Library Research Guides: WRIT 137: The Novels of Jane Austen: Get Started

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England in the Age of Austen by Jeremy Black
Publication Date: 2021

Provides a historical context for a deeper appreciation of Austen's novels, including chapters on "Families, Women, and Men," "Faith and the Church," "Rural England," and "Transport and Industry."
An Oxford Companion to the Romantic Age: British culture, 1776-1832
Publication Date: 1999

Includes some substantial articles by scholars on topics such as Women, Education, Empire, Music, Domesticity, Policing, Law, Poverty, Class, and Medicine, as well as many other A-Z entries. Bibliographies point to further sources.
All Things Austen: An A-Z encyclopedia by Kirstin Olsen
Call Number: Clapp Ref PR4036 .A275 2005

In print. For use in library only.
What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew
"This fascinating, lively guide clarifies the sometimes bizarre maze of rules, regulations, and customs that governed everyday life in [19th century] England." (from the publisher) (Print only)
The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen
Publication Date: 1997

Includes chapters on social class, money, religion and politics, and the professional woman writer, as well as overviews of particular works and other aspects of Austen's life and writing.
The Cambridge Companion to 'Pride and Prejudice'
Publication Date: 2013

Includes background information on the literary, historical, and economic apects of the novel, as well as critical analysis of key themes and topics.
Encyclopedia of Romanticism: Culture in Britain, 1780s-1830s
Publication Date: 2009

Substantial articles on the social, cultural, and intellectual climate of English Romanticism from the 1780s to the 1830s.
Handbook of British Romanticism (e-book) by Ralf Haekel (Editor)
Publication Date: 2017

Includes discussions of key concepts such as history, class, gender, science, and popular culture as well as accounts of central literary genres around the turn of the 19th century. Includes a chapter on Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
Encyclopedia of the Romantic Era, 1760-1850
Articles on prominent individuals, survey articles on history and literature during the Romantic Era, and other significant topics. Outside of Britain, includes significant content on Germany, France, Spain, and other European nations.
The Cambridge Companion to English Literature, 1740-1830
Publication Date: 2004

The first part of the volume focuses on broad themes including taste and aesthetics, national identity and empire, and key cultural trends such as sensibility and the gothic. The second part takes up the work of individual writers including Austen.
A Jane Austen Encyclopedia
Call Number: Clapp Reference PR4036 A28 1988

A detailed guide to the life and career of Jane Austen, with entries on her characters, family members, works, and themes. Includes a chronology of her life and literary/historical contexts. In print. (Currently unavailable)