For anyone who has ever loved a Jane Austen novel, a warm and witty look at the passionate, thriving world of Austen fandom They walk among us in their bonnets and Empire-waist gowns, clutching their souvenir tote bags and battered paperbacks: the Janeites, Jane Austen's legion of devoted fans. Who are these obsessed admirers, whose passion has transformed Austen from classic novelist to pop-culture phenomenon? Deborah Yaffe, journalist and Janeite, sets out to answer this question, exploring the remarkable endurance of Austen's stories, the unusual zeal that their author inspires, and the striking cross-section of lives she has touched. Along the way, Yaffe meets a Florida lawyer with a byzantine theory about hidden subtexts in the novels, a writer of Austen fan fiction who found her own Mr. Darcy while reimaginingPride and Prejudice, and a lit professor whose roller-derby nom de skate is Stone Cold Jane Austen. Yaffe goes where Janeites gather, joining a pilgrimage to historic sites in Britain, chatting online with fellow fans, and attending the annual ball of the Jane Austen Society of North America--in period costume.

The tarot of Jane Austen -- In Jane Austen's footsteps. Dressing the part -- Walking where Jane walked -- Sandy's Pemberley -- Rereading, rewriting. Writing Mr. Darcy -- The knowledge business -- The Jane Austen code -- Austen therapy -- The company of clever, well-informed people. Talking Jane -- Jane.net -- The Tribe -- The novels of Jane Austen.