Things to Know Before Reading Austen
Jane Book Club Details and Miscellany
A hearty hello to the hundreds of new subscribers who made their way here to participate in A Year with Jane! I’m so glad you’ll be reading with us. I’d like to answer a few questions about reading Austen and then I’ll quickly cover the necessary but boring housekeeping details of how the book club works.
Who Am I?
A friend encouraged you to subscribe but you have no idea who Haley Stewart is? Let me introduce myself. I’m an author of books for both children and grown-ups, a Florida native who lived in Texas long enough to become a bit of an enchilada snob (14 years), mom of four kids ages 4-14, and wife to a whisky distiller. I’m the Managing Editor of Word on Fire Spark (WOF Publishing’s new children’s imprint) so I like to think of my work as literary midwifery—helping bring new beautiful creations into the world. And for the purposes of this post about Austen, it might be good to know that I wrote a book called Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life: On Love, Friendship, and Becoming the Person God Created You to Be.
Why Read Jane Austen?
Because she’ll change your life. Austen is not only one of the finest novelists (perhaps the very best who wrote in the English language), but she’s also a keen observer of human vice and virtue. If you allow yourself to be formed by her, you will not only have deeper insights into moral philosophy you will gain more self-awareness, humility, and inspiration to grow.
Because great philosophers and literary minds say so. Join the Austen fan club alongside card-carrying members like Alasdair MacIntyre, Cornel West, Toni Morrison, G.K. Chesterton, C.S. Lewis, Anthony Trollope, and many more.
Because she’s fun. After 200 years, readers are still delighted by Austen’s novels. She’s hilarious! If you’re under the impression that her stories are all smelling salts, salad forks, and dance cards, you’re woefully mistaken. Austen is not melodramatic—her characters are very true to life. And she is laugh out loud funny. If you need a little assistance becoming acquainted with Regency era humor, try starting out with an audiobook so that the narrator can help you catch on to when Austen is making a joke.
And AUSTEN IS NOT JUST FOR THE LADIES. If MacIntyre, West, Chesterton, Lewis, and many more have adored Austen—you can, too, fellas. My husband makes whisky for a living, runs ultra marathons, and is covered in tattoos. Real men love Jane Austen. I don’t make the rules.
Have I convinced you? Join me in reading all of Austen’s six novels this year!
How will the book club work?
How do I sign up? If you’re subscribed to this Substack, then you’re all set! No need to do anything else.
Does it cost money? Nope! It’s a free Substack. If you’d like to support this effort, please invite a friend to subscribe and order my book Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life.
My vision for the book club is to cultivate a community of readers who want to enjoy Austen’s novels this year. If you’ve never read them before and feel overwhelmed at tackling them, you’re in the right place. If you’ve read them all 10 times and want to nerd out with other Austen fans, you’re in the right place.
We will take two months for each of the Austen’s novels and the corresponding chapters in my book Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life.
What book are we starting with?
We’ll spend January and February diving in to Pride & Prejudice. This is Austen’s most popular novel for a reason and the humor in it is the most accessible to the contemporary reader. There are many editions out there, so just grab what’s on your shelf or at the local library. And if you enjoy audiobooks, this is an excellent novel to enjoy with a great narrator. Some of my favorite for this novel are Karen Savage and Rosamund Pike.
Reading schedule:
Week of January 8th:
Gather your books. There are many editions of Pride & Prejudice out there, so just grab what’s on your shelf or at the local library. And if you enjoy audiobooks, this is an excellent novel to enjoy with a great narrator. Some of my favorite for this novel are Karen Savage and Rosamund Pike. Grab Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life from Ave Maria Press (use STEWART20 for 20% off) or from Amazon.
Week of January 15th:
Read the Introduction and Chapter 1 of Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life
Week of January 22nd:
Chapters 1-12 of Pride & Prejudice
Week of January 29th:
Chapters 13-23 of Pride & Prejudice
Week of February 5th:
Chapters 24-36 of Pride & Prejudice
Week of February 12th:
Chapters 37-48 of Pride & Prejudice
Week of February 19th:
Chapters 49-61 of Pride & Prejudice
Week of February 26th:
Chapter 2 of Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life
Zoom Discussion with special guest TBA
Caveat:
On the reading schedule I have suggested reading the chapter about Pride & Prejudice after finishing the novel. This is because as a reader I hate spoilers. But if you’ve already read the novel or are familiar with the story and want a resource to help you dive deeper as you re-read it, feel free to read Chapter 2 of Jane Austen’s Genius Guide to Life first.
I’m really proud of this little book on what Austen can teach us about growing in holiness. And people other than my mom have enjoyed it. Here’s a recent review from a buyer on Amazon: “Read this if you love Jane Austen, or if you're merely curious about what a writer from the past can tell us about how to live today. One does not need to be Catholic to be spiritually encouraged by this book. Our world needs more people who take virtue seriously, and this book is a good, heart-lifting guide to attaining virtue. It's also an enjoyable read, filled with insights on Jane Austen's works.” (Thanks, Michele!)
Okay, does that answer everyone’s questions? Do you have everything you need? I’ll be sending out some reflections and discussion questions to consider as you read. If you want to read faster or slower, go for it. This is fun, not homework.
But reading Austen might be a leg up in academic sports as my teenager has discovered:
And if you want to get real nerdy, check out this interesting piece about the economics of Mr. Darcy’s fortune and Pemberley estate. (Thanks for sharing it with me, Isaiah!)
I’m looking forward to reading and discussing Austen with you! Feel free to share any questions in the comments and I’ll jump in.
If you know someone who would enjoy reading Austen with us for our Year of Jane, please share this post with him/her!
I'm in! I just ordered your book and have started re reading Pride and Prejudice. I've had the same copy since high school and it's been at least 10 years since I've read it. Giving me all the warm fuzzies. :)
All set up. I gave my daughter my copy of your book and just received my second copy from Ave Maria. Looking forward to this.