Previous Meetings

Sunday, February 21, 2010

Our discussion of Northanger Abbey continued. Also, two of our members who had visited the city of Bath in the past related their experiences and impressions. We looked at a map of the city showing points of interest that appear in the novel and pictures of the various buildings including the famous Pump Room.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

Began discussions of Northanger Abbey and the gothic novels that it spoofed. The 18th Century gothic novel craze commenced with the publication in 1764 of The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole. The genre reached its peak in 1796 with the publication of The Monk by Matthew Gregory Lewis.

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Annual Tea Party

We had a great time talking about Jane Austen at one of our members' home while nibbling on goodies.

Sunday, November 15, 2009

We had 10 students and their English teacher from South Cobb High School visit with us. We had a general discussion for the benefit of the students and took several questions from them.

Also, one of our members presented a short paper entitled, 'What the Heck is Michaelmas?' It explained the English customs surrounding the yearly 'Quarter Days' of Michaelmas, Christmas, Mid-Summer day and Lady Day. The first three of these appear in Austen's novels. We also discussed how Jane Austen used almanacs to keep the time lines accurate in her books.

Sunday, October 18, 2009
Lady Susan discussion concludes.

Notes on Lady Susan: Many are struck by the similarity between LS written in 1794 and Les Liaisons Dangereuses written in 1782. George Holbert Tucker in his biography, Jane Austen the Woman, describes an additional possible inspiration for the villianess, Lady Susan: Mrs. Elizabeth Craven, widow of Charles Craven who was governor of South Carolina from 1711 to 1717, and mother of Martha Lloyd, the close friend of the Austens. "According to Mary Augusta Austen-Leigh, Mrs. Craven was remembered by her descendants for her sadistic meaness."

Sunday, September 20, 2009
Lady Susan discussion begins. This epistolary novella was written by Jane Austen when she was just nineteen.

Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) - Atlanta Region