January 10, 2018
Jane Austen News - Issue 100
What's the Jane Austen News this week? Austen's Books!


- Naomi Wood’s captivating Mrs Hemingway; there are plenty of divorces to learn from in this book, as Ernest Hemingway liked marriage so much that he did it four times (and for each wife he also had a mistress [moral of the story: don't marry Ernest Hemingway]).
- Ann Patchett’s Commonwealth, which opens with an affair that kills two marriages and throws six children into one blended family, that we then follow for years.
But also on the list, perhaps surprisingly, was Jane Austen's Persuasion.
We hadn't looked at it from the perspective of divorce, but it does rather resonate. Which are the key novels which have helped you through divorce or heartache? Have any of them been one of Austen's books?That moment of Anne Elliot’s departure from her beloved Kellynch Hall in Persuasion is always affecting. She stands and looks at the place that held so much pain and feeling, friendship and reconciliation. Yet she must leave it all.

This is such an intense and gut-wrenching story and I am delighted that this esteemed ensemble of actors will be bringing it to life – led by Dominic West and David Oyelowo in the iconic roles of Jean Valjean and his nemesis Javert. In Valjean, we see the terrifying anger and resentment against society but also the tenderness that is hidden deep in his complex psyche. And in Javert, the ferocious dedication to duty that takes him from obsession to madness.Although this production will be dialogue only, without the famous songs from the musical (which has been running in the West End for more than 30 years!), it looks set to be a triumph. The cast includes: Dominic West - Jean Valjean David Oyelowo - Inspector Javert Lily Collins - Fantine Adeel Akhtar and Olivia Colman - Monsieur and Madame Thénardier Ellie Bamber - Cosette. Josh O’Connor - Marius Erin Kellyman - ÉponineAndrew Davies

Crossword The First (More Coming Soon)
Fans of Austen's books might enjoy the following.
We know many of you enjoy the Jane Austen Quiz each week. Well we thought that you might also like to know about
some of the new additions which will be shortly appearing on our website.
Created by one of the lovely Jane Austen Centre guides are a series of small crosswords, which are suitable for GCSE students and foreign language students who are studying Austen's books. As well as being fun to fill in, they're a great way of checking if students are ready for their exam questions on Austen and know what takes place in each book.
This week we have the first in the series for you, the Pride and Prejudice crossword. Simply click on the link to open the file as an online PDF.
Enjoy!
Pride and Prejudice Crossword
Pride and Prejudice Crossword Answers


2 comments
I read the headline of the first bit “Austen’s Books Banned Behind Bars” to mean that you couldn’t order a Pride and Prejudice with your pint of beer or glass of wine in a pub.
AdamQ
July 26, 2020
I love the newsletter. It’s short, diverse, interesting and newsy. I actually read it most times, unlike many newsletters I’m registered for. I’ve sent notes to Books Through Bars, my local prison library group, and the American Library Association for more info on “no Austen in Prison.” Thanks.
Author Bonnie McCune, www.BonnieMcCune.com
bfmccune
July 26, 2020