Jane Austen is one of the most acclaimed authors of all time, and her novels attract devoted readers to this day. At first glance, one might think that it is her wistful love stories that pull people into her fictional worlds. And while we love Jane Austen for her romantic flair, she also writes about how true love doesn't have to be every woman’s goal. In Sense and Sensibility she wrote “The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!” Intertwined in her masterful writing, Jane Austen creates a sentiment that encourages women to find fulfillment in not just a partner, but also their hobbies, family, and most importantly, themselves.
Jane Austen herself never married, so it leaves us wondering who (or what) was her real true love. As it turns out, we think the answer to this question was hidden in the pages of her books this whole time! Just like everyone here at Juniper Books, and possibly you too, Jane Austen found true love in the form of books. Yes, books. Books are more than just something to read, they transport you to another universe and provide a necessary escape from our everyday lives. They provide encouragement, advice, drama, splendor, and, of course, romance! Here at Juniper Books, we also believe books are a visual experience, providing us with a way to express ourselves through the beauty of our bookshelves. We think Jane Austen would agree. So, in the spirit of Valentine’s day, here are some of Jane’s most quote-worthy (and swoon-worthy) love notes to books.
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” ― Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
Who else will be absolutely miserable if they don’t have an excellent library? While we can’t all relate to the expansive home libraries found in Austen’s novels, we know the value of a beautiful bookshelf! A great way to enhance your bookshelf wealth is to collect special edition books that are just as much a visual masterpiece as they are a written one! We think our newest release, The Jane Austen Delicious Solitude set, would be one of Jane’s favorites.
“Oh! I am delighted with the book! I should like to spend my whole life in reading it.”
― Jane Austen, Northanger Abbey
Do you ever feel like your life is split between the times of “reading” and “not reading”? Sometimes we just wish we could spend our entire lives engrossed in one particular novel, which is a testament to the artful skill of the author who wrote it! Jane Austen is that type of author where her words draw you in and you wish you could stay hidden amongst her pages forever.
“But for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too short.” ― Jane Austen
Jane Austen is right, some books leave us longing for more no matter how long they are! Luckily, with Jane Austen we always get more. Recently, this has been in the form of movie and television adaptations of her novels. I think we all remember the film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice where Mr. Darcy proclaims “You have bewitched me body and soul!”. Definitely put that on your Valentine’s Day watch list.
With all the loving ways Jane Austen writes about books, we think she would love what we do here at Juniper Books. One thing’s for sure, we LOVE Jane Austen. And in the spirit of Valentine’s Day, we could all use a little romance in our lives. Romance novels that is!