Covering Jane Austen, one cover at a time

Jane Austen Cover to Cover by Margaret C. Sullivan

Jane Austen has never been as popular as she is now. Since the publication of Sense and Sensibility over 200 years ago, her novels have been in almost continuous print. There are stage and film adaptions of her novels, modern retellings from books to Web series, and a book industry has sprung up of spinoffs and variations.

As PBS airs the UK film version of one Austen-inspired novel, Death Comes to Pemberley, it’s a great time to look at a new charming and comprehensive coffee table book on Jane Austen book covers, Jane Austen Cover to Cover (Quirk Books; Nov. 11, 2014). The book comes from Margaret C. Sullivan, author of the popular guide, The Jane Austen Handbook.

I bought the handbook when I visited the Jane Austen Centre in Bath this past summer. There, I got a glimpse of what life was like for one of my favorite authors. Being in a Georgian house in Bath, with its rich history, was a thrill. A handsome young man in Regency period dress greeted us at the door. Costumed interpreters, each wearing the nametag of an Austen character for a touch of whimsy, gave us historical context on Austen’s life, and guided us through the exhibition. It was like stepping into another time.

[giveaway giveaway_id=1849 side=”right”]

But the gift shop was a testament to Jane Austen’s modern popularity. Current favorites such as book bags, posters and bumper stickers were in abundance. A whole display was dedicated just to Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. The bookshelves were stuffed floor to ceiling with not only several editions of each of her novels, but books about Austen and her family, as well as Regency and Georgian history. There were DVDs and a host of Austen-inspired novels. Among (many) other things, I bought The Jane Austen Handbook.

Now, in Jane Austen Cover to Cover, Sullivan has applied her extensive knowledge to show us how Austen’s books have been presented across eras. What could have been another stuffy, academic treatise is instead a fascinating journey through the evolution of publishing.

Jane Austen Cover to Cover is a luxurious picture book for grownups, filled with vivid, full-color photographs. I desperately wanted to pluck off the page the Thomas Egerton first edition of Sense and Sensibility and leaf through a volume. Beautifully illustrated literary quotes are scattered throughout the book.  Tying it all together are historical notes that will satisfy Austen fans and book lovers in general. For instance, I had not previously known that, after giving up the copyright to Pride and Prejudice and receiving only a flat fee of 110 pounds, Austen retained the rights for Mansfield Park.

Arranged chronologically, the book spends most of its time on editions published from the 20^th century to the present. One chapter is devoted to films, graphically demonstrating how effective movie tie-ins are for book sales. Perhaps my favorite thing is the timeline that begins with Jane Austen’s birth in 1775 and ends with the launch of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, the modern adaption Web series of Pride and Prejudice.

The old adage tells us not to judge a book by its cover, but with Jane Austen Cover to Cover, Sullivan shows us just how important a first impression can be.