy's Story, or Dialogue with Darcy
Jill
this may sound odd, though i'm going to give you my opinion. its not a classic, but JK Rowling and jane austin have a bit in common, such as they are both from the UK, and their humors are similar. if you haven't read harry potter, i suggest it. though, thats just my opinion, both authors are favorites of mine.
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more
