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Jane Austen
Jane Austen, one of the best-loved novelists of the English language, is unique in that her approach to art is without complication.
She never attempted to exceed the limitations of her capabilities or of that with which she was familiar, but wrote of ordinary people engaged in familiar pursuits and doing ordinary things.
Born the daughter of a country parson, Jane lived what many consider to have been a quiet and uneventful life. Yet in this book, Brian Wilks shows how rewarding a study of this deceptively quite life can be.
Jane was a member of a remarkable family, and her story is one of her close involvement with its members. Personal relationships and their portrayal are the keynote of her art and they are also the key to understanding her life.
The successful novelist who, while being asked to dedicate a novel to the Prince Regent wrote to advise her ten year old niece on good “Auntship”, would have preferred to be remembered as an aunt rather than as a famous writer, and the glimpses of her life and family we have in her letters abound with the same wit, liveliness and shrewd observation that are found in her novels.
Yet there is also a wider dimension to her life. She lived at one of the most formative periods of English and European history, the time of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars abroad, and of social unrest and upheaval at home.
If these events find but a dim echo in Jane’s novels, it is not because she was unaware of them. Through her wide family circle she had first-hand contact with many of the social and political currents of her day: she had two brothers who became admirals and who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, an aunt who narrowly escaped hanging for an offence she did not commit, and a cousin whose husband met his death at the guillotine.
These incidents are as much a part of her life as the drawing-room at Chawton where she wrote most of her novels.
Brian Wilks recreates Jane Austen’s world with excerpts from her letters, providing a series of fascincinting vignettes of her, her family, and of her world, which was that of the emerging industrial revolution, as well as of elegant Regency Bath and rural Hampshire.
Brian Wilks is the best-selling author of ‘The Brontës’ and ‘Charlotte in Love’ and was Vice-president of The Brontë Society.
She never attempted to exceed the limitations of her capabilities or of that with which she was familiar, but wrote of ordinary people engaged in familiar pursuits and doing ordinary things.
Born the daughter of a country parson, Jane lived what many consider to have been a quiet and uneventful life. Yet in this book, Brian Wilks shows how rewarding a study of this deceptively quite life can be.
Jane was a member of a remarkable family, and her story is one of her close involvement with its members. Personal relationships and their portrayal are the keynote of her art and they are also the key to understanding her life.
The successful novelist who, while being asked to dedicate a novel to the Prince Regent wrote to advise her ten year old niece on good “Auntship”, would have preferred to be remembered as an aunt rather than as a famous writer, and the glimpses of her life and family we have in her letters abound with the same wit, liveliness and shrewd observation that are found in her novels.
Yet there is also a wider dimension to her life. She lived at one of the most formative periods of English and European history, the time of the French Revolution and the Napoleonic Wars abroad, and of social unrest and upheaval at home.
If these events find but a dim echo in Jane’s novels, it is not because she was unaware of them. Through her wide family circle she had first-hand contact with many of the social and political currents of her day: she had two brothers who became admirals and who fought in the Napoleonic Wars, an aunt who narrowly escaped hanging for an offence she did not commit, and a cousin whose husband met his death at the guillotine.
These incidents are as much a part of her life as the drawing-room at Chawton where she wrote most of her novels.
Brian Wilks recreates Jane Austen’s world with excerpts from her letters, providing a series of fascincinting vignettes of her, her family, and of her world, which was that of the emerging industrial revolution, as well as of elegant Regency Bath and rural Hampshire.
Brian Wilks is the best-selling author of ‘The Brontës’ and ‘Charlotte in Love’ and was Vice-president of The Brontë Society.
144 pages, ebook
First published August 25, 1978
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73 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 22, 2015
Perhaps the thing I enjoyed the most about reading this book, is how the author acknowledges the importance of staying objective when studying Jane Austen's life and intellect depth through her personal letters (mostly to her sister). These letters were never meant to be read by anyone else, yet here we are over 200 years later trying to find some secret meaning to them all. In his introduction Brian Wilks discusses the possibility of Jane Austen becoming a blogger, had she lived in modern times. Reading and dissecting her personal letters seems to me as if someone in the future would try to make sense of some private Facebook or text chat between sisters. Most of the excerpts presented seem to me as average conversations I would have with my own sister.
Certainly she was a complex woman. Someone ahead of her time. A budding feminist, just like the feisty Elizabeth Bennet. She took as much ownership of her life as allowed during the time she happened to live. From the research and descriptions presented on this book i have gained better understanding of her surroundings, her family, the environment she seemed to thrive in, helping me see her work under a different perspective. The Jane Austen presented in this book appears to be a smart, sensible, and witty introvert.
The book provides enough information for those--like me--who want to know more about her life, but prefer not to be dragged into a lengthy and scholarly tome. The book is light and easy to read. I enjoyed the clear language and consistency of the material presented.
Personally, I have always thought the brilliance of her work is that is relatable. As it's mentioned in the book, she writes about characters that most of us have met or can identify with, even if it's a different time period. I strongly believe that's the main reason why Pride and Prejudice still appeals and swoons millions of people (including myself) into this simple world where love seems to win.
As England and France engaged in war, Austen kept her books light and witty, with well drawn characters and lyrical prose. Perhaps this was her way of coping with the world she lived in. There's an air of mystery and secrecy in her life, and the author is careful to allow the uncertainty prevail.
After reading this book I am inspired to re-read the classic books I have enjoyed (Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice),, and to read those I have not.
*I received a copy of this title through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.*
Certainly she was a complex woman. Someone ahead of her time. A budding feminist, just like the feisty Elizabeth Bennet. She took as much ownership of her life as allowed during the time she happened to live. From the research and descriptions presented on this book i have gained better understanding of her surroundings, her family, the environment she seemed to thrive in, helping me see her work under a different perspective. The Jane Austen presented in this book appears to be a smart, sensible, and witty introvert.
The book provides enough information for those--like me--who want to know more about her life, but prefer not to be dragged into a lengthy and scholarly tome. The book is light and easy to read. I enjoyed the clear language and consistency of the material presented.
Personally, I have always thought the brilliance of her work is that is relatable. As it's mentioned in the book, she writes about characters that most of us have met or can identify with, even if it's a different time period. I strongly believe that's the main reason why Pride and Prejudice still appeals and swoons millions of people (including myself) into this simple world where love seems to win.
As England and France engaged in war, Austen kept her books light and witty, with well drawn characters and lyrical prose. Perhaps this was her way of coping with the world she lived in. There's an air of mystery and secrecy in her life, and the author is careful to allow the uncertainty prevail.
After reading this book I am inspired to re-read the classic books I have enjoyed (Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice),, and to read those I have not.
*I received a copy of this title through NetGalley in exchange of an honest review.*
February 10, 2024
Interesting and insightful for Jane Austen fans
January 1, 2016
4.5 stars
I'm a huge fan of Austen, and have read several books about both her and her books in the past, but would not consider myself anything of an expect and always manage to pick up something new and interesting about Jane and her world from each new piece.
Wilks' is no exception. This is a slight work, less than 140 pages, and as another reviewer has commented, would make an excellent introductory biography for a GCSE or A-Level student looking for supplementary material on the author without becoming too academic and dry.
I thought this was excellent because it put Austen in her historical and social context, not something I have read too often, as she herself skims over the wars going on at the time of her novels, we now learn a little of what was going on around her as she wrote.
And we also SEE what she wrote - letters she wrote to her beloved sister, family and friends. I loved these - the author's voice is still much apparent in them, her wit, but her love for her family also is evident.
Putting Austen into the context of the time will be invaluable for students, and I also found this instructive - it's a period in history I know mostly through Austen's fiction, rather than through knowledge of the time.
Learning more of Austen's family background was also new to me - her brother's adoption by a wealthy family, the naval occupation of more than one sibling - from my own reading it's not something I'd come across.
Having visited Alton, I was also thrilled to see the inclusion of and description of her Chawton home and a little of her everyday life (though more of this would have been good).
This takes us briefly through the stages of Austen's life, with historical context along the way and detail of Jane's family and writing progress, putting her life and work into it's place in history.
I would have been happy had this been twice the length. The tone isn't academic and scholarly, it's very easy to read, with short and separated chapters, each of which might lead someone on to further reading (though a selective bibliography at the end of each could have been a useful inclusion). I could see this being recommended as a starting point for schools studying Austen's novels with their students.
I definitely picked up a few new ideas and information about my favourite author from Wilks' work.
With thanks to the publisher for the advance reading copy, sent for review purposes.
I'm a huge fan of Austen, and have read several books about both her and her books in the past, but would not consider myself anything of an expect and always manage to pick up something new and interesting about Jane and her world from each new piece.
Wilks' is no exception. This is a slight work, less than 140 pages, and as another reviewer has commented, would make an excellent introductory biography for a GCSE or A-Level student looking for supplementary material on the author without becoming too academic and dry.
I thought this was excellent because it put Austen in her historical and social context, not something I have read too often, as she herself skims over the wars going on at the time of her novels, we now learn a little of what was going on around her as she wrote.
And we also SEE what she wrote - letters she wrote to her beloved sister, family and friends. I loved these - the author's voice is still much apparent in them, her wit, but her love for her family also is evident.
Putting Austen into the context of the time will be invaluable for students, and I also found this instructive - it's a period in history I know mostly through Austen's fiction, rather than through knowledge of the time.
Learning more of Austen's family background was also new to me - her brother's adoption by a wealthy family, the naval occupation of more than one sibling - from my own reading it's not something I'd come across.
Having visited Alton, I was also thrilled to see the inclusion of and description of her Chawton home and a little of her everyday life (though more of this would have been good).
This takes us briefly through the stages of Austen's life, with historical context along the way and detail of Jane's family and writing progress, putting her life and work into it's place in history.
I would have been happy had this been twice the length. The tone isn't academic and scholarly, it's very easy to read, with short and separated chapters, each of which might lead someone on to further reading (though a selective bibliography at the end of each could have been a useful inclusion). I could see this being recommended as a starting point for schools studying Austen's novels with their students.
I definitely picked up a few new ideas and information about my favourite author from Wilks' work.
With thanks to the publisher for the advance reading copy, sent for review purposes.
August 19, 2016
I have been a fan of Jane Austen's writing since high school. Since graduating those several years ago, my interest and adoration for her work has only grown. Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility, and Persuasion all count among my favorite books of all time.
Despite my admiration for her work, I never learned much about the actual life of this gifted Lady Authoress. Up until a few days ago, the only book I'd read about the lady herself was Becoming Jane, which while entertaining is fictional, so I was excited to read this biography when it popped up on Netgalley.
While Mr. Wilks' pacing and narrative is engaging and fast-paced, I have to say I'm rather disappointed. This is a rather short book which serves more as a mere introduction to Ms. Austen's life, rather than the full-length biography I understood it to be. Indeed, the synopsis provided by the publisher seems to cover most of the events touched on in the book, leaving hardly anything at all to discover in the book. Most of the text seemed to be excerpts from family correspondences and her earlier works, and while those were entertaining and fascinating, that's not what I expected to read.
I wish Mr. Wilks had spent a little more time fleshing out the detailed events of Ms. Austen's life, rather than stringing anecdotes together. I also would have loved to see him spend a little more time focusing on historical context, and citing more sources than just the letters and writings. The organization also left a lot to be desired.
For the completely uninitiated, Brian Wilks' Jane Austen is a good start. However, it is by no means a full-length biography, and if you know even a little about Jane Austen, it probably will not contain any new information for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
Despite my admiration for her work, I never learned much about the actual life of this gifted Lady Authoress. Up until a few days ago, the only book I'd read about the lady herself was Becoming Jane, which while entertaining is fictional, so I was excited to read this biography when it popped up on Netgalley.
While Mr. Wilks' pacing and narrative is engaging and fast-paced, I have to say I'm rather disappointed. This is a rather short book which serves more as a mere introduction to Ms. Austen's life, rather than the full-length biography I understood it to be. Indeed, the synopsis provided by the publisher seems to cover most of the events touched on in the book, leaving hardly anything at all to discover in the book. Most of the text seemed to be excerpts from family correspondences and her earlier works, and while those were entertaining and fascinating, that's not what I expected to read.
I wish Mr. Wilks had spent a little more time fleshing out the detailed events of Ms. Austen's life, rather than stringing anecdotes together. I also would have loved to see him spend a little more time focusing on historical context, and citing more sources than just the letters and writings. The organization also left a lot to be desired.
For the completely uninitiated, Brian Wilks' Jane Austen is a good start. However, it is by no means a full-length biography, and if you know even a little about Jane Austen, it probably will not contain any new information for you.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
March 7, 2022
Pretty straightforward biography of Jane Austen. Lots of illustrations, including paintings of familiar sights of the Era, portraits painted by Jane's sister Cassandra, and some of Jane's letters and manuscripts.
January 15, 2016
3.5
Un'ottima introduzione alla vita e alle opere di Jane Austen; peccato per i molti refusi nell'edizione.
Un'ottima introduzione alla vita e alle opere di Jane Austen; peccato per i molti refusi nell'edizione.
October 8, 2020
Jane Austen by Brian Wilks is an introductory biography to the author’s life. Wilks is the author of several biographies of British writers. His Jane Austen was first published in 1977.
My background is in political science and history and despite a graduate degree, I have not read any of Jane Austen’s work. I do know that she wrote Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, which I am reading now because of this book. There is something very positive about a biography that creates and maintains interest even after it is finished.
At just under one hundred and fifty pages, this is by no means a detailed biography. It is written as a gentle introduction to the writer and her life. Wilks takes excerpts from Austen’s books and her letters to give a look at the informal life of Jane Austen. There is as much information on her family, world events, towns, and late eighteenth/early nineteenth-century English life in general as there is on her specifically. This creates a setting for Austen's life as well as her writing.
While not a scholarly work in the sense of research and detailed information, it is an excellent introduction or Young Adult biography. The reader will get a feel and understanding for the writer in her environment. For the adult reader with little fore-knowledge of Austen, this will deliver the basics in a nice package. Rather than bullet point facts on the author’s life it reads like a story. An excellent and very readable introduction to one of the period's great writers.
My background is in political science and history and despite a graduate degree, I have not read any of Jane Austen’s work. I do know that she wrote Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice, which I am reading now because of this book. There is something very positive about a biography that creates and maintains interest even after it is finished.
At just under one hundred and fifty pages, this is by no means a detailed biography. It is written as a gentle introduction to the writer and her life. Wilks takes excerpts from Austen’s books and her letters to give a look at the informal life of Jane Austen. There is as much information on her family, world events, towns, and late eighteenth/early nineteenth-century English life in general as there is on her specifically. This creates a setting for Austen's life as well as her writing.
While not a scholarly work in the sense of research and detailed information, it is an excellent introduction or Young Adult biography. The reader will get a feel and understanding for the writer in her environment. For the adult reader with little fore-knowledge of Austen, this will deliver the basics in a nice package. Rather than bullet point facts on the author’s life it reads like a story. An excellent and very readable introduction to one of the period's great writers.
July 22, 2019
Interesting but in need of a proofreader
I knew very little about Jane Austens life so this was an eyeopener. I have lived in Bath and been to many of the places mentioned. The biography was a helpful insight into the author but I am left with a hohum feeling about it all. Having never been a fan of Austens writing...finding it a bit obscure, wordy and pretentious...I think the book's reliance so extensively on her letters just adds to the same kind of mundaneness of subject. Granted we were never meant to see these letters and maybe there wasn't much exciting going on in her day to day existence, but there is the problem. Wilks doesn't make much attempt at analysis, claiming a thinness of source material. The typos were glaring and many. Just not a very satisfactory read overall but I am now better informed on her life.
I knew very little about Jane Austens life so this was an eyeopener. I have lived in Bath and been to many of the places mentioned. The biography was a helpful insight into the author but I am left with a hohum feeling about it all. Having never been a fan of Austens writing...finding it a bit obscure, wordy and pretentious...I think the book's reliance so extensively on her letters just adds to the same kind of mundaneness of subject. Granted we were never meant to see these letters and maybe there wasn't much exciting going on in her day to day existence, but there is the problem. Wilks doesn't make much attempt at analysis, claiming a thinness of source material. The typos were glaring and many. Just not a very satisfactory read overall but I am now better informed on her life.
August 9, 2019
An excellent biography
I discovered Jane Austen about fifty years ago. Reading Wilks' biography I realized that, as long as I've enjoyed reading her wonderful work, I did not know much about her. This biography fleshed her out and humanized her for me in all kinds of ways. I was particularly touched by reading her letters to her family after she fell ill. When I came to the book's last page I mourned her lamenting her early death and all of the wonderful novels left unwritten.
I discovered Jane Austen about fifty years ago. Reading Wilks' biography I realized that, as long as I've enjoyed reading her wonderful work, I did not know much about her. This biography fleshed her out and humanized her for me in all kinds of ways. I was particularly touched by reading her letters to her family after she fell ill. When I came to the book's last page I mourned her lamenting her early death and all of the wonderful novels left unwritten.
July 21, 2019
I have read all of Jane Austen's work. I'm not sure what I was expecting in this biography but I was disappointed. I only learned that she was a prolific letter writer and who her family was. So truthfully, I would rate this book between a 2-3.
July 13, 2017
I thought this was not very well written, and I'm afraid I did not finish it.
December 13, 2015
Yet, another biography of Jane Austen. This time published as an e-book by Endeavour Press. The book was originally published in 1978, but still feels very fresh.
I have recently read three books about Austen, related to food and names in; Jane Austen and Food, Jane Austen and Names by Maggie Lane, as well as Only a Novel: The Double Life of Jane Austen by Jane Aiken Hodge. Although, after reading the books above and thinking I know Jane Austen by now, I was quite captivated by Brian Wilks version of her life. It does not go into too much details, but keeps it on a track which can be compared to a novel in itself. Beautifully written and approaching Jane Austen with a wonderful insight into the person she might have been. It is a personal story of her life and deeds. Like Brian Wilks says in the Foreword:
"’It is a truth universally acknowledged that,’ writers are congenitally wired for communication. The evidence in Austen’s novels of her use of gossip, malicious and otherwise, her use of letters, stories, anecdote, her character assassinations and mischievous exploration of motive and intention, all suggest she would be blogging away with the best of us."
This quote shows the essentials of Brian Wilks’ understanding of Jane Austen. He manages to put her novels into our modern world and makes us understand them, her writing and her times. There are numerous quotes from her books to show how she translated her own world into her books.
Although living a ’narrow’ life in the countryside, she was very well aware of the politics and social rules of her time and which she put into her novels. Through her brothers she had access to the navy and its life, the Napoleonic as well as other wars were part of her life. Socially she belonged to the country-side gentry, but through her brother Edward, who was adopted by the Knight family and their sole heir, her social circles widened from her own into the higher circles of the Knights. Edward also provided a house on his estates for Jane, her sister and mother when their father died.
Wilks matches life and customs in England at the time and how real life might have inspired the novels of Jane Austen. As Wilks describes it:
”Despite the rumblings of the industrial and agricultural revolution that were to shift the centre of gravity for the whole of the civilized world, rumblings that steadily grew through each year of Jane Austen’s life, England in the period 1775 to 1817 was stilla rural, picturesque, agricultural society.
…
Many economic historians see the very years of Jane Austen’s life as the hey-day of the English leisured class.
She wrote for many years before she was published and it was only in the end of her life that her books became more widely published and popular. Many were the evenings when she entertained her family with her writings.
”’The cultivation of her own language’ is precisely what Jane Austen set about. Words were to her playthings in her own personal life, and in her writing for publication she developed a sensitivity and confidence that resulted in a fine facility with English prose. It was the society which she found in her home that provoked the enthusiasm for and exploration of styles and techniques that were to become so eloquent a vehicle for her ideas.”
Jane Austen was a product of her own time. Her outstanding quality was the possibility to look at her surroundings with a sharp intellect combined with a wonderful sense of humour.
”In the later Austen family it was believed that Jane was a blend of both her parents’ natures: ’If one may divide qualities which often overlap, one would be inclined to surmise that Jane Austen inherited from her father her serenity of mind, the refinement of her intellect, and her delicate appreciation of style, while her mother supplied the acute observation of character, and the wit and humour, for which she was equally distinguished.’"
Jane Austen had a lot of inspiration from her own surroundings. The Austen family was very tight and helped each other out through all of their lives. Her many brothers all married and had many children (except her brother George which seems to have been mentally ill). Two of her brother’s were in the navy so she was well informed about what happened there, and we see references to the navy in several of her works. The ’marriage game’ of the country-side was all around her. All in all she managed to put it all into her novels with a grace and wit that still entertains people two hundred years later.
Brian Wilks’ biography of Jane Austen is written with care and a personal approach to her person. Highly enjoyable story of her life and work. Now I am heading for his biography of the Brontës!
Thank you to Endeavour Press for a review copy. The views above are my own personal ones.
Review from my book blog: The Content Reader thecontentreader.blogspot.com
I have recently read three books about Austen, related to food and names in; Jane Austen and Food, Jane Austen and Names by Maggie Lane, as well as Only a Novel: The Double Life of Jane Austen by Jane Aiken Hodge. Although, after reading the books above and thinking I know Jane Austen by now, I was quite captivated by Brian Wilks version of her life. It does not go into too much details, but keeps it on a track which can be compared to a novel in itself. Beautifully written and approaching Jane Austen with a wonderful insight into the person she might have been. It is a personal story of her life and deeds. Like Brian Wilks says in the Foreword:
"’It is a truth universally acknowledged that,’ writers are congenitally wired for communication. The evidence in Austen’s novels of her use of gossip, malicious and otherwise, her use of letters, stories, anecdote, her character assassinations and mischievous exploration of motive and intention, all suggest she would be blogging away with the best of us."
This quote shows the essentials of Brian Wilks’ understanding of Jane Austen. He manages to put her novels into our modern world and makes us understand them, her writing and her times. There are numerous quotes from her books to show how she translated her own world into her books.
Although living a ’narrow’ life in the countryside, she was very well aware of the politics and social rules of her time and which she put into her novels. Through her brothers she had access to the navy and its life, the Napoleonic as well as other wars were part of her life. Socially she belonged to the country-side gentry, but through her brother Edward, who was adopted by the Knight family and their sole heir, her social circles widened from her own into the higher circles of the Knights. Edward also provided a house on his estates for Jane, her sister and mother when their father died.
Wilks matches life and customs in England at the time and how real life might have inspired the novels of Jane Austen. As Wilks describes it:
”Despite the rumblings of the industrial and agricultural revolution that were to shift the centre of gravity for the whole of the civilized world, rumblings that steadily grew through each year of Jane Austen’s life, England in the period 1775 to 1817 was stilla rural, picturesque, agricultural society.
…
Many economic historians see the very years of Jane Austen’s life as the hey-day of the English leisured class.
She wrote for many years before she was published and it was only in the end of her life that her books became more widely published and popular. Many were the evenings when she entertained her family with her writings.
”’The cultivation of her own language’ is precisely what Jane Austen set about. Words were to her playthings in her own personal life, and in her writing for publication she developed a sensitivity and confidence that resulted in a fine facility with English prose. It was the society which she found in her home that provoked the enthusiasm for and exploration of styles and techniques that were to become so eloquent a vehicle for her ideas.”
Jane Austen was a product of her own time. Her outstanding quality was the possibility to look at her surroundings with a sharp intellect combined with a wonderful sense of humour.
”In the later Austen family it was believed that Jane was a blend of both her parents’ natures: ’If one may divide qualities which often overlap, one would be inclined to surmise that Jane Austen inherited from her father her serenity of mind, the refinement of her intellect, and her delicate appreciation of style, while her mother supplied the acute observation of character, and the wit and humour, for which she was equally distinguished.’"
Jane Austen had a lot of inspiration from her own surroundings. The Austen family was very tight and helped each other out through all of their lives. Her many brothers all married and had many children (except her brother George which seems to have been mentally ill). Two of her brother’s were in the navy so she was well informed about what happened there, and we see references to the navy in several of her works. The ’marriage game’ of the country-side was all around her. All in all she managed to put it all into her novels with a grace and wit that still entertains people two hundred years later.
Brian Wilks’ biography of Jane Austen is written with care and a personal approach to her person. Highly enjoyable story of her life and work. Now I am heading for his biography of the Brontës!
Thank you to Endeavour Press for a review copy. The views above are my own personal ones.
Review from my book blog: The Content Reader thecontentreader.blogspot.com
January 28, 2020
Excellent!
Insightful writing. Brings Austin and her world to life. Gives context to her writing and depth to her unique character.
Insightful writing. Brings Austin and her world to life. Gives context to her writing and depth to her unique character.
January 17, 2016
Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors of all time. Yet, no matter how many times I have read her books and watched movies and tv adaptations of her novels, I did not know much about her. The only time I have come close to knowing about Jane Austen is Becoming Jane starring Anne hathaway. When I chanced upon Brian Wilks’s biography of Jane Austen, I decided that it was time to learn some facts about my favorite author. This biography highlights her writing career along with her personal life.
One of the most surprising things that I learned in this novel was that Jane Austen had a dramatic life. I assumed because she lived in the country and was a spinster that her life was probably very uneventful. However, I was very wrong. Jane Austen suffered many tragedies, tribulations, and successes. Jane Austen was also a gossip, which was evidenced in many of her writings. There were other interesting facts about Jane Austen. She had a handicapped brother, and that she was writing when she was only twelve years old.
Overall, this was a good introduction to Jane Austen for those who do not know much about her personal life. I thought that the author gave quick summaries of Jane Austen’s personal life that I wanted him to discuss in more detail. I also thought that the writing was very dry. Yet, I did find this biography to be heavily researched because he included a lot of primary sources. While I believe that this is a good biography, I do not think it will satisfy the likes of die-hard Jane Austen’s fans who know everything about her life. However, for those like me, who only know a few generalities of her life, and can only infer insight through her writings, I think you will find this biography to be enlightening.
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
One of the most surprising things that I learned in this novel was that Jane Austen had a dramatic life. I assumed because she lived in the country and was a spinster that her life was probably very uneventful. However, I was very wrong. Jane Austen suffered many tragedies, tribulations, and successes. Jane Austen was also a gossip, which was evidenced in many of her writings. There were other interesting facts about Jane Austen. She had a handicapped brother, and that she was writing when she was only twelve years old.
Overall, this was a good introduction to Jane Austen for those who do not know much about her personal life. I thought that the author gave quick summaries of Jane Austen’s personal life that I wanted him to discuss in more detail. I also thought that the writing was very dry. Yet, I did find this biography to be heavily researched because he included a lot of primary sources. While I believe that this is a good biography, I do not think it will satisfy the likes of die-hard Jane Austen’s fans who know everything about her life. However, for those like me, who only know a few generalities of her life, and can only infer insight through her writings, I think you will find this biography to be enlightening.
(Note: I read an ARC copy of this book in courtesy of Netgalley.)
February 14, 2016
I really enjoyed this biography on Jane Austen, and learnt so many things about her (way too short) life, her upbringing, her relationship with her sister Cassandra and the places she lived - and how that shaped her wonderful stories. I was charmed to discover that she would write letters to her niece backwards - something I used to do both in writing and when speaking as a child.
*I received an advanced reader's copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
*I received an advanced reader's copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
February 16, 2016
(I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a fair and unbiased review.) Tho' brief, a very competent biography of Jane Austen, everyone's favorite "Lady Novelist" ... its greatest strength: its constant reliance on the wide-ranging Austen family correspondence and other contemporaneous documents ... most comforting is the author's refusal to embroider or pad ... very evocative of Jane Austen's physical surroundings and cultural milieu ...
July 14, 2016
I was pleased that the author described not only what was going on in Jane Austen's life, but in England, during each time period during her life. It was interesting that doctors were able to now determine that she died of Addison's disease from her description of her symptoms in letters to family members. It was fascinating to understand how her family helped shape her into the brilliant author she became and the support they gave her as she developed.
November 26, 2015
This is a good introductory biography if you're just getting into Jane Austen or need to write a report on her. Wilks weaves in excerpts from her novels and snippets of her letters to help give context to her story.
I feel like the writing was solid and the book included just enough for a very basic biography. I wouldn't recommend this for Janeites. It's just far too basic.
I feel like the writing was solid and the book included just enough for a very basic biography. I wouldn't recommend this for Janeites. It's just far too basic.
December 7, 2015
being a avid reader of Jane Austen this book is brilliant. it discusses how from the lowly beginnings of the family to the end when Jane dies how the dynamics of the family and the environment around her effects her writing. it goes through some of the relationships she had with various relations and how they influenced her writing. I love this book
July 10, 2016
Not bad, but not brilliant. Interesting use of Jane Austen's letters (the ones that have survived) and others by her contemporaries to illustrate not only her life, but the world she lived in, providing more insight into some of her novels.
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