Love and Marriage in the Age of Jane Austen

What happened when Jane Austen's heroines and heroes were finally wed?Marriage is at the centre of Jane Austen's novels. The pursuit of husbands and wives, advantageous matches, and, of course, love itself, motivate her characters and continue to fascinate readers today. But what were love and marriage like in reality for ladies and gentlemen in Regency England?Rory Muir uncovers the excitements and disappointments of courtship and the pains and pleasures of marriage, drawing on fascinating first-hand accounts as well as novels of the period. From the glamour of the ballroom to the pressures of careers, children, managing money, and difficult in-laws, love and marriage came in many guises: some wed happily, some dared to elope, and other relationships ended with acrimony, adultery, domestic abuse, or divorce. Muir illuminates the position of both men and women in marriage, as well as those spinsters and bachelors who chose not to marry at all.This is a richly textured account of how love and marriage felt for people at the time-revealing their unspoken assumptions, fears, pleasures, and delights.

Product details

• Authors: Rory Muir
• Publisher: Yale University Press Ltd
• Languages: English
• Product format: Paperback / Softback
• Released: 04.03.2025
• EAN: 9780300281071
• ISBN: 978-0-300-28107-1
• Dimensions: 129 mm x 200 mm x 30 mm
• Subjects: Humanities, art, music > History > Modern era up to 1918; Modern history to 20th century: c 1700 to c 1900, HISTORY / Social History, Social & cultural history, HISTORY / Europe / Great Britain / Georgian Era (1714-1837), HISTORY / Women, LITERARY CRITICISM / Subjects & Themes / Women, c 1800 to c 1900, Social and cultural history, Gender studies: women, Literary studies: fiction, novelists & prose writers, Literary studies: fiction, novelists and prose writers, Gender studies: women and girls, c 1811 to c 1820 (Regency period), Regency style, Wedding / Marriage, Engagement / Betrothal