Chapter Eight: The Night of the Divine Jane: Men's Club Clashes and Politics in the Periodical Press
An elite London men's club, the Sette of Odd Volumes (SOV), spent one memorable night, May 27, 1902, debating Austen's merits. The centerpiece was an Austen takedown lecture by speaker-member Walter Frewen Lord, dubbed "Night of the Divine Jane." The evening featured a menu illustrated by John Hassall, included in The Making of Jane Austen in black and white and here in color, along with the rest of the pages of the menu (below). Unbeknownst to the SOV, their evening would evolve into a high-profile periodical debate between their member "Dominie" Lord and a little-known, ardent feminist teacher and writer, Annie Gladstone.
An elite London men's club, the Sette of Odd Volumes (SOV), spent one memorable night, May 27, 1902, debating Austen's merits. The centerpiece was an Austen takedown lecture by speaker-member Walter Frewen Lord, dubbed "Night of the Divine Jane." The evening featured a menu illustrated by John Hassall, included in The Making of Jane Austen in black and white and here in color, along with the rest of the pages of the menu (below). Unbeknownst to the SOV, their evening would evolve into a high-profile periodical debate between their member "Dominie" Lord and a little-known, ardent feminist teacher and writer, Annie Gladstone.
