Jane Austen is said by many to one of our greatest authors, yet although there have been several as great, why is it that her novels have attracted so many spin-offs? There have been the sequels, like Mansfield Revisited by Jane Aiken, and Elizabeth Aston's novels about the daughters of Elizabeth and Darcy. Amanda Grange has re-written at least two of the novels from the point of view of the heroes (e.g. Captain Wentworth's Diary). I admit I'm an Austen fan but I'm still surprised by all these spin-offs. I can only put it down to the huge impression made by the TV serialisation that starred Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. Can anyone think of any other author who has received this treatment?

I can't think of any, Davrob, but it must be brave of any author to write a book using the characters of such masterpieces. It occurred to me, though, that somebody could have taken a chance and written a love-story about Pip and Estella after Miss Havisham's house had burned down in Great Expectations. Herbert Pocket could have featured in it. Or has it already been written?

I haven't heard of such a book, Marian, but your idea opens up a possibility. Although the movie has Pip and Estella together at the end, I got the impression from the book itself that it might not be so. This leaves scope for an enterprising author to put that right.

Aha, Davrob, 'BBC News 24 Hours' gave an answer to your question this evening in a piece about the novel 'A Christmas Carol'. The commentator said that there had been 'spin-offs' from this famous book by Charles Dickens. Sweet out of the jar for the BBC?

Ah yes, Marian, If any author was going to have a follow up it was going to be Charlie. Of course there have been all kinds of stories based on A Christmas Carol, including one featuring the Muppets and another by Blackadder reversing the theme where Scrooge begins all goody goody and ends up mean and nasty.