Posts by Syrie James
EMILY film review — an impassioned biopic of Wuthering Heights author Emily Brontë
In the film EMILY, Emma Mackey brings Emily Brontë to vivid life in writer/director Frances O’Connor’s thrilling blend of fact and fiction. Emily Brontë is something of a mystery. When she tragically died at age 30 of tuberculosis, she left behind few preserved letters, and no diary to reveal her private thoughts and…
Read MoreJane Austen & Regency Christmas Traditions
It is fascinating to look back at Christmas during Jane Austen’s lifetime. Some of the customs we associate with the holiday, such as Christmas trees, Christmas cards, and Santa Claus, didn’t exist until many years later. But Jane Austen’s Christmas was equally as merry as the one we celebrate today. Read on for a…
Read MoreMy Adventures at the JASNA AGM (Jane Austen Society Annual General Meeting) in Victoria
I had a fabulous time at the JASNA AGM (Jane Austen Society of North America Annual General Meeting) in Victoria, Canada two weeks ago. The weather was perfect, the company delightful, and the city beautiful and welcoming. The theme of this year’s JASNA conference was Sense and Sensibility in the City of Gardens. There…
Read MoreGothic Giveaway: Two Page-Turning Novels
Looking for a thrilling read to celebrate the autumn season? Here are not one, but two Gothic Giveaways! Enter for a chance to win a signed paperback copy of my novel The Secret Diaries of Charlotte Brontë and Kris Waldherr’s new release Unnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women. Read on for contest…
Read MoreUnnatural Creatures: A Novel of the Frankenstein Women by Kris Waldherr — Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James Unnatural Creatures by Kris Waldherr brings to life the stories of three women in Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein: Victor Frankenstein’s mother Caroline; his fiancé Elizabeth Lavenza; and the Frankenstein’s servant Justine Moreau, a character who Waldherr gives a fascinating background and a whole new lease on life. Mary…
Read More8 Ways to Live Like Jane Austen
Are you a Jane Austen fan? Have you ever been faced by a difficult decision — when you had to make a choice and desperately wanted to do the right thing, but weren’t sure which alternative was best? The next time that happens, make it easy on yourself. Just ask: What Would Jane Do? One…
Read MoreThe Curse of Morton Abbey by Clarissa Harwood — Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James I was intrigued by the premise of The Curse of Morton Abbey, a novel which is described as “Jane Eyre meets The Secret Garden in a gothic novel of romantic suspense set in 1890s Yorkshire.” As a huge fan of both of those classic novels and All Things English and 19th…
Read MoreComparing the Jane Austen’s Persuasion Movie Versions
Which film version of Jane Austen’s Persuasion is best? There have been a number of movie adaptations of Jane Austen’s Persuasion including a new one from Netflix, and it’s always a thrill to see Austen’s work adapted for the screen. Persuasion, Jane Austen’s last completed work, is one of my favorite novels. The story…
Read MoreBloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner — Book Review
From the desk of Syrie James I enjoyed Natalie Jenner’s debut novel The Jane Austen Society and was excited to dive into Bloomsbury Girls, the tale of three shop girls working at a male-run century-old bookstore in 1950 London. Evie Stone (one of my favorite characters from The Jane Austen Society) is a studious…
Read MoreMy Magical PBS SANDITON Lawn Party & Screening Event!
I enjoyed the most thrilling evening sponsored by PBS and Masterpiece Theater to celebrate Season 2 of SANDITON, their most popular TV series. I’m giving away SWAG from the event, so keep reading to learn how to enter! SANDITON is a British historical drama television series inspired by an unfinished manuscript by Jane Austen,…
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