I really enjoyed listening to this book on audio, which was beautifully read by Ruth Redman. I loved the way the author, Lucy Worsley, entwined Jane's real life with the characters in her novels. It really displayed how art imitates life. The book also used quotes from an array of Jane Austen's contemporaries, which added a nice touch to the reading (listening) experience.
Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors. I love the historical accept of her books, knowing she lived it. Austen's novels are so much more than stories about women looking for husbands, but rather about life in the Georgian era, the state of the church, the classes that divided so many, and the relationships between loved ones and foes alike. It's also wonderful that her writing style is so beautiful, once you get used to it!
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| Jane Austen drawn by her sister Cassandra |
I enjoyed reading about Jane's family in this book, as well as her interactions with them. Some happy, as her relationship with her sister Cassandra was, and some discouraging, as men in those days looked down on women, and women had no rights. Even through writing, many women had to use male names in order to publish. Jane's books may never have been published without her brother stepping in and helping her. Makes you think and appreciate how far women have come and the freedoms we have now. I'm thankful for that.
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| Steventon Rectory: Where Jane Austen was raised. |
One thing you can't ignore in biographies is the death of the subject. Jane's death is quite a mystery and there have been many theories of what she died from. It was interesting to read about these and how some of these illnesses could have been avoided if she had lived 200 years later. One thing I found extremely interesting is that Jane was born at the end of her mother's 10th month of pregnancy, which they believe may have caused some complications for Jane in her later life.
This book lightly addressed Jane's faith which I wish we knew more about. A few years ago I read Jane's 'book of prayers' and I'm led to believe she was a Christian who loved and trusted the Lord. You can read about that book here... The Prayers of Jane Austen
Jane's last words were: "God grant me patience. Pray for me, oh pray for me."
I discovered some new things about Jane through this biography and look forward to reading other books about her, particularly a book mentioned in this one, called Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin.
The only thing that didn't sit well with me, were a few speculations the author made about feelings or events that I didn't think needed to be added. It felt like it took away from the authenticity of the book as a whole. The facts of the book were interesting enough without these added speculative thoughts of the author.
Other than that small pet peeve, this book was very good and I recommend it to anyone who loves Jane Austen!
Buy it HERE on Amazon
sounds lovely. check out Christine Lally on Etsy - she puts Austen quotes on pillow covers! She may go by Anna's Trunk.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sue. I will look into it! : )
DeleteCathy - thank you for reviewing and sharing your thoughts on this audio book... I love Jane Austen, but truthfully. I have only watched the movies, I've never read her books... shhhh -- don't tell .. or the ones about her either, but this one is intriguing to be as well, since it is about her life. I like getting to know about people .. we are neighbors today at #SpiritualSundays and #FaithOnFire
ReplyDeleteOh! I encourage you to read her books, they are so much better than the movies, and I love the movies! Thanks for stopping by Debbie. : )
DeleteThis looks like a wonderful read! I read for the very first time Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice in my 50s. Although I find her books difficult to read. (I get confused with the similarity of the names - I forget which one of the two I mentioned above and then I'm backtracking in my head, "Now wait who is that??" lol. Having said that, I still very much enjoyed both of these books.
ReplyDeleteI too recently heard that Jane Austen was a Christian. I did not know that about her birth and death. Very interesting.
Thanks for sharing.
I admit I read her books with a dictionary! It helped to enrich the reading experience. It's amazing how little of the English language we use today. : )
DeleteThanks for sharing this great review. I too have loved Jane Austen's "Book of Prayers," and it made me feel that she trusted in the Lord Jesus also. I had not known those facts about her late birth, or her death, either. These all make such an interesting and fuller background for her books! Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteI did find this book made for a fuller background for her novels! Thanks for stopping by Bettie!
DeleteEnjoyed! As a Jane Austen fan, I learned a few things...
ReplyDeleteGlad you stopped by Bette!
DeleteI'm a Jane Austen fan too! Looks like a good read. Thanks for the recommendation. :)
ReplyDeleteIt was very interesting and I really enjoyed it. Thanks for stopping by Rachel!
DeleteWell, you've certainly piqued my curiosity! Great to have you link up at Booknificent Thursday on Mommynificent.com this week!
ReplyDeleteTina
Thanks Tina!
DeleteI have never read a book about Jane Austen and this one sounds interesting. I, too, had heard sometime ago that she was a Christian. Thanks for sharing your review with us and linking up at the #LMMLinkup. Blessings to you!
ReplyDeleteThanks for stopping by Gayl! : )
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