I love reading Jane Austen stories. What genres are they, though? Any recs for similar stories?

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Latina Bunny

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I have been reading (and re-reading!) several books by Jane Austen, and I was wondering what actual genres are they?

Are these considered Literary? Women's Fiction?

I mean, they definitely have lots of romantic elements, but I don't know if they're full-on Romances? I can't put my finger on why I feel this way.

I was wondering about their genres because I would love to read more books like these. :)

They don't all read like straightforward Romances, per se. I feel they're more social commentary, or maybe coming of age (like my absolute favorite Jane Austen book, Northanger Abbey) than strictly Romance. Maybe romantic comedy, or something?

Am I completely off-base here?
 

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They're called Regency Romances, and there's plenty out there, with new ones all the time. Enjoy!
 

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I have been reading (and re-reading!) several books by Jane Austen, and I was wondering what actual genres are they?

Most of them are part of what's called the English Novel canon, which means, mostly, that they're considered great literature and are routinely taught in colleges/universities, and written about by scholars.

In terms of genre, they'd qualify as Romances. Some would also qualify as female bildungsroman, that is, novels about become a woman/female adult.

In homage to Austen, a number of writers write historical romances set in the Regency and Georgian eras. The person best known for this is Georgette Heyer, who essentially created the sub genre of romance.
 

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They're called Regency Romances, and there's plenty out there, with new ones all the time. Enjoy!

Oh, I see. Thank you! :D I just love all sorts of Historical Romances in a variety of eras. Nice to know there are many books taking place in that particular time period era (Regency).

Most of them are part of what's called the English Novel canon, which means, mostly, that they're considered great literature and are routinely taught in colleges/universities, and written about by scholars.

In terms of genre, they'd qualify as Romances. Some would also qualify as female bildungsroman, that is, novels about become a woman/female adult.

In homage to Austen, a number of writers write historical romances set in the Regency and Georgian eras. The person best known for this is Georgette Heyer, who essentially created the sub genre of romance.

I think Northanger could be a bildungsroman. I feel Catherine really does come of age in that particular book, and is a major portion of the story (along with the romantic parts with Henry).

I'll have to check out Georgette Heyer, then. :) Thank you for the author suggestion. :D

ETA: Never mind my (stupid) history questions. *blushes*

I'm still a bit confused on the Empire/Directoire period part, though. I'm probably getting a bit mixed up with my fashion periods, perhaps, lol.
 
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Latina Bunny

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Sorry. *blushes*

I keep forgetting and mixing up all of my knowledge of those eras (Empire/Directoire/Napoleonic?, Georgian, Regency, and sometimes Victorian), for whatever reason.

I'm terrible at keeping track of my history stuff. >_< Lol, I need to make a timeline to keep track of these things.

Offtopic detail: Pride and Prejudice was just fine without the zombies. These classics are just fine without the gross zombies or sea monsters. I saw an Emma one with vampires a year or two ago, lol.
 
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Sorry. *blushes*

I keep forgetting and mixing up all of my knowledge of those eras (Empire/Directoire/Napoleonic?, Georgian, Regency, and sometimes Victorian), for whatever reason.

I'm terrible at keeping track of my history stuff. >_< Lol, I need to make a timeline to keep track of these things.

Offtopic detail: Pride and Prejudice was just fine without the zombies. These classics are just fine without the gross zombies or sea monsters. I saw an Emma one with vampires a year or two ago, lol.

If you like Austen, check out her History of England, written when she was a child (it's very funny).

Also, look for her letters; she was a snarky but keen examiner of human foible. The Norton Critical Editions (of which I'm very fond in general) of her Pride and Prejudice , Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma, are very fine in that they provide the novel with background info and critical commentary.
 

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It's my favourite link. (Sent to me by a vile child the day I asked what this Harry Potter was all about.)

Lol! I see. :D

I hope you weren't spoiled by the results (like so and so died or whatever). That child would really be quite "vile", if he did that! XD

If you like Austen, check out her History of England, written when she was a child (it's very funny).

Also, look for her letters; she was a snarky but keen examiner of human foible. The Norton Critical Editions (of which I'm very fond in general) of her Pride and Prejudice , Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma, are very fine in that they provide the novel with background info and critical commentary.

Oh, yes! I should definitely see her early works. :)

I can already sort of start to see she was a pretty funny or snarky writer based on her books I've read so far. Like the pointed satire of Gothic and sentimental novels in Northanger Abbey, for instance.

(I love how the author mentions how how non-tragic Catherine's childhood was, and how Catherine ends up being disappointed by the lack of horridness about the Abbey and the lack of exciting secrets, etc. Just love that book so much. :3 )
 

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Lol! I see. :D

I hope you weren't spoiled by the results (like so and so died or whatever). That child would really be quite "vile", if he did that! XD



Oh, yes! I should definitely see her early works. :)

I can already sort of start to see she was a pretty funny or snarky writer based on her books I've read so far. Like the pointed satire of Gothic and sentimental novels in Northanger Abbey, for instance.

(I love how the author mentions how how non-tragic Catherine's childhood was, and how Catherine ends up being disappointed by the lack of horridness about the Abbey and the lack of exciting secrets, etc. Just love that book so much. :3 )

Northanger is one of my very very favorite texts to teach, ever. If you love it, you should read Mysteries of Udolpho, or The Monk, both of which are kinda "there" in Northanger. Oh, and every single one of the "horrid" novels is real, and had been read by Austen.

And I love the way Austen essentially defends all fiction, particularly genre novels:

"And what are you reading, Miss—?"

"Oh! it is only a novel!" replies the young lady . . . in short, only some work in which the greatest powers of the mind are displayed, in which the most thorough knowledge of human nature, the happiest delineation of its varieties, the liveliest effusions of wit and humor are conveyed to the world in the best chosen language.
 

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You two between you are in danger of re-igniting my Austen-crush.
 

Latina Bunny

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Northanger is my number one fav Jane Austen story, thus far. :) Catherine is adorable, and Henry is such a joker and is a bit of a mystery. (I wonder how he is like at his clergy job?)

I love her other stories, too, including Mansfield Park. I liked Fanny and her love interest in that one. All of them are great to me, really, from what I've read so far.

I only just started reading Persuasion, and then I plan to read Lady Susan right after. I'll then look into Austen's early works. :)

Random thoughts about Northanger:

What's kind of interesting is that the author says the novel shows off "knowledge of human nature", but then the story also shows the dangers of confusing fiction with reality, later on with the Abbey incidents.

Maybe it's just to show that Catherine herself really doesn't understand enough of human nature to seperate fiction from reality, but the authors of those other books probably do know enough of human nature, and that they are also aware they're telling a fictional story.

Well, that's just my interpretation/analysis of it, anyway. I could be entirely off-track, course. :)
 

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Try Georgette Heyer. She wasn't writing about her own time, as Jane Austen was, but over the course of 100 or so books, Heyer pretty much transported herself to that world. She's no Austen, but she's about as close as you can get in that genre.
 

Latina Bunny

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Try Georgette Heyer. She wasn't writing about her own time, as Jane Austen was, but over the course of 100 or so books, Heyer pretty much transported herself to that world. She's no Austen, but she's about as close as you can get in that genre.

Oh, I was looking up her books on Amazon, and noticed Amazon has almost a dozen of her books. (Amazon also has them on the Unlimited program as well, so I can borrow and read some of them.)

I was thinking to myself, "Wow! This author seems to have wrote quite a bit of these types of books."

However, I didn't know she wrote close to the amount you mentioned here, though! XD Wow, a hundred books! :0

And then there are the Regency Romances that I looked up as well. I was reading one, and I'm really loving it. :)

Sooo many awesome books, so little time. :D

Thank you, all, for exposing me to more of these types of books. :3
 
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