Jane Austen’s Guide to Dating by Lauren Henderson

This is yet another gem of a book that I think might be passed over due to its cover. Forget dating self help, Valentines Day looming off in the distance, being single or not because what you have here is one of the best overviews of Jane Austen’s vast works distilled down into one paperback. Even if you’ve never read an Austen novel (or her complete works), you’ll know them and the characters through and through thanks to Henderson’s clear insight into the author.

During the Jane Austen PBS marathon I decided to buy a bevy of Austen related books and hold a bunch of viewing parties (see past review at the time here)… what caught my eye about this book was the sweet illustrations on the front and, despite being a softcover, the deckle pages. Between the cover is what was incredibly surprising and enlightening. It became clear Jane Austen had an almost Freudian command of analyzing human behavior and relationships (of all sorts).

It’s easy to become swept away with the fantasy of Regency era romance, clothing, and Mr. Darcy but underneath it all Austen was not only chronicling her own time but something more timeless and universal. How we relate to one another.

“… a pithy book of concrete advice and strategies that show how honesty, self-awareness, and forthrightness do win the right man and weed out the losers, playboys, and toxic flirts. Remember, falling in love should be easy.” -Lauren Henderson

I have to give it ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ out of 5 because it’s superbly insightful!

“I always hoped you would tell me, if you thought I was doing wrong… ” -Northanger Abbey