Jane Austen is beloved by readers everywhere, and most of her works have been adapted for the screen (some multiple times).
But have you heard of Charlotte Lennox? How about Frances Burney? Or Ann Radcliffe?
I recently read a book called Jane Austen's Bookshelf in which a rare bookseller named Rebecca Romney recounts her investigation into the female authors who inspired Jane Austen. To my chagrin, while I had heard of a few of them, I had read only one of them (Frances Burney).
Of the eight authors explored by Rebecca Romney, I was interested in reading six of them. Of those six, only three were available at my library. So here are three books I plan to read. (I would also love to write a screenplay for an adaptation or two, but I've never written a screenplay, nor do I have the connections I would need to get one produced, so that's probably a pipe dream.)
The books I wanted to read, but don't have access to through my library, were I'll Tell You What by Elizabeth Inchbald (which is actually a play), The Life of Harriot Stuart by Charlotte Lennox, and Emmeline by Charlotte Smith.
All covers are linked to Goodreads.
1. Cecilia, by Frances Burney
After her uncle dies, a young heiress must navigate her way among her three guardians and multiple suitors before she comes of age.
Release Year: 1782
I'm actually currently reading this! Having already read (and loved) Evelina a couple years ago, I decided that Frances Burney was the most approachable author to start with. So what did I do? I picked up the hefty 1,056-page tome that is Cecilia (although, to be fair, only 940 pages of it is story–the rest is appendices and notes). I'm around 40% of the way through and getting a little bogged down, but enjoying it overall!
2. Belinda, by Maria Edgeworth
Sounds very similar to Cecilia, in which a young lady coming of age must contend with the temptations of love and London high life, although Belinda isn't an heiress.
Release Year: 1801
I love a good courtship novel and, since Jane Austen greatly admired Maria Edgeworth, I'm sure this will be a good one.
5. The Mysteries of Udolpho, by Ann Radcliffe
Ann Radcliffe was the best writer of the gothic romance genre that sprang up largely thanks to her influence in the late eighteenth century. If you've heard of Ann Radcliffe, it might be because of the mention of The Mysteries of Udolpho in Jane Austen's Northanger Abbey!
I'm so glad this is one of the ones that's available through my library! I'm a little daunted by Rebecca Romney's report of lengthy landscape descriptions, but I'm not going to let that stop me!
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