Customer Reviews

Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners: Compliments, Charades & Horrible Blunders

5 star:		(13)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
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Being a fan of nearly everything Jane Austen, it was pretty much a foregone conclusion that I would buy this book. The Regency period of English history -- from about 1790 to 1820 -- has always interested me, and has been a lucrative trade for modern romance writers, but I was curious about something. How was the Regency period actually? And to solve that question, writer Josephine Ross goes right to the source: none other than the most famous author of the Regency period, Jane Austen, who wrote six novels, and a wide selection of letters, to find out what were the correct manners of the time.

The Regency period was a time when to know how to behave was important. Having the knowledge of when to speak, how to speak, dress, and even introduce yourself could make or break your social success. With a gentle tongue-in-cheek humor, Josephine Ross takes examples from Austen's heroes and heroines to show the right way to behave, in a series of chapters that run the gamut from conversation to marriage and children.

Beginning with an Introduction about the Authoress, Jane Austen herself, the reader is guided into the world of polite society, starting with Manners, Introductions, Conversation, Dining and Dancing, Dress and Taste, Matrimony, Family and finally, Servants. For each aspect, Ross draws on the observations made in the books and letters, and more importantly, shows why a blunder -- or save -- was made.

What I really liked about the book is that it suddenly opened up some of the more obtuse passages in the books that didn't make much sense to me when I had first read them. Of course, Jane Austen already knew that her audience were very familiar with the background that she was working with, and so naturally, didn't bother to explain anything. But for the modern reader, with our quick world of the internet, flashy clothing, and a rather casual attitude towards relationships, some of the behavior seems downright strange. Why would plain white clothing make a woman fashionable above all else; why would a gentlewoman never, but never, visit a man alone, and how being able to make an introduction could prove to be invaluable later?

And yes, many of these same ideas apply in our own world. Some might find them to be terribly old fashioned, but some basics still matter -- especially when a person finds themselves in a scenario where good manners do count, such as say, in a business setting or when meeting potential in-laws, and both skill and tact are called for.

Along with the humor and various aha! moments, the other pleasure of this book were the delicate watercolours painted by Henrietta Webb that illustrated the book throughout. They caught the mood perfectly, and with just a dash of irony as well.

For collectors and fans of Jane Austen's novels, and anyone who needs a good laugh or quiet chuckle, this slim volume -- it's under 150 pages in length -- would make a delightful little present. The layout and design is lovely, and easy on the eyes, presented in a small, hardback format. Josephine Ross has also written a more scholarly work on Jane Austen, which goes into more detail about life in the Regency period.

Happily recommended.

This book is great if you are interested in etiquette, dress and marriage - Regency style. The book enlightened me on several things like - if I would refuse to dance with a man when he asked me, I would have to sit out two dances - if he found another partner. If he did not find another partner, I could not dance the rest of the night! It incorporates the characters of Jane Austen - why they did what they did, or why they didn't. Great book to have! I've shared it with all of my friends!

Not only is the content of this guide insightful, witty and fun, the presentation is just wonderful. It is a slightly small book, hardcover, with a cover jacket (as pictured), as well as a string bookmark. The watercolours throughout are delightful, and add to the content.

The excerpts from Austen's letters add to the information being presented, as well as illustrative examples from her novels. This guide helped to explain some of the finer points and traditions featured throughout the novels.

A very handsome looking book with impressive content.

Light, humorous and indispensable. This is also a beautiful book, made with care. It's as much a pleasure to hold as it is to read. Concise, to the point, you can find whatever you need regarding social matters within a minute or so. Highly recommended.

I am not an English literature major, but even so, I appreciated having an explanation of the proper manners - and manners proper - to Jane Austen's era.

Jane Austen's Guide to Good Manners is a good nice entertaining read right before bedtime. This book is small and sturdy, and the attached ribbon bookmark was a nice surprise. The colored illustrations are beautiful and great accompaniments to the text. This guide is written as a set of rules of decorum on how to behave like a Regency lady/gentleman. The writing is humorous and not dry, and Ross usually provides an example/quote from one of Jane Austen's novels to illustrate a particular rule.

An avid scholar of Jane Austen's novels or the Regency period will probably find this book old and boring with no new/original information because most of the rules can be gleaned directly from the behaviors of the characters in Austen's novels. However, for the typical Austen fan who just can't get enough of the Regency period just for fun, this is a nice little book in a beautiful package that summarizes all the little odd behaviors/mannerisms of the characters you see in the novels. This book will make a nice gift for a Jane Austen fan.

One thing to note is that the cover shown on Amazon for the hardcover version is not the same as the one I received. The cover of my hardcover version is actually the paperback version shown on Amazon with a lady in a blue ball gown dancing with a gentleman.

I love this book. I have always been an Austen fan and I felt I knew what was happening in the stories pretty well, but after reading this book, I have been able to pick up on so many more wonderful little details that really open up the stories and the characters so much more. It's very worth while to read, and the writing is very witty and funny. Something Jane would have laughed at too, I'm sure. Lots of fun all around. Perfect for any devoted Autstenian.

This book is described as "little" because it is. It is the same size one of Austen's original volumes. It provides the rules of etiquette for every imaginable social situation. If a lady were to refuse a request to dance, she would have to refuse all others. A little help with some of the more obscure definitions would have helped (e.g., battledore), but a fun and interesting read.

As a Jane Austen fan I got a kick out of this book. It can be picked up and read when you have a minute or an entire evening.

This is a wonderful addition to the Jane Austen enthusiest's library. It explains the etiquette and lifestyle of the time, using scriptures from the novels themselves as examples. At the time I bought this, I had only just seen the Pride & Prejudice movie. I had yet to read the novel. I found myself wondering why Elizabeth Bennet was so upset by her sister's elopement. This small companion does such a good job of explaining this and much more. Now I can pick up on many more things in the movie that I missed before that give it more meaning- All the little manners and behaviors that have been forgotten over the years are concisely laid out here, in this tiny book.