Jane Austen's Guide to Dating [Paperback]

Lauren Henderson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 12, 2005

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." --Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

There was never a more astute chronicler of the hits and near-misses of love than Jane Austen. Now, she helps readers discover their inner heroines and get the guy in this witty book of romance and dating strategies.

Utilizing wisdom inspired by Jane Austen's novels, from Sense and Sensibility to Pride and Prejudice and beyond, author Lauren Henderson creates an indispensable guide for navigating the all-too-mystifying dating scene. Harnessing the triumphs and pitfalls of Austen's classic characters, Henderson shows how qualities like honesty, self-awareness, and forthrightness always win the right man -- and still let you respect yourself in the morning.

A completely new and amusing approach to dating, Jane Austen's Guide to Dating includes insightful personality quizzes that reveal which Jane Austen character you -- and your mate -- most resemble. Armed with this knowledge, you can learn what to do if you're a Lizzie, but the object of your affection is a Bingley. You can even find out how to gain the clearheadedness and confidence that Anne Elliot had and almost lost in Persuasion.

Full of wit and truly useful advice that has stood the test of time, Jane Austen's Guide to Dating will help readers overcome the nonsense and find the sense (and sensibility) to succeed in a lasting relationship. Fans of Jane Austen and newcomers alike will delight in this fun, fresh, and audacious guide.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"It'll make you seem witty and well-read when complaining about your love life." -- New York Daily News

About the Author

Lauren Henderson is a founding voice of the "tart noir" mystery genre and is the author of numerous novels, including My Lurid Past and the Sam Jones detective series (Black Rubber Dress, among others). She was raised in London and currently resides in New York, where she is happily dating a Henry Tilney.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (January 12, 2005)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1401301177
• ISBN-13: 978-1401301170
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.9 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #751,344 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 39 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Jane Austen's Heroes and Heroines Analyzed, March 10, 2005

By 

Meredith "Austenesque Reviews" (Wilmington , NC USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Jane Austen's Guide to Dating (Paperback)

This is my first time reading a book about dating, it was not so much a self help book. It was more of a discussion of all the romantic characters in all six of Jane Austen's lovely novels. In the book you look at their relationships, personalities, and why it did or did not work out.

The book is broken down into ten chapters. Each chapter is a rule. Some of them are very helpful such as "If you like someone, make it clear that you do." In the chapter it stresses the point that you should not play hard to get and try to appear unavailable. Which I am very guilty of doing!

Each chapter has three references from three different novels, then like 6 stories about people in real situations in today's world. The author stresses that the world has changed since Jane Austen's time, yet the fundamental principals of falling in love are the same. If you love Jane Austen you will like this book, it is all about how her books teach us the proper way to find and fall in love with the right person. That is what the books of Jane Austen are all about, right? marrying for love? she would know , don't you think.

At the end of the book there is a quiz to see what kind of heroine you are and a summary of all Jan'es novels, and character analysis of romantic character good and bad!

I highly recommend this book for: anyone whole loves romance, loves Jane Austen, is in search of a Mr. Knightly or Mr. Darcy, keeps falling in love with Willoughby's and Wickhams's, and is . . . ahem . . still single!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Does everyone meet in bars?, March 8, 2007

By 

Seattlemusicfan - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jane Austen's Guide to Dating (Paperback)

As a Jane Austen fan, I thought this would be a fun read. Even though I'm married, I wanted to share it with my daughter. While the book does a great job of using examples from the novels to make her points, the modern day examples repeatedly tell of people meeting in bars?! Is this really where folks hope to find the love of their life? Also, the book assumes people sleep around A LOT before settling down. Guess I've been married a little too long...otherwise it was cute.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Tired of dating games? Love Jane Austen? Read this book!, May 23, 2005

By 

Beth Cholette "doctor_beth" (Upstate NY USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (#1 Hall OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jane Austen's Guide to Dating (Paperback)

When she moved to the US from England, author Lauren Henderson was mystified by the American dating scene. Concepts such as "if you really like him, DON'T call him!" were completely foreign to her, and she quickly found that her romantic relationships were floundering. Not knowing where to turn for advice, she fell back on her favorite author, Jane Austen, for guidance.

Hendersen's main premise is that Austen's classic novels contain a wealth of truisms which can be applied to the modern dating scene, from "if you like someone, make it clear that you do" to "be prepared to wait for the right person to come along." The ten rules which Henderson gleans from Austen's work each form a separate chapter in the book, with each rule illustrated using various relationships, both good and bad, from Austen's novels. Of course, much of the advice itself is merely common sense, but the Austen-based examples lend a unique intelligence and wit to what would have otherwise been another run-of-the-mill self-help book.

Although Henderson suggests that you do not need to have read Austen in order to benefit from her book--she even provides summaries of Austen's six novels for those who fit this category--I believe that the book's appeal to non-Austen fans is limited. However, if you have cherished Austen's novels, you are likely to relish every moment of this book as well, particularly the opportunity to match yourself and potential partners with Austen characters. In conclusion, I would recommend this amusing little guidebook for any female fans of Jane Austen (are there any other kind?) who are looking for some basic, practical dating advice.