The Missing Manuscript of Jane Austen (52 page)

5.  Samantha theorizes that Mr. Stanhope and Mr. Spangle might be literary forerunners of Austen’s Mr. Woodhouse and Mr. Collins. What other Austen archetypes inhabit
The Stanhopes
?

6.  Until Stephen shows up, he is only represented by his text messages and phone conversations. Samantha cares for Stephen, but she wonders if she truly loves him. What did you initially think of Stephen and of their relationship? Did your opinion chang001e throughout the book?

7.  Rebecca and Samantha both have female relationships that they treasure. How is Rebecca’s friendship with Amelia Davenport and Miss Clifton similar to Samantha’s with Laurel Ann? How is it different? In what ways is Rebecca’s relationship with her sister, Sarah, reminiscent of Jane Austen’s relationship with her sister, Cassandra?

8.  Did your opinion of Anthony chang001e over the course of the novel? If so, why and how?

9.  Discuss the various aspects of
The Stanhopes
that lead Samantha to conclude that it is the work of Jane Austen. Did you ever feel as though you were reading an actual “lost” Austen manuscript? If so, how did that make you feel?

10. Samantha refers to a scene before the ball where Amelia and Rebecca are “talking at cross-purposes” about a pending proposal as “
so
Austen.” Did you pick out any other “
so
Austen” moments in both the
The Stanhopes
and the modern-day story?

11. Rebecca Stanhope tells Miss Clifton that her own life used to be very small. Can Samantha say that the same is true for her? How so? Compare the two women’s situations at the beginning and the end of the story.

12. Mrs. Harcourt is a complex personality. Did you like her? Why or why not? How does she add to the plot and influence the outcome of the story?

13. Anthony eventually tells Samantha that he plans to auction off the manuscript to the highest bidder, regardless of its fate. Anthony values monetary gain, whereas Samantha values scholarship. With whom do you agree and why? Considering the value of the manuscript, if it came into your possession, what would you have done with it?

14. Money and its effect on people’s fates is a common theme in Austen’s novels. Discuss the ways in which money, or the lack of it, creates suspense and moves the plot forward in
The Stanhopes.
While reading the novel, what did you think happened to the sum that disappeared at the King’s Arms at Leatherhead? Did you at any time think Mr. Stanhope might have been culpable?

15. Did you think that Mr. Clifton would propose to Miss Russell? What did you expect when he returned from his trip?

16. Samantha says that the male suitor who is painted as charming at the beginning of most Austen novels usually ends up being the wrong match for the novel’s heroine. Were you aware of this? If so, did it shape your first impression of the male characters that both Rebecca and Samantha encounter?

17. Laurel Ann is happy for Samantha when she announces that she will return to Oxford to complete her PhD. Likewise, Miss Clifton comes around to the fact that her brother is marrying Rebecca instead of her friend, Laura Russell. In both cases, the ability to accept chang001e is a redeeming quality in these friendships. How does each character’s response to chang001e and adversity affect the outcome of their individual story line?

18. What do Anthony’s and Mr. Clifton’s actions tell us about them, particularly at the end of the story? How do their deeds and choices make them worthy Austen heroes?

19. How does James make us sympathize with and respect Rebecca and Samantha? Are they worthy Austen heroines?

20. Rebecca receives a number of offers of marriage in the book. How does each man’s manner of proposing reflect his personality, the depth of his feelings, and his suitability as a life partner for Rebecca?

21. How did your experience reading
The Stanhopes
compare to other Jane Austen novels you’ve read? Do you think Jane would have approved?