This month we are celebrating Jane Austen with All Things Austen in April! What does this mean? Many of our posts will be about Jane Austen – her life and times, her novels, her letters, and just about anything!
We begin All Things Austen with a letter Jane Austen wrote on April 1.
It is a delightful letter referencing the Prince Regent and also her inability to write a romance novel.
This is certainly not an April Fool’s joke! 🙂
Chawton, near Alton, 1 April 1816.
MY DEAR SIR, — I am honoured by the Prince’s thanks and very much obliged to yourself for the kind manner in which you mention the work. I have also to acknowledge a former letter forwarded to me from Hans Place. I assure you I felt very grateful for the friendly tenor of it, and hope my silence will have been considered, as it was truly meant, to proceed only from an unwillingness to tax your time with idle thanks. Under every interesting circumstance which your own talents and literary labours have placed you in, or the favour of the Regent bestowed, you have my best wishes. Your recent appointments I hope are a step to something still better. In my opinion, the service of a court can hardly be too well paid, for immense must be the sacrifice of time and feeling required by it.
You are very kind in your hints as to the sort of composition which might recommend me at present, and I am fully sensible that an historical romance, founded on the House of Saxe-Cobourg, might be much more to the purpose of profit or popularity than such pictures of domestic life in country villages as I deal in. But I could no more write a romance than an epic poem. I could not sit seriously down to write a serious romance under any other motive than to save my life; and if it were indispensable for me to keep it up and never relax into laughing at myself or at other people, I am sure I should be hung before I had finished the first chapter. No, I must keep to my own style and go on in my own way; and though I may never succeed again in that, I am convinced that I should totally fail in any other.
I remain, my dear Sir, Your very much obliged, and sincere friend, J. AUSTEN.
Wasn’t that delightful?
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Jane was quite humble to say she hadn’t written a romance novel; she seems to have not considered her literary works such, but what perfect romance novels we consider them to be. Ladies, thank you for such a generous give away for the month of April.
Somehow, a romance written on the House of Saxe-Coburg sounds like it would be so dry that it would not survive anywhere to this day except forgotten on some dusty library back shelf. I’m glad Ms. Austen employed her time much better, as Darcy would say.
Since she did not consider her writings romances, what were they?
Thank you for the opportunity to win prizes this month.
Thank you for this….it is a great example of knowing oneself and one’s abilities plus a graceful way of saying NO. A lesson for me for sure!
Love the idea of all things Austen. Since she has become my obsession lately, I would love to win any of your giveaways. You are all so generous!
Love this comment: “the service of a court can hardly be too well paid, for immense must be the sacrifice of time and feeling required by it.” I imagine as a writer, she would consider herself to be rather uncomfortable writing “on request” as a member of court as her own feelings would of necessity be greatly curtailed.
I love that this month will celebrate all things JA. Who wouldn’t like to know more about our DA. Thanks to all the authors for their efforts. Jen Red
Jane was so diplomatic! Thank you for your generosity!
Delightful indeed! I love the ‘under any other motive than to save my life’ phrase. Did she really think she was only writing about domestic life in country villages and no romance at all? Or was it her clever way to say No?
Perhaps her letter had veiled satire? She wrote what she knew well, pointing out all the inconsistency and humor that is humanity. She was wise to resist the Prince Regent and keep to what she knew best. Just think she did not have access to large libraries or the Internet that enables modern writers to write accurately about a time or place foreign to them.
The giveaways this month all look wonderful. Thank you.
Loved this letter!!! It’s quite amusing to see Austen’s sly wit at work!!
Thank you!!
Warmly,
Susanne 🙂
I am so excited about All Things Austen in April. Thank you to all of the authors for the wonderful prizes!
I enjoyed this so much I had to read it twice. She was truly a wonder, her wit flowed easily. I would have been a true privilege to be her friend or relative 🙂
I wish I had her diplomacy skills…
It was a very diplomatic letter!
I’m very happy to spend April with you and my dearest Jane!
Charming — and diplomatic — and so Jane Austen
Wonderful read!
I am enjoying the variety of writing Austen variations is providing each month. Thank you for all the hard work.
I’m also struck by how nicely put this rejection letter is! Her correspondence must have been really fun to read.
I definitely see this as a request to glorify the royalty in the House of Saxe-Cobourg, but I’m guessing that there were plenty of unsavory and unredeeming characters in that bunch — it would certainly have taxed Jane Austen’s considerable writing talents to write a something that wouldn’t end up being just satirical. (I’m thinking of this like a request to make today’s politicians likable!)
Just think how amazed JA would be if she had lived a few years later,to see Queen Victoria on the throne!
Wonderful letter. Thank you for the chance to win so many amazing prizes.
That letter made me chuckle! Oh, Jane!
Those sticky notes are so cute!
Jane may not have considered her books to be romances, but I certainly do! Lovely, lovely romances. Sigh.
April is going to be a fun month! Thanks to all the generous authors for the great giveaways.
Pam
She was very firm in her writing. Even to a prince!
Thank you!
and if she had written the book and he didn’t like it?
April is fast becoming a favorite month!
I love anything Jane Austen writes and am so proud of her energy, way with words and strength to write them when ladies weren’t allowed to do so in that period.
Thank you for the great honor to win a prize and look forward to follow, “All things Austen.”
Oh, our beloved Jane. Her pleasure-giving just continues to amaze us.
As I recall, this letter was written to the head of the Regent’s library, who wanted her to write a romance and dedicate it to the Regent. He was smarmy and I love her diplomatic yet tongue in cheek reply. He had no clue, I am sure, that she was poking fun at him. She was probably comically gagging as she wrote the letter.
I just love reading JR’S letters…I can imagine having a conversation with her. But a previous question remains. Did Miss Austen consider herself a writer of comedy or satire?
So many great prizes!
What amazing prizes! I would to love to win any of them.
Super fun!
I am delighted to spend April with Austen. Of course, I’m delighted to spend all the time with Austen. Have become a bit of an addict, and I love it! Thank you all for your generosity – and not just this month.
I think Jane had her tongue very firmly in her cheek when she wrote that letter. Politely saying “No way in hell!” without giving offence.
Thanks to all of you for such a generous giveaway but please don’t enter me in the first week’s giveaway as I already have all the books on offer. As I live in the UK, I’m not eligible for the rest.
Since discovering Austenesque authors recently I’ve also learned a great many things about Jane Austen and her life and times. This week’s prizes look delicious and I would be delighted to take one home! Thank you!
Okay, I must be reading some other Jane Austen’s books, because I definitely consider them romances! Delightful letter–thanks for posting it.
I wonder if Jane Austen was thinking about Ms. Radcliffe’s novels when she thought of romance. What a difference a viewpoint can make. At any rate, it was fun reading her words in this letter.
Lovely read thank you so much for the giveaway!!
Thanks so much for the giveaway Austen Variations 🙂
Thank you for sharing your work with us.
I love the book cover in this week’s giveaway.