Just a quick update to let you know that our Persuasion season will be starting in November. We've recorded the first few episodes, but Harriet has been too busy at work to finish editing them. She's going to be away for a few weeks, but will start releasing the episodes on her return in November.

We've added the new season to the website menu, with a provisional episode listing.

In this episode, we finish up Emma with chapters 51 to 55. We talk about the decision for Mr Knightley to move to Hartfield, the resolution of Harriet’s story, and the final scenes between Mr and Mrs Elton. We also reflect on the insights we have gained through this close reading of Emma, and how it has changed our views of the novel.

The character we discuss is Jane Fairfax. In the historical section, Ellen briefly revisits her earlier comments about vicars, and then talks about magistrates. For popular culture Harriet talks about four books that retell some or all of the story through the point of view of a different character.

Things we mention:

General and character discussion:

• Richard Cronin and Dorothy McMillan [Editors], The Cambridge Edition of the Works of Jane Austen: Emma (2005)
• Janet Saidi, ‘Jane Fairfax Drops the Mic‘, The Austen Connection (9 September 2021)

Historical discussion:

• William Savage, ‘The Georgian Clergy’, Pen and Pension (16 May 2018)
• Charlotte M. Yonge, Talks about the Laws We Live Under (1850)
• Irene Collins, Jane Austen and the Clergy (1994)
• Alan Lambert, ‘650 years of the office of Justice of the Peace/Magistrate‘, Amicus Curiae Issue 88 (2011)
• Elizabeth Gaskell, My Lady Ludlow (1858)

Popular culture discussion:

• Naomi Royde-Smith, Jane Fairfax (1940)
  • William Makepeace Thackeray, Vanity Fair (1847) – the character of Becky Sharpe appears in Jane Fairfax
  • Characters from the novels of Maria Edgeworth also appear (and probably other novelists as well)
• Joan Austen-Leigh, A Visit to Highbury: Another View of Emma (1995)
• Diana Birchall, In Defense of Mrs Elton (1999)
• Amanda Grange, Mr Knightley’s Diary (2006)

For a list of music used, see this episode on our website.

In this episode, we are joined by Harriet’s partner, Michael, and read chapters 46 to 50 of Emma. We talk about Emma’s emotional roller coaster, reactions to the Frank-Jane revelation, the proposal scene and Emma’s commitment to her father.

The character we discuss is Frank Churchill, and then Michael talks about the changing lifestyle of Regency gentleman. In the popular culture section, Harriet talks about three books that are modernised versions of Emma.

Things we mention:

Character discussion:

• Serene, The Piano Scene: through Jane’s eyes (11 December 2023) – and some other posts about Emma

Popular culture discussion:

• Alexander McCall Smith, Emma: A modern retelling (2014)
• Sonali Dev, The Emma Project(2022)
• Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding, Emma of 83rd Street(2023)
  • Mäda Primavesi by Gustav Klimt

Creative commons music used:

• Extract from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonata No. 12 in F Major, ii. Adagio.
• Extract from Joseph Haydn, Piano Sonata No. 38. Performance by Ivan Ilić, recorded in Manchester in December, 2006. File originally from IMSLP.
• Extract from Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Sonata No. 13 in B-Flat Major, iii. Allegretto Grazioso. File originally from Musopen.
• Extract from George Frideric Handel, Suite I, No. 2 in F Major, ii. Allegro. File originally from Musopen.
• Extract from Ludwig van Beethoven, Piano Sonata No. 28 in A major. File originally from Musopen.