What do you think?
Rate this book
Why Jane Austen?
From the first publication of Pride and Prejudice to recent film versions of her life and work, Jane Austen has continued to provoke controversy and inspire fantasies of peculiar intimacy. Whether celebrated for her realism, proto-feminism, or patrician gentility, imagined as a subversive or a political conservative, Austen generates passions shaped by the ideologies and trends of her readers' time—and by her own memorable stories, characters, and elusive narrative cool.
In this book, Rachel M. Brownstein considers constructions of Jane Austen as a heroine, moralist, satirist, romantic, woman, and author and the changing notions of these categories. She finds echoes of Austen's insights and techniques in contemporary Jane-o-mania, the commercially driven, erotically charged popular vogue that aims paradoxically to preserve and liberate, to correct and collaborate with old Jane. Brownstein's brilliant discussion of the distinctiveness and distinction of Austen's genius clarifies the reasons why we read the novelist-or why we should read her-and reorients the prevailing view of her work. Reclaiming the rich comedy of Austen while constructing a new narrative of authorship, Brownstein unpacks the author's fascinating entanglement with readers and other admirers.
In this book, Rachel M. Brownstein considers constructions of Jane Austen as a heroine, moralist, satirist, romantic, woman, and author and the changing notions of these categories. She finds echoes of Austen's insights and techniques in contemporary Jane-o-mania, the commercially driven, erotically charged popular vogue that aims paradoxically to preserve and liberate, to correct and collaborate with old Jane. Brownstein's brilliant discussion of the distinctiveness and distinction of Austen's genius clarifies the reasons why we read the novelist-or why we should read her-and reorients the prevailing view of her work. Reclaiming the rich comedy of Austen while constructing a new narrative of authorship, Brownstein unpacks the author's fascinating entanglement with readers and other admirers.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published April 5, 2011
7 people are currently reading
617 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 18, 2015
I'm sure I'm not the first person who has frequently found themselves, after revealing their appreciation of Austen's novels, being asked that impertinent question, the one that drives just about every fan of the famous writer up the wall: 'Why Jane Austen?'.
It drives us crazy because it is so often difficult to put into words why we read - and love - Austen's novels. And it's difficult, too, because the question implies that there is little reason for people in the modern world to be reading two hundred year old 'love stories'. The question can be delivered in a tone of genuine curiosity or, alternatively, of resounding condemnation ('Why Jane Austen? Wasn't she that spinster woman who wrote books about women falling in love because she was trying to fill some sort of void?' Incidentally, these are the ones I'd dearly love to reply to by returning the favour, and stuffing the particularly gaping void that is their mouth with passing vol-au-vents. But since I don't want to be thrown out of the first annual meeting for the local Wine and Cheese club for assaulting one of my fellow gastronomes, I desist).
Of course, this particular question is also frustrating because it's almost impossible to know where to begin to answer: Austen's intelligence? Her inscrutability? The tightly polished language of her novels, which reveals a mind dedicated to perfecting every sentence? Her satirical eye? These things are, in any case, difficult to pin down, and almost impossible to do justice to in a succinct, well-spoken way.
For me, it's easier to begin with dispelling stereotypes. Apologetically - as if ashamed of my Austen preference - I quickly race through my stock speech, which generally goes something along the lines of, "There's a lot more to Austen than most people assume, you know. Most people think she just wrote soppy love stories, but it's only because her humour and intelligence is so subtle that most people are too obtuse to grasp it at first". At which point my conversational partner will usually say something along the lines of, "Well, I certainly didn't think Pride and Prejudice was very funny" and walk away. After which I'll feel like a right tit because the person inevitably turns out to be the President of the Wine and Cheese club, my ride for the evening, or the Archchancellor of the university. Literary pretentiousness almost always turns out to be my Achilles' heel.
So it's perhaps because of my abysmal record in this department that I turned to Rachel M. Brownstein's Why Jane Austen?. Partly, I was looking for an eloquent way of discussing the topic, one that didn't make me seem like a pretentious idiot. But I was also, as always, desirous of feeding my curiosity about what Austen means to other devotees. Am I the only one who has trouble articulating why it is that Austen is important, why we keep re-reading her, and why she is so popular today?
The beginning of Brownstein's book is promising; she rejects wholeheartedly the assumption that Jane Austen is read purely nostalgically, that she is a chronicler of the 'Olde England' myth. She states outright that her book does not attempt to give us some new, brilliant insight into the novels or Jane Austen the woman; instead, Brownstein's aim is simply to emphasise the sheer pleasure of reading Austen, as well as interrogate some of the arguments and ideas that have sprung up around the figure of Jane Austen over the course of two hundred years - what Brownstein loosely defines as "biographical criticism" ('Introduction').
Unfortunately, it very quickly becomes clear that these somewhat vague introductory ideas are insufficient for an entire book, and certainly one which lacks a clear structure. Brownstein weaves autobiographical tidbits about Austen's life with anecdotes about Austen's readers, past and present, intense breakdowns of key passages from the novels (focusing particularly, in the final chapter, on Emma), and recollections from her own long career teaching Austen to students.
What emerges is a picture of Austen that is blurred, one that seems to get more and more out of focus the longer we look. In contrast, the view of the novels becomes sharper, honing in on particular passages and sentences, focusing on the effect of Austen's extraordinarily fine prose and the subtlety of her language throughout the novels. It's a good approach, and I appreciate Brownstein's decision not to try and bring 'Jane Austen the woman' - whoever that really was - to the forefront, but rather focus on the novels and, more importantly, the readers of those novels.
Yet for a book with as tantalising a title as Why Jane Austen?, the book is a little bit of a letdown. It lacks the driving force of a truly powerful argument, opting instead for a more rambling approach. For many readers, I'm sure this is exactly the sort of book they would enjoy reading. Personally, however, I was expecting a book with a forceful title like Why Jane Austen? to have a little more of that same inquisitive, direct attitude.
In the end, Brownstein cannot answer the question, 'Why Jane Austen?' with any other reply but - nostalgia. Despite her insistence at the beginning of the book that Austen is not really a nostalgic writer of romantic 'Olde England', she concludes her book by suggesting that Austen's novels evoke in readers a desire for a lost literary world; "for a world that seemed more comprehensible and coherent, and for the novel itself in its youthful vigour, the novel endowed […] with an integrity, innocence, health, and prosperity, a hopefulness and a seriousness of purpose, that has been or is being lost" ('Afterwords'). Considering Brownstein's insistence earlier on the importance of teaching Jane Austen, on her continued relevance to thousands of readers, she nevertheless returns to the old answer: that Austen's novels are the embodiment of nostalgia, albeit of a particularly literary nostalgia. For those readers eager for a bit more of an insight into why Austen is relevant to the youth of the twenty-first century, to users of Kindles and iPads, to men and women who otherwise claim to dislike and mistrust 'the classics', this is a profoundly unsatisfactory conclusion.
And does this book give one a better idea of how to answer that ever-present question, 'Why Jane Austen?', the next time it is sent in their direction? Not for me, at any rate. Perhaps, for now, the best approach to answering the question, 'Why Jane Austen?' is simply to reply: 'Why not?'.
Originally Posted at Majoring in Literature.
It drives us crazy because it is so often difficult to put into words why we read - and love - Austen's novels. And it's difficult, too, because the question implies that there is little reason for people in the modern world to be reading two hundred year old 'love stories'. The question can be delivered in a tone of genuine curiosity or, alternatively, of resounding condemnation ('Why Jane Austen? Wasn't she that spinster woman who wrote books about women falling in love because she was trying to fill some sort of void?' Incidentally, these are the ones I'd dearly love to reply to by returning the favour, and stuffing the particularly gaping void that is their mouth with passing vol-au-vents. But since I don't want to be thrown out of the first annual meeting for the local Wine and Cheese club for assaulting one of my fellow gastronomes, I desist).
Of course, this particular question is also frustrating because it's almost impossible to know where to begin to answer: Austen's intelligence? Her inscrutability? The tightly polished language of her novels, which reveals a mind dedicated to perfecting every sentence? Her satirical eye? These things are, in any case, difficult to pin down, and almost impossible to do justice to in a succinct, well-spoken way.
For me, it's easier to begin with dispelling stereotypes. Apologetically - as if ashamed of my Austen preference - I quickly race through my stock speech, which generally goes something along the lines of, "There's a lot more to Austen than most people assume, you know. Most people think she just wrote soppy love stories, but it's only because her humour and intelligence is so subtle that most people are too obtuse to grasp it at first". At which point my conversational partner will usually say something along the lines of, "Well, I certainly didn't think Pride and Prejudice was very funny" and walk away. After which I'll feel like a right tit because the person inevitably turns out to be the President of the Wine and Cheese club, my ride for the evening, or the Archchancellor of the university. Literary pretentiousness almost always turns out to be my Achilles' heel.
So it's perhaps because of my abysmal record in this department that I turned to Rachel M. Brownstein's Why Jane Austen?. Partly, I was looking for an eloquent way of discussing the topic, one that didn't make me seem like a pretentious idiot. But I was also, as always, desirous of feeding my curiosity about what Austen means to other devotees. Am I the only one who has trouble articulating why it is that Austen is important, why we keep re-reading her, and why she is so popular today?
The beginning of Brownstein's book is promising; she rejects wholeheartedly the assumption that Jane Austen is read purely nostalgically, that she is a chronicler of the 'Olde England' myth. She states outright that her book does not attempt to give us some new, brilliant insight into the novels or Jane Austen the woman; instead, Brownstein's aim is simply to emphasise the sheer pleasure of reading Austen, as well as interrogate some of the arguments and ideas that have sprung up around the figure of Jane Austen over the course of two hundred years - what Brownstein loosely defines as "biographical criticism" ('Introduction').
Unfortunately, it very quickly becomes clear that these somewhat vague introductory ideas are insufficient for an entire book, and certainly one which lacks a clear structure. Brownstein weaves autobiographical tidbits about Austen's life with anecdotes about Austen's readers, past and present, intense breakdowns of key passages from the novels (focusing particularly, in the final chapter, on Emma), and recollections from her own long career teaching Austen to students.
What emerges is a picture of Austen that is blurred, one that seems to get more and more out of focus the longer we look. In contrast, the view of the novels becomes sharper, honing in on particular passages and sentences, focusing on the effect of Austen's extraordinarily fine prose and the subtlety of her language throughout the novels. It's a good approach, and I appreciate Brownstein's decision not to try and bring 'Jane Austen the woman' - whoever that really was - to the forefront, but rather focus on the novels and, more importantly, the readers of those novels.
Yet for a book with as tantalising a title as Why Jane Austen?, the book is a little bit of a letdown. It lacks the driving force of a truly powerful argument, opting instead for a more rambling approach. For many readers, I'm sure this is exactly the sort of book they would enjoy reading. Personally, however, I was expecting a book with a forceful title like Why Jane Austen? to have a little more of that same inquisitive, direct attitude.
In the end, Brownstein cannot answer the question, 'Why Jane Austen?' with any other reply but - nostalgia. Despite her insistence at the beginning of the book that Austen is not really a nostalgic writer of romantic 'Olde England', she concludes her book by suggesting that Austen's novels evoke in readers a desire for a lost literary world; "for a world that seemed more comprehensible and coherent, and for the novel itself in its youthful vigour, the novel endowed […] with an integrity, innocence, health, and prosperity, a hopefulness and a seriousness of purpose, that has been or is being lost" ('Afterwords'). Considering Brownstein's insistence earlier on the importance of teaching Jane Austen, on her continued relevance to thousands of readers, she nevertheless returns to the old answer: that Austen's novels are the embodiment of nostalgia, albeit of a particularly literary nostalgia. For those readers eager for a bit more of an insight into why Austen is relevant to the youth of the twenty-first century, to users of Kindles and iPads, to men and women who otherwise claim to dislike and mistrust 'the classics', this is a profoundly unsatisfactory conclusion.
And does this book give one a better idea of how to answer that ever-present question, 'Why Jane Austen?', the next time it is sent in their direction? Not for me, at any rate. Perhaps, for now, the best approach to answering the question, 'Why Jane Austen?' is simply to reply: 'Why not?'.
Originally Posted at Majoring in Literature.
May 30, 2011
Most frustrating to read in electronic form -- want access to footnotes/endnotes -- need hardcopy to mark-up and make notes.
August 10, 2011
Origianlly published at www.talesbetweenthepages.com
I tend to study early American women authors, but Jane Austen is a particular British favorite of mine. The problem with Austen is that the rest of the world is equally fascinated with her; there are SO many sequels, papers, and academic books written on her that the field of Austen studies should be saturated and in no need of further contributions. I expected Why Jane Austen? to be redundant and dull, but found that Brownstein actually accomplished something amazing – new contribution to Austen studies.
Brownstein uses “biographical criticism” (using Austen’s life to uncover clues in her writing) to examine the inconsistencies with modern interpretations of Austen’s work and her intended meaning. In a general sense, many modern readers read her stories because of how romantic they are. By exploring Austen’s life in an intimate way, Brownstein shows us that only considering her work romantic does not do her, or her work, justice. We have romanticized the author and transformed her from “a thin-lipped old maid” to a “glamorous popular celebrity.”
Brownstein also makes an intriguing connection between Jane Austen and Lord Byron, suggesting that Colin Firth’s steamy portrayal of Mr. Darcy illuminates the “Austen-Byron connection,” a literary connection that shows Austen’s relationship with Byron’s poems and how they might or might not have impacted her writing. Both authors imitated and mocked romance, yet Byron was the celebrity during the time period. Jane’s work was published anonymously for quite a long time. Interestingly enough, Brownstein proves that Byron, the celebrity writer of the late eighteenth century, has lost the attention of modern readers while Austen, who was not as popular, has skyrocketed to celebrity status in the modern era. Plain and ordinary Austen has achieved the kind of lasting power that most authors only dream of.
I don’t have any particular problems with this book. It is pretty standard fare if you read academic monographs on a regular basis. Even for the every day reader, Why Jane Austen? can definitely be a worthwhile read, especially if you’re interested in the subject matter. Brownstein doesn’t give us a comprehensive biography of Jane Austen’s life (this is a good thing, as it has been rehashed over and over again by several different scholars), but she does give us new ways of thinking about Austen and a fresh perspective on her lasting influence. I especially loved that Brownstein included a section on modern interpretations of Jane Austen’s style. The most interesting was her reading of Ian McEwan’s Atonement, a take on “truth, universally acknowledged” and Jane Austen’s penchant for country manors. I read Atonement several years ago (didn’t particularly like it – it was just ok), but Brownstein’s reading of it makes me want to revisit it again and look at the relationship McEwan has with Austen.
If anything, Rachel Brownstein gently scolds those of us who only see Austen as a writer of romance. In showing us bits and pieces of Austen’s life, she shows us the complexity of her writing – which is ultimately the reason why her writing has such staying power. “First Impressions” was the original title for Pride and Prejudice. Perhaps our own first impressions of the novel, like Elizabeth and Darcy’s first impressions of one another, are wrong.
I tend to study early American women authors, but Jane Austen is a particular British favorite of mine. The problem with Austen is that the rest of the world is equally fascinated with her; there are SO many sequels, papers, and academic books written on her that the field of Austen studies should be saturated and in no need of further contributions. I expected Why Jane Austen? to be redundant and dull, but found that Brownstein actually accomplished something amazing – new contribution to Austen studies.
Brownstein uses “biographical criticism” (using Austen’s life to uncover clues in her writing) to examine the inconsistencies with modern interpretations of Austen’s work and her intended meaning. In a general sense, many modern readers read her stories because of how romantic they are. By exploring Austen’s life in an intimate way, Brownstein shows us that only considering her work romantic does not do her, or her work, justice. We have romanticized the author and transformed her from “a thin-lipped old maid” to a “glamorous popular celebrity.”
Brownstein also makes an intriguing connection between Jane Austen and Lord Byron, suggesting that Colin Firth’s steamy portrayal of Mr. Darcy illuminates the “Austen-Byron connection,” a literary connection that shows Austen’s relationship with Byron’s poems and how they might or might not have impacted her writing. Both authors imitated and mocked romance, yet Byron was the celebrity during the time period. Jane’s work was published anonymously for quite a long time. Interestingly enough, Brownstein proves that Byron, the celebrity writer of the late eighteenth century, has lost the attention of modern readers while Austen, who was not as popular, has skyrocketed to celebrity status in the modern era. Plain and ordinary Austen has achieved the kind of lasting power that most authors only dream of.
I don’t have any particular problems with this book. It is pretty standard fare if you read academic monographs on a regular basis. Even for the every day reader, Why Jane Austen? can definitely be a worthwhile read, especially if you’re interested in the subject matter. Brownstein doesn’t give us a comprehensive biography of Jane Austen’s life (this is a good thing, as it has been rehashed over and over again by several different scholars), but she does give us new ways of thinking about Austen and a fresh perspective on her lasting influence. I especially loved that Brownstein included a section on modern interpretations of Jane Austen’s style. The most interesting was her reading of Ian McEwan’s Atonement, a take on “truth, universally acknowledged” and Jane Austen’s penchant for country manors. I read Atonement several years ago (didn’t particularly like it – it was just ok), but Brownstein’s reading of it makes me want to revisit it again and look at the relationship McEwan has with Austen.
If anything, Rachel Brownstein gently scolds those of us who only see Austen as a writer of romance. In showing us bits and pieces of Austen’s life, she shows us the complexity of her writing – which is ultimately the reason why her writing has such staying power. “First Impressions” was the original title for Pride and Prejudice. Perhaps our own first impressions of the novel, like Elizabeth and Darcy’s first impressions of one another, are wrong.
Read
September 22, 2011I have to admit for all my love of Jane Austen I have never picked up a biography, except the ones in the front of her novels, which admittedly are brief. Yet, that doesn’t mean I don’t like the art of opposing viewpoints. It’s the one thing I miss about Graduate School----the critical analysis. When the opportunity to read and review Rachel M Brownstein’s Why Jane Austen?, I jumped at the chance.
This book fed my academic loving heart. Miss Brownstein takes a critical look at what draws us to Jane Austen and what makes us stick around. Pop culture is a funny thing as it can cultivate or destroy a beautiful thing. Jane Austen has caught onto the masses like a fever that refuses to abate. So, really what does draw us to Miss Austen?
It seems and I am not surprised after my foray into Women’s Studies that Jane Austen is tied to, at least in critic’s minds, feminism. Brownstein brings this to our attention and explores what it is about Jane Austen that ties her to feminism or the belief in general. Let me not dissuade you into assuming this book is all about feminism, let me caution you for a moment to say that while a look at Jane Austen and feminism is certainly a theme throughout the book that it is in no way the main stage.
Brownstein takes a look through out to study at the use of language in Jane Austen. For example, just moving the word truth to a different area of a sentence can change the meaning entirely and Jane Austen was a master at it. In fact I had not even considered the implications because I read Jane Austen just because I enjoy it, but perhaps I should pay more attention to Austen’s prose.
Taking a look at each of Jane Austen’s works Brownstein takes us on a riveting ride throughout. As I mentioned earlier this is a critical analysis of Jane Austen and what her work meant and still means today. Of all her novels Pride and Prejudice (P&P) is a favorite of most of us. There is a charm about it. Something I did not know is that Mansfield Park (MP) was the novel Austen published after P&P. MP is usually the least favorite of the Austen novels. What inspired Austen to write two dramatically different novels?
I could go on about how Brownstein deftly takes a look at Austen in film, the desire for Austen prequels/sequels and how something of a bygone era continues to draw us to her. Brownstein makes you think---stop and consider and reconsider----your views on Jane Austen.
However there is something almost more interesting than Jane Austen herself in Brownstein’s book and that is a look at Lord Byron and other authors which may have influenced Austen, but by far Lord Byron is the best. Mr. Darcy is an iconic Byronic hero. Was that Jane Austen’s aim? Lord Byron is the antithesis of Jane Austen. For all of Byron’s impropriety Jane Austen counters it with her proper novels. It was a debate, sadly I had been unaware of, but now that I know of it I am intrigued. Brownstein does much to abate my intrigue by exploring the Byron connection.
Wollstonecraft is the perpetuated mother of feminism in academia, also arguably the predecessor of the Byronic approach to human emotion. There are shades of Wollstonecraft in Austen argues Brownstein. They are products of romanticism, a period in literature which gave us arguably the best classics.
Brownstein’s look at Jane Austen and why we gravitate toward her kept me riveted. It’s intelligent work like hers that make me fall in love with reading again. Why Jane Austen should be a part of any Austen devotee’s curriculum.
Source: Author's PR Dept.
This book fed my academic loving heart. Miss Brownstein takes a critical look at what draws us to Jane Austen and what makes us stick around. Pop culture is a funny thing as it can cultivate or destroy a beautiful thing. Jane Austen has caught onto the masses like a fever that refuses to abate. So, really what does draw us to Miss Austen?
It seems and I am not surprised after my foray into Women’s Studies that Jane Austen is tied to, at least in critic’s minds, feminism. Brownstein brings this to our attention and explores what it is about Jane Austen that ties her to feminism or the belief in general. Let me not dissuade you into assuming this book is all about feminism, let me caution you for a moment to say that while a look at Jane Austen and feminism is certainly a theme throughout the book that it is in no way the main stage.
Brownstein takes a look through out to study at the use of language in Jane Austen. For example, just moving the word truth to a different area of a sentence can change the meaning entirely and Jane Austen was a master at it. In fact I had not even considered the implications because I read Jane Austen just because I enjoy it, but perhaps I should pay more attention to Austen’s prose.
Taking a look at each of Jane Austen’s works Brownstein takes us on a riveting ride throughout. As I mentioned earlier this is a critical analysis of Jane Austen and what her work meant and still means today. Of all her novels Pride and Prejudice (P&P) is a favorite of most of us. There is a charm about it. Something I did not know is that Mansfield Park (MP) was the novel Austen published after P&P. MP is usually the least favorite of the Austen novels. What inspired Austen to write two dramatically different novels?
I could go on about how Brownstein deftly takes a look at Austen in film, the desire for Austen prequels/sequels and how something of a bygone era continues to draw us to her. Brownstein makes you think---stop and consider and reconsider----your views on Jane Austen.
However there is something almost more interesting than Jane Austen herself in Brownstein’s book and that is a look at Lord Byron and other authors which may have influenced Austen, but by far Lord Byron is the best. Mr. Darcy is an iconic Byronic hero. Was that Jane Austen’s aim? Lord Byron is the antithesis of Jane Austen. For all of Byron’s impropriety Jane Austen counters it with her proper novels. It was a debate, sadly I had been unaware of, but now that I know of it I am intrigued. Brownstein does much to abate my intrigue by exploring the Byron connection.
Wollstonecraft is the perpetuated mother of feminism in academia, also arguably the predecessor of the Byronic approach to human emotion. There are shades of Wollstonecraft in Austen argues Brownstein. They are products of romanticism, a period in literature which gave us arguably the best classics.
Brownstein’s look at Jane Austen and why we gravitate toward her kept me riveted. It’s intelligent work like hers that make me fall in love with reading again. Why Jane Austen should be a part of any Austen devotee’s curriculum.
Source: Author's PR Dept.
June 20, 2011
I know what you're thinking... Another book about Jane Austen?! There's already been so much scholarship, she has her own society, legions of fans, and everyone with even a passing affection or admiration for her has already published a book about this much-beloved literary icon. So who is this woman that feels there's still more to say?
She's Rachel M. Brownstein, an English professor at the Brooklyn College of CUNY, who's published two previous books: Becoming a Heroine: Reading About Women in Novels and Tragic Muse: Rachel of the Comédie-Française. She was educated at Barnard College and received her Ph.D. in English from Yale University.
And what does she have to say about Austen that hasn't already been said? I can't vouch for everything that's ever been written, but I can describe this book as an overview of the basic trends and genres of women's writing - dipping a bit into aspects of feminism - as it pertains to Austen, and deep analysis of the novels, both as expressed by critics and also students. In addition, why Austen continues to be so popular, and the various ways popular culture has adapted her novels to film, are delved into in detail. In short, it's more information about the author than I'd ever have expected to be found in one volume.
Those such as myself who have all the novels, seen some of the film adaptations, and read a couple Austen biographies - including Claire Tomalin's and Austen's nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh's - and possibly other pieces of criticism, Brownstein's treatment is a wonder. Those as smitten by the Regency author as I will find Why Jane Austen? contains a wealth of information, pulling in new perspectives (some seen through the opinions of Brownstein's students), as well as a gathering of previous scholarship. The addition of the heart of popular culture, why Austen became so wildly popular after a period of relative dormancy, is fascinating, as is the way in which this perspective is wound into the criticism as a whole.
Put simply: Reader, I loved it. So will those with an interest in somewhat more scholarly studies, though you don't need your own Ph.D. in literature to appreciate it. Maybe I should say serious fans, rather than scholarly, though scholars will likewise find much here.
It's just a joy, an essential, updated addition to the already-loaded canon of Austen criticism that isn't a repetition of anything I've personally read before. Once I've re-read the novels - which Brownstein has inspired me to do - I intend to read it again, for it can only improve upon re-reading. Very highly recommended.
She's Rachel M. Brownstein, an English professor at the Brooklyn College of CUNY, who's published two previous books: Becoming a Heroine: Reading About Women in Novels and Tragic Muse: Rachel of the Comédie-Française. She was educated at Barnard College and received her Ph.D. in English from Yale University.
And what does she have to say about Austen that hasn't already been said? I can't vouch for everything that's ever been written, but I can describe this book as an overview of the basic trends and genres of women's writing - dipping a bit into aspects of feminism - as it pertains to Austen, and deep analysis of the novels, both as expressed by critics and also students. In addition, why Austen continues to be so popular, and the various ways popular culture has adapted her novels to film, are delved into in detail. In short, it's more information about the author than I'd ever have expected to be found in one volume.
Those such as myself who have all the novels, seen some of the film adaptations, and read a couple Austen biographies - including Claire Tomalin's and Austen's nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh's - and possibly other pieces of criticism, Brownstein's treatment is a wonder. Those as smitten by the Regency author as I will find Why Jane Austen? contains a wealth of information, pulling in new perspectives (some seen through the opinions of Brownstein's students), as well as a gathering of previous scholarship. The addition of the heart of popular culture, why Austen became so wildly popular after a period of relative dormancy, is fascinating, as is the way in which this perspective is wound into the criticism as a whole.
Put simply: Reader, I loved it. So will those with an interest in somewhat more scholarly studies, though you don't need your own Ph.D. in literature to appreciate it. Maybe I should say serious fans, rather than scholarly, though scholars will likewise find much here.
It's just a joy, an essential, updated addition to the already-loaded canon of Austen criticism that isn't a repetition of anything I've personally read before. Once I've re-read the novels - which Brownstein has inspired me to do - I intend to read it again, for it can only improve upon re-reading. Very highly recommended.
December 30, 2011
I read this book over Christmas break in between semesters, and it was the most perfect timing because I felt like I was the student again instead of the professor!
It gave me a sense of nostalgia for graduate school: the precision of word choice, the clarity of solid, yet elegant sentence structure, and the perennial need for fresh insight. In particular, I drank up the portions where Brownstein wrote about her own messy teaching in attempting to make Emma, Fanny Price, or Austen herself relevant in the modern classroom. She relates conversations with students where the aim is to get the undergraduate to read for anything *but* the plot. This is no easy task, especially when students have a proclivity to simply comment on 'liking' or 'disliking' specific characters, plot development, or the book itself.
Admittedly, the audience for this book will be limited to those who have a foundational understanding of Jane Austen. I don't see how one could garner inspiration from it without having read at least one of Austen's books. I could see how it might incite someone to go read Sense and Sensibility, but Brownstein does layer her analysis with close textual readings of the books (as she should!).
It was also interesting to read about 'Janeism' - and the two camps of modern Jane devotees. On one hand, you've got those who love the pop culture take on Regency formality, manners, and amped up sexuality. This is most apparent in the recent film adaptions, the endless sequels to her books, and even a morbid vampire take on the books (read zombies in Pride and Prejudice). This is obviously riding on the coattails of the current vampire fetish.
On the other hand, you've got the scholar camp who espouse Jane for her mental alacrity, incisive wit, and nuanced commentary. She is lauded for more academic reasons, and fans consequently explain how *Austen* (not Jane), has maintained an enduring hold on English literature through exercising a formidable acumen on human character. In erudite tones, they speak of Austen's popularity amongst her peers (including Sir Walter Scott) and, despite criticism otherwise, her knowledge of the world around her during the Napoleonic wars.
All in all, this book was a fantastic escape during the cold, winter mornings. Whenever I read Jane Austen, I feel like I'm curled up in a chair, wrapped in a blanket, and chatting with a long-time friend over steaming tea. The fire is crackling, the hearth is warm, and everything that speaks of domestic felicity is dearly welcomed. I would rate this book 10 stars if it were possible!
It gave me a sense of nostalgia for graduate school: the precision of word choice, the clarity of solid, yet elegant sentence structure, and the perennial need for fresh insight. In particular, I drank up the portions where Brownstein wrote about her own messy teaching in attempting to make Emma, Fanny Price, or Austen herself relevant in the modern classroom. She relates conversations with students where the aim is to get the undergraduate to read for anything *but* the plot. This is no easy task, especially when students have a proclivity to simply comment on 'liking' or 'disliking' specific characters, plot development, or the book itself.
Admittedly, the audience for this book will be limited to those who have a foundational understanding of Jane Austen. I don't see how one could garner inspiration from it without having read at least one of Austen's books. I could see how it might incite someone to go read Sense and Sensibility, but Brownstein does layer her analysis with close textual readings of the books (as she should!).
It was also interesting to read about 'Janeism' - and the two camps of modern Jane devotees. On one hand, you've got those who love the pop culture take on Regency formality, manners, and amped up sexuality. This is most apparent in the recent film adaptions, the endless sequels to her books, and even a morbid vampire take on the books (read zombies in Pride and Prejudice). This is obviously riding on the coattails of the current vampire fetish.
On the other hand, you've got the scholar camp who espouse Jane for her mental alacrity, incisive wit, and nuanced commentary. She is lauded for more academic reasons, and fans consequently explain how *Austen* (not Jane), has maintained an enduring hold on English literature through exercising a formidable acumen on human character. In erudite tones, they speak of Austen's popularity amongst her peers (including Sir Walter Scott) and, despite criticism otherwise, her knowledge of the world around her during the Napoleonic wars.
All in all, this book was a fantastic escape during the cold, winter mornings. Whenever I read Jane Austen, I feel like I'm curled up in a chair, wrapped in a blanket, and chatting with a long-time friend over steaming tea. The fire is crackling, the hearth is warm, and everything that speaks of domestic felicity is dearly welcomed. I would rate this book 10 stars if it were possible!
December 18, 2020
Once an English major, always an English major. For a number of years, I read a tattered copy of Pride and Prejudice, in brief or longer bursts, while doing the waiting that mothers do: in school parking lots, at softball practices, outside Girl Scout meetings. I’ve read/re-read Emma, Sense and Sensibility, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, but somehow missed Mansfield Park until just last year. The list continues: Love & Friendship (film), then Lady Susan (book); Sanditon (book, then film). On to the fan stuff: The Jane Austen Book Club (book, film) and Austenland (book, film), plus some of the “Jane” mysteries by Stephanie Barron. And the underrated The Jane Austen Project by Kathleen Flynn.
This winter, I declared a Jane Austen Day and binged—for the first time—all six episodes of the Colin Firth series, then Lucy Worlsey’s Jane Austen: Behind Closed Doors, companion to her book Jane Austen At Home.
So, I’m a nut. It helps to know I’m not the only one.
When I found Why Jane Austen? in a list of Austen-related book, I imagined it as a bit of a lark—an anthology, perhaps, of fond recollections by Austen fans.
But Rachel M. Brownstein is a serious scholar. I don’t challenge myself to read literary criticism very much, anymore, but I thoroughly enjoyed these essays. She tackles the subject of “why Jane Austen” in diverse ways: why Austen wrote the way she did; why her novels became and remain so beloved; why, beginning in the 1990s, there has been an ongoing obsession (what Brownstein calls “Jane-o-mania") not only with retelling her novels (in film, in pastiche, in fan fiction) but with her own biography. I gained new insights into why Jane Austen matters to me and to the literary tradition.
In the final “Afterwords” section, Brownstein sums up her argument:
“Contrary to the main current of popular opinion today, Jane Austen’s novels are not first of all and most importantly about pretty girls in long dresses waiting for love and marriage; and they are not most importantly English and Heritage, small and decorous and mannerly and pleasant. Read with any degree of attention, they do not work well as escape reading: there are too many hardheaded observations and hard, recalcitrant details in them.” (247)
This winter, I declared a Jane Austen Day and binged—for the first time—all six episodes of the Colin Firth series, then Lucy Worlsey’s Jane Austen: Behind Closed Doors, companion to her book Jane Austen At Home.
So, I’m a nut. It helps to know I’m not the only one.
When I found Why Jane Austen? in a list of Austen-related book, I imagined it as a bit of a lark—an anthology, perhaps, of fond recollections by Austen fans.
But Rachel M. Brownstein is a serious scholar. I don’t challenge myself to read literary criticism very much, anymore, but I thoroughly enjoyed these essays. She tackles the subject of “why Jane Austen” in diverse ways: why Austen wrote the way she did; why her novels became and remain so beloved; why, beginning in the 1990s, there has been an ongoing obsession (what Brownstein calls “Jane-o-mania") not only with retelling her novels (in film, in pastiche, in fan fiction) but with her own biography. I gained new insights into why Jane Austen matters to me and to the literary tradition.
In the final “Afterwords” section, Brownstein sums up her argument:
“Contrary to the main current of popular opinion today, Jane Austen’s novels are not first of all and most importantly about pretty girls in long dresses waiting for love and marriage; and they are not most importantly English and Heritage, small and decorous and mannerly and pleasant. Read with any degree of attention, they do not work well as escape reading: there are too many hardheaded observations and hard, recalcitrant details in them.” (247)
July 5, 2011
In Why Jane Austen?, Brownstein successfully walks the line between readability and scholarship. She clearly discusses topics with an academic's eye, but the writing is not dense, difficult to understand or boring. There is some possibility that this book will be more meaningful to those who already have a familiarity with Jane Austen's work, but it could also be useful for those who have steered clear of her work but want a working knowledge of her works and life.
My only criticism of Why Jane Austen? is that it seems to wander away from the thesis quite a bit, with many of these wanderings not seeming to support the overall argument particularly. Really though, the overall question is never, to my mind, satisfactorily answered; Brownstein's explanation is essentially what my off the cuff answer would be if asked.
Why read it you may ask? Because above and beyond the so-called thrust of the novel, there is a ton of delightful literary analysis and historical information to enjoy. Reading through this academic publication is like nerding out over all of Austen's books at once (all of which I now really want to reread, even the dreary Mansfield Park).
I also love learning about some of the other authors of the time, such as Byron and Charlotte Smith. The discussion of the film versions, especially of Amy Heckerling's Clueless, were charming and made me look at them in a new light. I also now want to reread Ian McEwan's Atonement, even though it was a slog the first time; I never noticed the ties to Austen (and am not particularly sure from the summation how much I agree with that argument, which by the way has little to nothing to do with why we read Jane Austen) and am curious to see if I can find them, even though the novel was a painful, heart-wrenching slog the first time through.
If you love Jane Austen or nerding out over authors in general, this is a really great read. From an academic standpoint, Brownstein clearly knows what she is talking about and has compiled a useful collection of footnoted and references. Reading this could give you a good list of other works to use for a paper on 'dear Jane.'
My only criticism of Why Jane Austen? is that it seems to wander away from the thesis quite a bit, with many of these wanderings not seeming to support the overall argument particularly. Really though, the overall question is never, to my mind, satisfactorily answered; Brownstein's explanation is essentially what my off the cuff answer would be if asked.
Why read it you may ask? Because above and beyond the so-called thrust of the novel, there is a ton of delightful literary analysis and historical information to enjoy. Reading through this academic publication is like nerding out over all of Austen's books at once (all of which I now really want to reread, even the dreary Mansfield Park).
I also love learning about some of the other authors of the time, such as Byron and Charlotte Smith. The discussion of the film versions, especially of Amy Heckerling's Clueless, were charming and made me look at them in a new light. I also now want to reread Ian McEwan's Atonement, even though it was a slog the first time; I never noticed the ties to Austen (and am not particularly sure from the summation how much I agree with that argument, which by the way has little to nothing to do with why we read Jane Austen) and am curious to see if I can find them, even though the novel was a painful, heart-wrenching slog the first time through.
If you love Jane Austen or nerding out over authors in general, this is a really great read. From an academic standpoint, Brownstein clearly knows what she is talking about and has compiled a useful collection of footnoted and references. Reading this could give you a good list of other works to use for a paper on 'dear Jane.'
Read
March 23, 2013P. 7 "The popular vogue of the 1990s changed the emphasis by narrowing the focus to that. It imagined all the protagonists of all the Austen novels as aiming to realize the undervalued female self by marrying up, marrying money, and marrying the best and sexiest guy, ..."
P. 67 "especially attractive to people at the margins of the dominant culture." "The serious promise her novels hold out, to my mind, is of a meritocracy--by suggesting persuasively that true distinction inheres first of all and most importantly in command of language, where the making of distinctions has no end."
P. 107 "...the heroine's vulnerability is a function of her want of a home of her own, and her desire for one; her enemies are either the legal owners of substantial properties, the law itself, or both. ...his real property is surety for the hero's moral substance."
P. 114 "...the Gardiners go to Pemberley in the first place, and get admitted there, because money and education ahve made them his nearer equals."
P 122-3 "A man's "character" here, is what other people make of it: in this sense of the word, a servant i given a "character" or a letter recommending him, by a satisfied employer..." "...it's clear that a man has at least two kinds or dimensions of character, one immediately apparent to others, the other not...." "The plot of Pride and Prejudice depends on reputations..." "on the "character" that his housekeeper Mrs. Reynolds, in a nice reversal, gives of her master."
P. 67 "especially attractive to people at the margins of the dominant culture." "The serious promise her novels hold out, to my mind, is of a meritocracy--by suggesting persuasively that true distinction inheres first of all and most importantly in command of language, where the making of distinctions has no end."
P. 107 "...the heroine's vulnerability is a function of her want of a home of her own, and her desire for one; her enemies are either the legal owners of substantial properties, the law itself, or both. ...his real property is surety for the hero's moral substance."
P. 114 "...the Gardiners go to Pemberley in the first place, and get admitted there, because money and education ahve made them his nearer equals."
P 122-3 "A man's "character" here, is what other people make of it: in this sense of the word, a servant i given a "character" or a letter recommending him, by a satisfied employer..." "...it's clear that a man has at least two kinds or dimensions of character, one immediately apparent to others, the other not...." "The plot of Pride and Prejudice depends on reputations..." "on the "character" that his housekeeper Mrs. Reynolds, in a nice reversal, gives of her master."
February 11, 2012
This book is something of a mix between a popular book and a scholarly monograph. There isn't a lot of critical theory or heavy terminology to throw off the layperson, and Brownstein discusses the popularity of Austen in the modern world and how she uses her in classes. To me, these parts were far more interesting than her analyses of the novels themselves, which I didn't find too convincing. I most enjoyed the section where she looks at biographical interest in Austen, partly talking about why we care about her life, comparing her life and the way it is told to her contemporary, Lord Byron, as well as asking why we look for Austen's life in her novels, trying to make her into a heroine, as opposed to the other way around (which is what she claims people do with Shakespeare).
May 19, 2016
I learned a lot from this book although I already "knew" everything in it already. Brownstein gave me the language to say things I already knew about Jane Austen. I love that this book walks the lines between academic and personal so gracefully. I love the close reading of Austen's language, particularly of punctuation and word repetition. I love that she writes so confidently, and yet asks so many unanswered questions. The whole time I was working through this book I felt like I had a long way to go as an academic, at once feeling my inadequacy but also excited that I have lots of room to grow.
September 27, 2016
It took me 8 days to read this book. I had so much to understand and ponder. I have been thinking about the significance of the first senescence of Pride and Prejudice, paying much attention to the words "universally acknowledged," what the writer meant and what the reader expects among other things to be re-read. I have been thinking about the difference between the 18th-century's definition of "information" and out present-day definition of "information. (Austen was using the old definition.)
There is still more, more that I want to ponder upon. I will have to re-read on another day. When I read thee book next tjme, I plan to say it requires a 6-star rating.
There is still more, more that I want to ponder upon. I will have to re-read on another day. When I read thee book next tjme, I plan to say it requires a 6-star rating.
October 14, 2012
From the introduction: "Sometime in the 1908s, soon after the publication of my first book, I went to a literary party in Brooklyn at the home of a fashionably gritty playwright: jug wine, cheese and crackers, and brownies laced with cannabis, homemade by his wife."
If only all JA lit-crit books started this way.
If only all JA lit-crit books started this way.
January 3, 2015
A mixed bag. Worth reading for Austen fans/Janeites for some valuable insights into the texts and adaptations. But I found it a slog due to three problems: scattershot organization; too much unrelated content (almost to the point of stream-of-consciousness); and sentence structure that tended towards the baroque.
September 28, 2011
ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley
While I did not doubt how thoroughly researched this book was, it felt so much like a homework assignment that I just did not enjoy this very much. It was ok, did not feel like I wasted my time reading this or anything, but not a favorite.
While I did not doubt how thoroughly researched this book was, it felt so much like a homework assignment that I just did not enjoy this very much. It was ok, did not feel like I wasted my time reading this or anything, but not a favorite.
November 19, 2011
There are no books like Jane Austen's. Brownstein's book is great because you learn what you have been missing in Austen's books. You can reread them and enjoy them again in new ways. Keep reading when you think Brownstein is getting boring. She is making an interesting point. Every time.
October 8, 2012
Absolutely fantastic book. Best book I have read about the history of Austen's literary reception. It is also an excellent road map for the scope of her criticism. Read this one in 3 days! As compelling as a good novel.
July 1, 2011
Review available on our blog.
July 27, 2013
Every time I begin a about Jane it compels me to re- read Jane. So again I am lost in Georgian England
January 10, 2012
So far this is very interesting but I have read all of Austen's books many times. I love the scholarship aspect of this book. I am about 150 pages in.
July 20, 2013
Actually didn't finish this book. A bit too dry and wasn't what I thought it was going to be.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews