Ally McBeal and Larry Paul
Lorelei and Luke (before April materialized)

Some Henry James is quite funny as he “observed,” ie pokes fun at English mores.

Have you read any Connie Willis? To say nothing of the dog is a time travel book that was inspired in part by Jerome K Jerome.

Or also a little far afield I thought the Rachel Project was well written and fun but it’s about some messy 20 somethings in Dublin.

Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. Yes, it’s a fantasy, but it’s set in the Regency era and its wit and style are more closely related to a Jane Austen society commentary than anything else. The writing is superb. Don’t skip the footnotes!

Do you like humor? I find Jonathan Tropper's books to be very clever and witty but they're not quite as high brow as some of the recommendations. I think of them like Arrested Development/Veep/Schitt's Creek in terms of wit and cleverness if that's an apt comparison.

Anonymous wrote:Rules of Civility

If you like audiobooks, the narrator for this book is absolutely beautiful. I have listened to it twice already.

I don’t know if this fits but a great book

The Daughter of Time by Josephine Tey

The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford

Anonymous wrote:Rules of Civility

OP again: I think this is sort of getting close--for a contemporary book. Even more so, I'd say A Gentleman in Moscow. Which is sort of like if Mr. Darcy was Russian. Still aristocracy. And stuck in the same hotel for 3 decades. (But less witty.)

Sadly, I have (obviously) read these... but for anyone else looking for similar books.

Brideshead Revisited

Appreciate all these thoughtful suggestions! (OP here.)

I've started Cold Comfort Farm. Sort of Austen + PJ Wodehouse in "genre," but feels surprisingly modern. So far, so good!

Also, randomly found Austen's Persuasion, which I've never read, in a little library in my neighborhood. The beginning was surprisingly clunky and unreadable (certainly no equivalent of "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife"...). So my "model" for the type of book I am looking for has been cast in some doubt! Thinking of reading both of these nonetheless...

Great thread OP! I'm excited to hear some recommendations.

Anonymous wrote:Who’s going to recommend the Draco Malfoy fanfic? I know you’re out there!

Yep, Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love.

I love all of the recommendations and will suggest Miss Buncle's Book but does no-one write like that now- like clever contemporary fiction??

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I think the Sarah Caudwell mysteries (starting with Thus was Adonis Murdered) are sort of Jane Austen meets Agatha Christie-- very funny in an ironic way.

I think this is an excellent suggestion (OP here), but unfortunately, I think I have read most (all?) of them!

Not sure why this type of book is so British-coded, but concede that pretty much all of the examples I can think of are also from across the pond.

Np here and I was going to suggest Caudewell’s series before I saw pps but I do have two good suggestions: Ngaio marsh’s Inspector Allyn mysteries if you feel like a mystery and if you re more in a Jane Austen/comedy of manners mood Barchester Towers by Anthony Trollope.