Room 7: Live Posting with Jane Austen

Have you ever used social media to live-post your reactions to a book, film or TV series? Jane’s letters do the same thing! In March 1814, Henry Austen invited his sister Jane to London to help her publish Mansfield Park – even though he hadn’t read it. While Jane anxiously watched him read it for the first time on the journey from Chawton to London, she recorded his real-time responses in her letters to their sister Cassandra. This was when ‘live-posting’ still involved using a post-office! Jane was especially pleased that he liked Fanny Price as a character, as not all the family felt the same.

Here are some of Jane’s comments:

Wednesday 2  March: ‘We did not begin reading till Bentley Green. Henry’s approbation hitherto is even equal to my wishes; he says it is very different from the other two, but does not appear to think it at all inferior. He has only married Mrs R. I am afraid he has gone through the most entertaining part.−He took to Lady B. & Mrs N. most kindly, & gives great praise to the drawing of the Characters. He understands them all, likes Fanny & I think foresees how it will all be.’
Wednesday 2 March: ‘Henry is going on with Mansfield Park; he admires H. Crawford−I mean properly–as a clever, pleasant Man.−I tell you all the Good I can, as I know how much you will enjoy it.’
Sunday 6 March: ‘Henry has this moment said that he likes my M.P. better & better; he is in the 3rd vol.– I believe now he has changed his mind as to being able to guess the end;−he said yesterday at least, that he defied anybody to say whether H. C. would be reformed, or would forget Fanny in a fortnight.’
Wednesday 9 March: ‘Henry has finished Mansfield Park, & his approbation has not lessened. He found the last half of the last volume extremely interesting.’

Letter from Jane Austen to Cassandra Austen, 2 March 1814

This is one of Jane Austen’s letters that contains some of her ‘live posts’ about Mansfield Park. It contains details of Jane’s stay in London and Henry’s real-time responses as he read Mansfield Park for the first time. Can you find any of them in the letter?

Find out more about this letter…

First page of a letter from Jane Austen to Cassandra Austen, 2 March 1814
Second page of a letter from Jane Austen to Cassandra Austen, 2 March 1814
Third page of a letter from Jane Austen to Cassandra Austen, 2 March 1814