A Jane Austen Christmas: Celebrating the Season of Romance, Ribbons and Mistletoe

Great content but rather academic in tone.

I do have to agree with Meredith who in her review lists misspellings and misinformation. I took a pen or pencil and wrote corrections in my hard cover version.I did find that Mr. DeVito quoted many other authors or historians in giving us the viewpoints of not only what is happening in history but also in Jane’s family during this period. Jane’s relatives are quoted in telling us of the family and its personal history around the years listed in this book.First of all it is pointed out here, as it is on many blogs concerning Jane Austen, that Christmas in the Georgian Era is not the Christmas of the Victorian age, noting that Queen Victoria placing a Christmas tree in the palace in honor of her consort’s Germanic culture was the beginning of all the decorating that we consider traditional now.Then the author takes time, as have others in JAFF, to label and describe all those decorations, the kissing bough, the Yule log, the plum pudding, etc. Subsequently he points out that Jane’s time in history was a time of travel and visiting between family, friends and acquaintances. He pays attention to some years between 1786 and 1815 and gives many details to the relationships, paying some notice to Jane’s love interests (Tom LeFoy and Harris Bigg-Wither) and the attentions of her two brothers to a cousin, Eliza. I have read or viewed movies which also make note of these. Plus we read of the family’s interest in literature and the promotion of such, with family theatrics during holidays. All of Jane’s books with the publication of such are detailed. We read of the Prince’s interest in her works and the “suggestion” of a book dedicated to him…much to her chagrin.Some focus was paid to the recipes for and brewing of various spirits and beers, etc. for the community of this period. That was new intelligence for me but not something I plan to attempt.This was a very short story of some interest. The cover is lovely. But it could use a good proof reading.

A true Christmas gem for the Jane Austen Lover! From its gorgeous presentation to the contents within, it was like the unwrapping of a much anticipated gift.The book is sectioned by a handful of years that highlight significant points in Jane Austen's life. The focus is the Christmas season for each of these years. Beyond this, the author fills in details of English daily life, Christmas traditions, social customs, recipes, descriptions, illustrations, and of course the details of Jane and her Austen family's life found in letters and research notes of Austen and Georgian Era experts.The strings of quotes might have been considered dry or even disconnected, but I found them insightful, informative, and most definitely entertaining. I found it interesting which moments of Jane's life the author chose to highlight and also how his opinions leaned about these fascinating moments. For instance, the first and second chapters placed a spotlight on Jane's cousin, Eliza. And not just Eliza, but the situation with Henry and James Austen vying for her attentions. I knew about Henry's interest of course seeing as how he married Eliza, but that was a surprise about James. And it was fun to see the parallels made to Jane's infamous character, Lady Susan.For the most part, the details, but no less of interest. I felt delightfully immersed in the Georgian Holiday Season and I treasured this time to spend it with the witty, vivacious Jane Austen.This would make a lovely gift for the Austen lover and I would definitely recommend it to serious Austenesque lover and those who are new to Jane Austen and wish to know her better.

I had high hopes for the book because I am in the Jane Austen Society and I go to two Birthday Teas for Jane Austen each December. I really wanted to learn the Christmas information during her time period. The author used all the references in Jane's novels that were about the Christmas. He has a selective bibliography but no index. So for the crafter, dressmaker, cook, or decorator wishing to duplicate a Jane Austen Christmas it was hard to unearth any details that would help. There were very few illustrations. Why?? This book was a disappointment.

Since Christmas is my favorite holiday, I was especially interested in reading more about how it was celebrated in the time of my favorite author. This non-fiction book is a delightful and informative look into the lives of the Austen family during six special Christmastides. From balls and assemblies to the publishing of Emma, we get a glimpse into some of the history of Jane and her family as well as the traditions of the times.I found A Jane Austen Christmas by Carlo DeVito to be well researched and fascinating. Some things I had read before and others I had not. For any fan of Jane Austen or the Regency period, this is a book to own and have readily available. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more of how Christmastide was spent in the life and times of Jane Austen, from what was cooked to card games and dances. Add to that some history of Jane and her family, a few illustrations and a gorgeous book jacket on a hardcover book, you have a book worthy of a special place in any library.The book is divided into the six Christmastides plus an Epilogue but for the purposes of this review, I will not include the small sampling from each part. If you are interested in reading my full review, please do so at my blog, More Agreeably Engaged. [...]

Loved it! This book was so wonderful!Well-researched and exciting, this book explained the inspiration behind many of Austen's most loved characters, scenes and relationships using her letters and historical information from the Regency era. Also included is everything you need to throw an Austenesque Christmas: beverage recipes, song lyrics, decorating tips, etc.Plus, the book is so darn cute! Wrapped in festive red and green, this book will complete any centerpiece or gift table. I bet I can make it an ornament for my tree!

Awful! I've never read a book with so many quotation marks, most of the text is lifted straight from other books. In the rare pieces of text that are original, there are some glaring errors. Susan is confused with Lady Susan, Thomas Knight is described as George Austen' brother ( he was a distant cousin) and how could Henry 111, who died in 1272, have visited the Elizabethan Manor House of Chawton House over forty times?! Shoddy, do not waste your money.

Every page takes material from other writers to the point of finding up to five quotes from other writers on page. The times that the author writes original material are full of mistakes such as George Austen having a brother Thomas and muddling Lady Susan with Susan. Terribly disappointing. But a nice cover.

still waiting for a replacement. cheap and nasty. pages look like they have been hand cut. All pages off different widths….. Poor quality paper thick and cheap.

As expected.

Nice