The Jane Austen Treasury: A Collection of Fascinating Insights into Her Life, Her Time and Her Novels

by Janet Todd

A delightful collection of facts and insights devoted to the inimitable Jane Austen!
It’s a truth universally acknowledged: Jane Austen is one of the most popular and loved authors in English literature. The Jane Austen Treasury brings this great novelist into focus, illuminating the attitudes and customs that shaped her life, times, and work. It explores the themes and historical context of each of her novels, revealing the complexities that underlie her timeless romances. Among the subjects examined are:

The marriage proposal that Austen accepted, only to change her mind
The mock grown-up fiction she wrote as a child
Her personal connections to the Napoleonic Wars
How her love of puzzles and verbal games influenced her writings
And much more!

(Note: first published as "Jane Austen: Her Life, Her Times, Her Novels")

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, History, Classics, British Literature, Books About Books, Literature

160 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2013

About the author

Janet Todd (Jan) is a novelist, biographer, literary critic and internationally renowned scholar, known for her work on
women’s writing and feminism. Her most recent books include
the novel: Don't You Know There's A War On?;
edition and essay: Jane Austen’s Sanditon;
memoir: Radiation Diaries: Cancer, Memory
and Fragments of a Life in Words;
biography: Aphra Behn: A Secret Life;
the novel: A Man of Genius 2016.
Jane Austen and Shelley in the Garden: An Illustrated Novel, forthcoming 2021

A co-founder of the journal Women’s Writing, she has published biographies and critical work on many authors,including Jane Austen, Mary Wollstonecraft, her daughters, Mary (Shelley) and Fanny (Death And The Maidens) , and the Irish-Republican sympathiser, traveller and medical student, Lady Mount Cashell (Daughters of Ireland).

Born in Wales, Janet Todd grew up in Britain, Bermuda and Ceylon/Sri Lanka and has worked at schools and universities in Ghana, Puerto Rico, India, the US (Douglass College,
Rutgers, Florida), Scotland (Glasgow, Aberdeen) and England (Cambridge, UEA). A former President of Lucy Cavendish College, Cambridge, she is now an Honorary Fellow of
Newnham College.

Reviews

[Kathrin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kurzweilige, schöne Einführung, die für mich leider nicht so viel Neues enthielt.

[Meredith (Austenesque Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interactive, Inviting, and Informative

Source: Gift from Brother

This attractive coffee-table sized biography has long caught my eye for many reasons. One, being the superb and striking color of the cover (I love purple!), Secondly, because it is by Janet Todd, who is well-known for her many scholarly works on Jane Austen and other female authors. And finally, because it comes with removable memorabilia! In recognition of the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s passing this month, I thought reading about Jane Austen, her life, her times…and her novels would be a most apropos way to remember and commemorate her. 😉

OVERVIEW:

This 112 page collection is divided into twenty-two chapters. Each chapter is between four and six pages long and there is at least one image per page. In three separate locations of the book are purple envelopes that hold removable facsimiles of letters, manuscripts, articles, and other items such as a map of Bath. The text provides a concise overview of Jane Austen’s life, her family, important events that happened during her lifetime, and the creation and publishing of her novels.

MY READING EXPERIENCE:

I loved how the chapters were organized in this collection. I love that the history of Jane Austen’s life was interspersed between the chapters about her novels. I thoroughly enjoyed the inclusion of images from Jane Austen’s novels and movies as well artwork relevant to the time period. The images were large, stunning, and tied into the text beautifully. And I thought it was so fun to have removable bits to take out and touch and explore. One of my favorites was looking at the map of Bath and trying to find all the places mentioned in Jane Austen’s novels and biographies. In addition, I love the copy of “The History of England” complete with illustrations from Cassandra Austen! I will say though, that the handwritten manuscripts and letters were a bit hard to read, so sadly I often didn’t read them all the way through.

Similar to Maggie Lane’s Jane Austen’s World, this book is not intending to be a scholarly study that shares a detailed and extensive analysis of Jane Austen’s life. It is a beautiful and elegant visual feast that provides readers with an understanding of who Jane was and what she experienced in her life. I am happy to say that I did learn some new things about Jane Austen that I didn’t know before, such as Mansfield Park earned her the most profit in her lifetime and that there were several stressful and worrisome incidents that took place in the Austen family in the years 1814-1817 that may have helped contribute to Jane Austen’s failing health.

CONCLUSION:

Jane Austen, Her Life, Her Times, and Her Novels is a supremely gorgeous and informative volume! I think any Jane Austen fan or admirer would be more than delighted to have such a lovely tome to peruse and grace their bookshelf!

Austenesque Reviews

[Laurel · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my greatest discoveries while touring Jane Austen’s England last year was on our first day in London. Our group was at The British Library to see Jane Austen’s writing desk (awe inspiring) and of course we hit the library gift shop on our way out. We were delighted to find a whole table display featuring books by and about Jane Austen. Dead center was the striking purple cover of a large, over-sized book that I did not recognize entitled, Jane Austen: Her Life, Her Times, Her Novels. It had just been released in the UK in honor of the bicentenary of Pride and Prejudice. On first impression it appeared, by its size and design, to be one of those glitzy oversized gift books that had pull out facsimiles of letters and documents along with big glossy images – a trophy book that you might place on your coffee table as a display piece or give as a gift to friend that you were trying to convert into a Janeite. When I noticed that the author was the celebrated Austen scholar Janet Todd, my first impressions changed immediately.

Weighing in at 2.7 pounds and sizing up at 11 X 10 inches, this full feature Jane Austen experience packs a wallop – a giant adrenalin rush for any fan or neophyte. Not only is the book beautifully bound and designed, it seeks to dispel any speculation and myth about the author’s life and works. The text has been laid out logically within twenty-two chapters covering biographical material, her early writing, published and unpublished works, history in context to her life and writing, and concludes with her legacy entitled, The Cult of Austen. Drawing on previously unseen documents from The British Library and the archives of The Bridgeman Art Library, Todd offers sixteen facsimile copies of Austen’s handwritten letters, manuscripts and notes, period maps and illustrations, and a frontis piece from the 1833 Pride and Prejudice. Her brilliant introduction will draw you into Austen’s Georgian world and the handy index in the back allows for quick reference to facts and details.

Stylish, expertly crafted, and surprisingly illuminating to this long-time Austen fan, Jane Austen: Her Life, Her Times, Her Novels is just superb. You will consume this book like the richly flavored and decadent confection that it is. It now holds pride of place in my extensive Austen library and will be on the top of my list as a gift book to friends. And, as a word of extreme warning, there is a pirated copy of this book for sale on eBay which includes Todd’s text and lists Deirdre Le Faye as the author. Please do not support these thieves by purchasing it.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose

Disclosure of Material Connection: We received one review copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. We only review or recommend products we have read or used and believe will be a good match for our readers. We are disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[George Ilsley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A survey of all of Jane's Austen's works, offering insight into political conditions at the time, and biographical background for Austen's living conditions.

Excerpts are included from each of her major works. This "treasury" assumes the readers will be familiar with the plots and characters of the novels.

Fans of Jane Austen, those of us who enjoy visiting and re-visiting her novels (if only through the movie adaptations), will find this volume rewarding.

[Brogan Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

"She was the sun of my life. The gilder of every pleasure, the soother of every sorrow, I had not a thought concealed from her and it is as if I had lost a part of myself."
Cassandra Austen

I received this book for my birthday from my brother, and it was honestly so stunning to read. I didn't know whether to cry, laugh or smile while I was reading this - perhaps I did all three. Here's the thing, Jane Austen means so much to me. Her novels have enlightened me, made me happy in the worst of times, made me have really unrealistic expectations of romance and made me fall in love several times with people I'll never meet. I so wish to meet Jane Austen, to hear her speak, to shake her hand and hug her tight. It took her fourteen years to get a single novel in print - Sense and Sensibility, and I'd love her to know just how praised, admired and loved she and her works are today. If time-travel was a possibility, my first stop would be to Chawton to visit her (and then onto the 1970s to go to a Fleetwood Mac concert but that's off-topic lol)

This book felt so special to read and to hold - Janet Todd did an amazing job at balancing writing about Jane Austen herself, her family, her writing progress and processes, her novels and how the world Austen lived in affected them. There were also Cassandra Austen's sketches of her sister, their family and landscapes, paintings from that era of places Austen had been or what could've inspired her, and paintings that were popular at the time all depicting a life so very different from my own and our contemporary. There were images of Austen's letters, her drafts and redrafts, her juvenilia writings from her childhood, and her will. There are extracts from all her novels, satirical cartoons of the time, illustrations from earlier copies of her work by Hugh Thomson, Chris Hammond, George Pickering and many more, and fellow writers' opinions of Austen such as Walter Scott and Maria Edgeworth.

Such a stunning book. It's a pleasure to have read it and own it.

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

If you know about Jane Austen and her books, I'm not sure if you're going to get anything out of this book. Todd had some interesting commentary about some of the characters in this book but it was a sentence here and a sentence there.

I'd only recommend this book to people who are interested in her writing samples, maps, and random period illustrations.

[John Frankham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A serious, but brief (150p) analysis of the life and works. Much better than the silly GR blurb:

'A delightful collection of facts and insights devoted to the inimitable Jane Austen!
It’s a truth universally acknowledged: Jane Austen is one of the most popular and loved authors in English literature. The Jane Austen Treasury brings this great novelist into focus, illuminating the attitudes and customs that shaped her life, times, and work. It explores the themes and historical context of each of her novels, revealing the complexities that underlie her timeless romances. Among the subjects examined are:

The marriage proposal that Austen accepted, only to change her mind
The mock grown-up fiction she wrote as a child
Her personal connections to the Napoleonic Wars
How her love of puzzles and verbal games influenced her writings
And much more!'

[Selah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must say I was disappointed. For a Janeite, there wasn’t much new information, and yet I wouldn’t recommend to a new to Austen reader either, as it spoils the plots of all of her novels. The author also repeatedly refers to the original draft of Northanger Abbey as “Lady Susan” instead of simply “Susan”. Lady Susan is a completely different work!!

[Anna]

Quick summary: Jane Austen: Her Life, Her Times, Her Novels is a book all Jane Austen fans will want in their personal libraries. Oversized, with padded covers and glossy pages covered with artwork from Austen’s era, this biography details Austen’s life and loves, historical events that occurred during her lifetime, and her career as an author. Chapters are devoted to each of Austen’s six novels, as well as her early writings, her unfinished works, and Lady Susan. Todd even discusses “The Cult of Austen,” which touches on the film adaptations and spin-off novels. As a bonus, the book includes three envelopes containing removable memorabilia, including copies of Austen’s handwritten drafts, a letter to her sister, a handwritten note detailing the profits from her novels, and more.

Why I wanted to read it: There’s no way I could resist a collector’s edition biography, especially one with removable documents!

What I liked: This is a beautiful biography, which sums up Austen’s life and novels without going overboard on the details. The presentation is beautiful, from the illustrations to the removable documents.

What I disliked: There were confusing references to “Susan,” the early version of Northanger Abbey that Austen submitted for publication in 1803 and later was forced to buy back from the publisher, as Lady Susan, one of her earlier works, which was not published until 1871.

Final thoughts: Jane Austen: Her Life, Her Times, Her Novels can be read in one sitting, but readers will want to savor it. It’s a book that I can see myself returning to, simply to enjoy the illustrations and the removable memorabilia, and it would make a perfect gift for the Janeite in your life.

Review posted on Diary of an Eccentric

[Andreia · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Jane Austen Treasury: Her life, her times, her novels" é, precisamente, um livro que cruza aspetos da vida de Jane Austen, sem ser um livro puramente biográfico, e da época histórica em que a autora viveu, com as tramas de cada uma das suas várias obras. Como a sua vida, como as suas experiências (tendo em conta a pouca informação que se tem da vida da autora) e como a situação histórica, social, política, deram origem às suas personagens e às suas situações de vida e relações.

Uma exploração das leitura possíveis das várias obras, desde as que foram escritas na sua adolescência, aperfeiçoadas mais tarde para publicação, às suas últimas obras.

Um livro em que são evidenciados os seus grandes temas: a vida no campo (a sociedade de grandes, médios, pequenos proprietários), as relações familiares, a liberdade individual vs vida em sociedade, a situação da mulher no séc. XVIII e XIX - a dependência do homem (pai, marido, irmãos ou outros familiares, na ausência de pai e marido), entre outros. E em que se percebe como outros temas estão no pano de fundo, nomeadamente, as guerras travadas pela Inglaterra, na altura, questões religiosas, entre outras...

Sendo uma apreciadora da obra, foi um livro que me deleitou e me fez ter vontade de reler as obras que li na adolescência, e de ler aquelas que ainda não tive oportunidade.

[Anna P (whatIreallyRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty brief biography of Jane Austen. The author chose Austen's novels as the lens through which to look at her life. It also included excerpts from the novels and fun facts about the time in which Jane lived.

I read this very soon after completing Jane Austen at Home, while it was fresh in my mind. So I could easily see this one hit the same important milestones and facts, and even included a lot of the same quotes. It felt like it accomplished the same in way less page count, which made me prefer The Jane Austen Treasury. However, it's possible that the context I still had from Jane Austen at Home enhanced my reading experience and enriched what I understood. Perhaps, if I read the in the reverse order I wouldn't be able to appreciate this so much.

In any case, I liked this.

[Rebecca Emin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive a review copy of Jane Austen: Her Life, Her Times, Her Novels by Janet Todd. When I opened the package I was astonished as the book is absolutely beautiful in itself before you even open it and it simply cries out to be a "coffee table book".

The book describes the life and work of Jane Austen in detail, illustrated beautifully by art from the period, photographs, extracts of her writing and also in three envelopes within the book there are removable items of interest including copies of letters Jane Austen wrote, and early drafts of some of her novels.
This is a book to dip in and out of and savour at leisure, it would appeal to anyone who likes Jane Austen's novels or English literature or history in general, and is a treat to own and read.

Highly recommended as a gift idea for any Austen fan.

[Medomfo · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting insight into Jane Austen’s life and the culture that she lived in which inspired her stories. I highly recommend it to Jane Austen fans.

[Gloriana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great addition to my ever-growing Jane Austen collection. Easily broken down into chapters by novel or topic, it's a great reference book for any Jane Austen fan. Filled with lots of pictures and illustrations from the time period, her letters, and novels themselves, it's an easy read and a good resource!

[Eug · Rating 3 out of 5]

A well executed work. Other than a bizarre typo that threw me, this is a gentle overview of many aspects of the phenomenon that is 'Jane Austen'. If you're a friend of a Janeite, this will give you an idea of what it's all about. Early Janeites may fall further within her thrall and gain a deeper understanding of why you are, in fact, becoming a Janeite.

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a birthday gift from a friend who knows Pride & Prejudice is my favourite book, and I loved this just as much as I anticipated I would, because Jane Austen was a feminist and an determined, independant, and inspirational woman in a period that was completely stacked against her.

The book's chapters alternate giving interesting tidbits about Austen's real life, with history, inspirations and interesting tidbits about all of her books. Since I love "behind the scenes" of almost anything, I found this completely engrossing and fascinating.

We learn about the effect the wars that were happening throughout Austen's entire life had on her writings, we learn about her disappointments in her own romantic life, and about her family, with whom she was close and loving, and most of whom had some interesting lives of their own.

Each chapter also has an enveloped affixed to one of its pages, inside which are replications of various Austen-papers. Things like letters in her own hand, contracts for the sales of the various books, sketches of characters she did, maps of places she used as locations, etc. It is really interesting to look at this Austen memorabilia as you learn more about her and her life.

The book is also beautifully illustrated, with paintings of locations and great houses that feature in the books, artist's renderings or illustrations of the characters from Austen's books done by other artists, sketches and representations of Austen herself [including the one authenticated sketch confirmed to be Jane, done by her sister Cassandra]. There is so much in this book to enjoy if you are a fan of either Jane Austen's books, or of the author herself and her life.

Although I must confess that aside from P&P, I'm not a huge fan of Austen's other books, I do adore Pride & Prejudice, and I find Jane Austen herself to have been an intelligent, resourceful and positive person with an excellent sense of humour, so learning more about her through this book was hugely enjoyable for me.

The fact that the social structure in Britain at the time she lived, virtually guaranteed that Jane would struggle to make a living for herself meant she really had to buck the system and find ways to accomplish things that nobody much wanted her to succeed at. I love that a woman of her time refused to be dictated to by a bunch of stupid, in-bred men, and that she found enough success to at least pay her living expenses by doing what she loved - writing. As a writer myself, that can only be inspiring to me - and it was.

I am pretty certain that Jane and I could have been good friends had we been contemporaries, and since I couldn't know her personally, I enjoyed getting to know her vicariously through this wonderfully creative and well-written love letter to Austen. If you are a fan, or know someone who is, this is a wonderful gift that will provide many happy hours of reading enjoyment!

[Alyssa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Though this book makes Elizabeth Bennett appear as somewhat of a gold digger, it's a very pleasant read. Very informative also, not just on Jane but on her characters, novels and struggles with publishing as well.

[marianna_gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good, simple, and entertaining biography/literary review for those who would like to begin delving into Jane Austen's life! Also, lovely cover and illustrations.

[Matilda · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an Austen admirer I had not been able to resist purchasing this book two years ago. But since it has sat on my shelf, unloved. I thought that the book was only supposed to be pretty and that the text was inocuous: a simple biography and summaries of the novels, but in fact it is much more!
First the book itself is quite lovely. The full-page illustrations are gorgeous, the layout is really pleasing to the eye and the little pockets full of facsimiles add a little extra thing to the mix even if they are in no away essential to it.
Then the text is well written. Todd not only present Austen in a Wikipedia style, she puts the author into the historical context, compares her to other writers (females and males), gives persperctive to Austen's work and analyses it with little twists that I hadn't read before. I did not agree with everything she wrote, but the way she presented her analysis and arguments was well-thought of and clear. I came back to the book with great pleasure every time, feeling the atmosphere of Regency England recreated so well and Austen's universe so pleasently talked about.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had previously read a couple simpler Jane Austen biographies. By contrast, this one is much more detailed. Not only did this book go over Jane Austen's life, it also went over what life was like while she was alive, including what was popular and what world events were happening. This book really does live up to its title. There were also chapters dedicated to each of Jane's books that focused on themes and when she would have written them. The only thing I could criticize is that the author herself didn't seem to like Jane Austen. There were times the writing was quite demeaning towards Jane, her novels, and her fans both in the past and present. Otherwise, I would definitely recommend reading this book if you want to know more about Jane Austen.

[Emily Michie ☆ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Counting this as finished because I view it as a coffee table book. It’s got gorgeous colored photos and illustrations as well as sections about each of Jane Austen’s books and a section about her life. I’ve only read a few pages, but I feel like this is one I will come to just to flip to a random section and read. But it is up to you if you want to read it like that or read it in order like a regular biography.

[Tinker · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gorgeous coffee table book with biographical information, beautiful pictures and short introductions to Austen's novels.
Very pretty and delightful book for Austen fans or for people wanting to know basics of Jane Austen. Janet Todd has selected featured information well. Everything essential is included and balanced nicely. I liked a lot removable memorablia included with book.

[Gretchen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Despite knowing little about Jane Austen (have only seen the 1995 TV and 2005 movie adaptations of Pride and Prejudice), this was a great read! I learned so much! Definitely want to go and binge read all her novels now.

[Amanda Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

AH I absolutely ADORE Jane Austen and this was the perfect book for me! I learned so much about her, the background and workings of her novels, and about her legacy! Great biography for any Austen lover!

[Kiri Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a pretty book, but more suited for a coffee table than for enjoyable reading. The print is tiny! Also, plot-spoilers abound, so not ideal for anyone not already familiar with all of Austen's works.

[Sara the dreamer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really liked this book! Since I've had a very French education, I had never really read anything about Jane Austen for my classes and I think this one was a great place to start. It recounts not only what we know about Jane's life, from her childhood to her death, but also talks about the political and the social era in which she lived. Through this lense, we're able to see how her situation influenced her novels, which was very interesting. I was surprised to learn that her work was not received with lots of success during her lifetime, which made me a little bit sad. I'm glad we know about her now and celebrate her as she deserves! This has also really made me want to go back to England so I can go and see everything that has to do with Austen and her novels. If like me you want to learn more about her I would definitely give this a read!

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a Janeite. I know Austen's life story. This however added artwork of people and places as well as illustrations from early editions of Jane's books. Also goes Chronologically through writings and what was happening at that time in Jane's life. Definitely keeping on my Forever Shelf.

[Katie Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely coffee-table biography to be treasured more for images and facsimiles than for information.

[busyreadingwithASD⋆.ೃ࿔*:･ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I purchased this hardcover edition today and wow!! I love when academics specialize in Austen stuff.

[Charlotte · Rating 4 out of 5]

So fun to put Jane Austen and her writings into the context of the time she existed in. 10/10 recommend to any Jane Austen lover.