Miss Austen Regrets.

I thought the BBC series on, 'Sense and Sensibility', had a biography of Jane Austen but discovered tonight they had a Drama based on her life called, 'Miss Austen Regrets'.   I enjoyed it with again some very fine Actor's.

It starts off with Jane being asked to go to her brother's house now a widower to meet his nieces intended and shows Jane as a forty year old maiden aunt with a lot of spirit.  To add to the story a gentleman played by Hugh Bonneville an old beau is present visiting her brother.   It appears he is a minister.  Jane has an enjoyable visit and they have a party and dance.  She talks to her niece about love, life and marriage.  Encouraging the girl to be amused by her young beau a young law student.

After the visit Jane goes off to London to visit her other brother a banker who is ill.  She manages to get him a young doctor whom she has a flirtation with maybe a midlife crisis.  She manages to get her brother back on his feet.  At which point the niece comes to visit her in London and she tells Jane  her  beau has departed.  The young doctor manages to get Jane a interview with an official of the Regent.
He allows her to use the Regent's name in her new book, Emma.  She is hoping for a publisher and money from the sales of her books.

It seems  when she returns home there is a crisis in the family, the bank has failed for her brother and the other brother is involved.  Jane is also unwell.

It is made clear that the story has come from the nieces letters from Jane.  I have another biography and will watch it again to double check the story.  It is made clear she had proposal's of marriage but turned them down to her Mother's regret and due to her sister, Cassandra's urging.

Miss Austen Regrets  is more a social history and biography of the writer, Jane Austen.  I have to say this is going a bit off the mandate of the blog, Once bitten, as it is more intended as a history blog however from time to time I will use literature to support the history entry.