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Jane on the Brain: Exploring the Science of Social Intelligence with Jane Austen
Why is Jane Austen so phenomenally popular? Why do we read Pride and Prejudice again and again? Why do we delight in Emma’s mischievous schemes? Why do we care that Anne Elliot of Persuasion suffers?
We care because it is our biological destiny to be interested in people and their stories—the human brain is a social brain. And Austen’s characters are so believable, that for many of us, they are not just imaginary beings, but friends whom we know and love. And thanks to Austen's ability to capture the breadth and depth of human psychology so thoroughly, we feel that she empathizes with us, her readers.
Humans have a profound need for empathy, to know that we are not alone with our joys and sorrows. And then there is attachment, denial, narcissism, and of course, love, to name a few. We see ourselves and others reflected in Austen’s work.
Social intelligence is one of the most highly developed human traits when compared with other animals How did is evolve? Why is it so valuable? Wendy Jones explores the many facets of social intelligence and juxtaposes them with the Austen cannon.
Brilliantly original and insightful, this fusion of psychology, neuroscience, and literature provides a heightened understanding of one of our most beloved cultural institutions—and our own minds.
We care because it is our biological destiny to be interested in people and their stories—the human brain is a social brain. And Austen’s characters are so believable, that for many of us, they are not just imaginary beings, but friends whom we know and love. And thanks to Austen's ability to capture the breadth and depth of human psychology so thoroughly, we feel that she empathizes with us, her readers.
Humans have a profound need for empathy, to know that we are not alone with our joys and sorrows. And then there is attachment, denial, narcissism, and of course, love, to name a few. We see ourselves and others reflected in Austen’s work.
Social intelligence is one of the most highly developed human traits when compared with other animals How did is evolve? Why is it so valuable? Wendy Jones explores the many facets of social intelligence and juxtaposes them with the Austen cannon.
Brilliantly original and insightful, this fusion of psychology, neuroscience, and literature provides a heightened understanding of one of our most beloved cultural institutions—and our own minds.
391 pages, Hardcover
Published December 5, 2017
33 people are currently reading
1142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
January 30, 2018
I feel conflicted about giving this book such a low rating as there was no inherent flaw in it. The topics were in-depth and yet concise, heavily-researched yet full of original thought, and complex yet understandable. So why the two star rating?
I believe that this text has been given an entirely misleading title that does not relate to the contents of the book. I was expecting an academic study on Jane Austen's infamous texts but, instead, this was a psychological study that used Austen's characters for its examples. I was expecting far more literary criticism and insights into her writing, rather than her characters' thoughts and actions used in passing, to illuminate another topic where any example would have sufficed. This was a fascinating insight to brain science but, apart from the introduction, not unique or deeply related to Austen's work in any way, which was disappointing.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Wendy Jones, and the publisher, Pegasus Books, for this opportunity.
I believe that this text has been given an entirely misleading title that does not relate to the contents of the book. I was expecting an academic study on Jane Austen's infamous texts but, instead, this was a psychological study that used Austen's characters for its examples. I was expecting far more literary criticism and insights into her writing, rather than her characters' thoughts and actions used in passing, to illuminate another topic where any example would have sufficed. This was a fascinating insight to brain science but, apart from the introduction, not unique or deeply related to Austen's work in any way, which was disappointing.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to the author, Wendy Jones, and the publisher, Pegasus Books, for this opportunity.
March 5, 2023
This review sums up my feelings well, except that maybe I feel a little less guilty about the two star rating.
This is a repetitive smorgasbord of social intelligence theories with examples from Jane Austen thrown in as case studies. While technically fine, the complete lack of literary criticism in the text really threw me off. It isn't that I expected an in-depth analysis about, say, the relationship between Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy. But when the author makes very bold claim about their relationship (for example, that even at the end, Lizzie didn't love Mr. Darcy, but married out of a sense of gratitude), you really need to back up that claim more. You can't just say "because social science! This illustrates that humans as mammals don't live off romantic love long term!" You need to engage with the text and the author. Simply quoting the text and then claiming it stands for a great example of a modern psychological/evolutionary trend just throws any reader with a shred of love for Austen right out of the text.
(For example, claiming that most of Austen's relationships could be described as 'incestuous.' Excuse you! Citation needed! [Which, to be extra fair, maybe the hard copy has citations that I didn't get in my audio version?])
Finally, as a reader, it felt awkward to shove Austen through the lens of "modern" social science theories and references to the DSM. Like all of us, Austen was a product of her times. She was a clergyman's daughter and sister writing during the shifting social and moral attitudes of the Enlightenment. To talk about Sense and Sensibility as if it is just one big case study for the importance of attachment styles in infants or why mirroring emotions can be so powerful in counseling is to completely miss her broader point about the cult of sensibility.
I think this book aims for something fascinating. Jane Austen certainly does an incredible job conveying emotions and social queues in her novels. But to take her ability as a writer and treat it like a case study for a Psychology 101 class (at least how it is done here) is to divorce her from what brings us back to her books.
Like I said, not egregious, but not great.
This is a repetitive smorgasbord of social intelligence theories with examples from Jane Austen thrown in as case studies. While technically fine, the complete lack of literary criticism in the text really threw me off. It isn't that I expected an in-depth analysis about, say, the relationship between Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy. But when the author makes very bold claim about their relationship (for example, that even at the end, Lizzie didn't love Mr. Darcy, but married out of a sense of gratitude), you really need to back up that claim more. You can't just say "because social science! This illustrates that humans as mammals don't live off romantic love long term!" You need to engage with the text and the author. Simply quoting the text and then claiming it stands for a great example of a modern psychological/evolutionary trend just throws any reader with a shred of love for Austen right out of the text.
(For example, claiming that most of Austen's relationships could be described as 'incestuous.' Excuse you! Citation needed! [Which, to be extra fair, maybe the hard copy has citations that I didn't get in my audio version?])
Finally, as a reader, it felt awkward to shove Austen through the lens of "modern" social science theories and references to the DSM. Like all of us, Austen was a product of her times. She was a clergyman's daughter and sister writing during the shifting social and moral attitudes of the Enlightenment. To talk about Sense and Sensibility as if it is just one big case study for the importance of attachment styles in infants or why mirroring emotions can be so powerful in counseling is to completely miss her broader point about the cult of sensibility.
I think this book aims for something fascinating. Jane Austen certainly does an incredible job conveying emotions and social queues in her novels. But to take her ability as a writer and treat it like a case study for a Psychology 101 class (at least how it is done here) is to divorce her from what brings us back to her books.
Like I said, not egregious, but not great.
November 5, 2018
Wendy Jones gave a very interesting talk at our Jane Austen Society gathering recently, and she is just as much fun to read as to listen to. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to know more about brain science or just to approach Austen's brilliance in a new way by delving into the psychology underlying some of her immortal fictional creations.
March 22, 2018
There are many reasons to read this wonderful book: a passion for Jane Austen, a passion for the human brain, questions about how we work and why we work so well, or fail to work so well, together, as people...or curiosity about life, love, empathy, resilience...Wendy Jones presents an elegant, efficient, nuanced, and rigorous account of what current science knows about (and what it doesn't know about) the human brain as a social tool and social product. She also presents an efficient, efficient, nuanced, and rigorous account of Austen's artistry and imaginative world. And she does the one so well because she does the other so well; she does both well because neither is a vehicle for the other and both are served by her deep care and engagement.
The books of pop. science I know tend to repel me slightly by their sloppy metaphors, grotesque analogies. Often (not always of course) the scientists or journalists who write them care so much about the science that they care too little about whatever it is they need in order to make the science come alive. But Jones cares about Austen as much as she cares about the science, so when she tells us about neuroscience through careful description of the characters and language of Austen's novels, she does justice all around.
The books about character and literature can repel me slightly because they pretend to a level of analytical rigor that divests them of humane engagement, or they reduce analysis to the level of second-rate gossip. Here again, Jones triumphs: the neuroscience affords a rigor that is humane, subtle and surprising, and the characters emerge with greater depth. What is best is that she can reconcile Austen's moral universe to the best neuroscience accounts; the virtuous among Austen's characters are destined for happiness on account of their virtue, because that virtue, Jones persuades, owes something to a happy course of neurological functioning. The jump is not from our scientific "is" to Austen's moral "ought," but rather from Austen's moral "ought" to our scientific "is."
This book is deeply intelligent, lucid, and personable--there's no nonsense about it and modesty in its most insightful claims. Jane, one thinks, would have approved.
The books of pop. science I know tend to repel me slightly by their sloppy metaphors, grotesque analogies. Often (not always of course) the scientists or journalists who write them care so much about the science that they care too little about whatever it is they need in order to make the science come alive. But Jones cares about Austen as much as she cares about the science, so when she tells us about neuroscience through careful description of the characters and language of Austen's novels, she does justice all around.
The books about character and literature can repel me slightly because they pretend to a level of analytical rigor that divests them of humane engagement, or they reduce analysis to the level of second-rate gossip. Here again, Jones triumphs: the neuroscience affords a rigor that is humane, subtle and surprising, and the characters emerge with greater depth. What is best is that she can reconcile Austen's moral universe to the best neuroscience accounts; the virtuous among Austen's characters are destined for happiness on account of their virtue, because that virtue, Jones persuades, owes something to a happy course of neurological functioning. The jump is not from our scientific "is" to Austen's moral "ought," but rather from Austen's moral "ought" to our scientific "is."
This book is deeply intelligent, lucid, and personable--there's no nonsense about it and modesty in its most insightful claims. Jane, one thinks, would have approved.
January 21, 2018
Jane on the Brain takes a unique approach to Jane Austen's books by bringing Wendy Jones' expertise in neuroscience and psychology to the conversation. Jones doesn't rely too heavily on literary analysis, but rather analyses the keen insight with which Austen crafts her characters. Jones takes an interaction, like, for example, Darcy and Elizabeth meeting unexpectedly at Pemberley, and dissects how Austen describes their responses. Although Austen did not intend to write psychological novels per se, Jones successfully shows how her sharp perceptiveness and interest in human behaviour allowed her to not only make us care for her characters and Austen herself, but to also feel like she cares for us, as if she understands us. This was one of the main lessons I learned from this book, that Austen's power lies in us, the readers, feeling understood and appreciated. And Jones shows us just how she accomplishes that in Jane on the Brain.
Jane on the Brain requires its readers, especially those like me who engage a lot in Jane Austen literary theory, to reset their expectations a little bit. As I said, this is not "normal" Austen commentary or analysis. Wendy Jones blends together different disciplines in this book, introducing her readers to concepts like Theory of the Mind, as well as the anatomy and processes of the brain. If you don't adjust your expectations, it will be difficult to get into the book. Jones does her best to limit the jargon in her book and not overwhelm the reader, but there is still a lot of information and theory to take in. I personally really enjoyed this and it added an extra layer to my appreciation of Austen. I can see Jane on the Brain being an excellent teaching tool as well, both for the neurosciences and English literature. If you're willing to buckle down and learn something new, then Jane on the Brain is definitely for you.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2...
Jane on the Brain requires its readers, especially those like me who engage a lot in Jane Austen literary theory, to reset their expectations a little bit. As I said, this is not "normal" Austen commentary or analysis. Wendy Jones blends together different disciplines in this book, introducing her readers to concepts like Theory of the Mind, as well as the anatomy and processes of the brain. If you don't adjust your expectations, it will be difficult to get into the book. Jones does her best to limit the jargon in her book and not overwhelm the reader, but there is still a lot of information and theory to take in. I personally really enjoyed this and it added an extra layer to my appreciation of Austen. I can see Jane on the Brain being an excellent teaching tool as well, both for the neurosciences and English literature. If you're willing to buckle down and learn something new, then Jane on the Brain is definitely for you.
For full review: http://universeinwords.blogspot.com/2...
February 5, 2022
I think this is a must-read for Austen fans, particularly those who want a greater understanding of neuroscience and psychology. By using examples among characters that will be well-known by Austen fans, Jones makes these concepts easier to understand.
Yet I'm still only giving it four stars, for two key reasons. The first is that Jones too often treats the characters as if they're real people, even sometimes indicating that Austen made a mistake because the characters don't entirely align with jones's theories. No, sorry, these are fictional people, and Jane Austen made them. Therefore, she's inherently correct. Second, the omission of George Wickham is huge, particularly since Jones spends a lot of time on Mr. Darcy's development (to the point of redundancy), upon which Wickham would have certainly played a role.
Overall, though, it's a good read and will leave you with even greater respect for Austen, who although she would not have had any grounding in psychology and neuroscience, still managed to create these uncannily accurate characters based on her own observations. So accurate, indeed, that Jones could pretend they are real humans.
Yet I'm still only giving it four stars, for two key reasons. The first is that Jones too often treats the characters as if they're real people, even sometimes indicating that Austen made a mistake because the characters don't entirely align with jones's theories. No, sorry, these are fictional people, and Jane Austen made them. Therefore, she's inherently correct. Second, the omission of George Wickham is huge, particularly since Jones spends a lot of time on Mr. Darcy's development (to the point of redundancy), upon which Wickham would have certainly played a role.
Overall, though, it's a good read and will leave you with even greater respect for Austen, who although she would not have had any grounding in psychology and neuroscience, still managed to create these uncannily accurate characters based on her own observations. So accurate, indeed, that Jones could pretend they are real humans.
did-not-finish
September 4, 2024I realized that I enjoy literary criticism much more than pop-neuroscience.
March 19, 2018
What charms me most about this book is its accessibility. Dr. Jones is a shrewd and witty explainer. She explains mind-brain science to Jane Austen fans and Austen’s novels to scientists – and everything, excitingly, to general readers. There is no lit. crit. jargon here and a minimum of hard scientific terminology, although there’s plenty to be learned about how specialists think the mind and brain work -- neurologically, cognitively, affectively, and (above all) socially. For “social intelligence” is what Austen’s novels are all about, on this showing, and Jones is a learned and humane advocate for using it to understand literature and other people. And if “empathy” is one word for what people show when they’re understanding, loving, healing, and teaching each other, then intelligent empathy is what Jones shows for Austen’s most memorable characters and for her own readers alike. Brilliantly written, and a delight to read!
December 18, 2017
Pretty good. I think the book works better for teaching concepts like Theory of Mind, etc, by using Austen’s characters as examples rather than doing textual analysis of the Austen novels using ToM (there’s some areas where things get off-text and that’s a no go for me). There are a lot of very technical sections and it helped to understand the psychological/neuroscience theory via well-known characters. So an interesting read, but I didn’t love it.
I also hope that the copy editors were thorough - the galley I read had a boatload of typos, including a few where Edward from Sense & Sensibility was referred to as Edgar. Whoops.
I also hope that the copy editors were thorough - the galley I read had a boatload of typos, including a few where Edward from Sense & Sensibility was referred to as Edgar. Whoops.
didn-t-finish
December 13, 2017Am listening to it as an audiobook, daunted by its longer than average listening time, and not engaging too much with the style... guess I prefer straight Austen commentary, not mixed with scientific jargon.
February 13, 2019
Jane Austen's novels are notorious for the empathy the author displays for her characters, creating fully fledged people as real as any who walk the real world. This book beautifully uses Austen's oeuvre to illustrate the neuropsychology of human empathy. While at times it can be a bit dry (I don't recommend listening to and audio version of Jane on the Brain if you're driving very late at night), it is *fascinating* and draws an amazing amount of light on human behavior for those of us without Ph.D.s in neurology or psychology.
A personal favorite chapter for me was towards the end, describing attachment disorders that lead to narcissism. I know when the author was writing, her examples of Sir Walter and Elizabeth Elliot, but for anyone who has ever dealt with a narcissist in real life (and I count every American among their number at this point), it was impossible not to understand it as a detailed explanation of the psychology of those particularly toxic people.
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves Austen and is interested in the sciences of the brain.
A personal favorite chapter for me was towards the end, describing attachment disorders that lead to narcissism. I know when the author was writing, her examples of Sir Walter and Elizabeth Elliot, but for anyone who has ever dealt with a narcissist in real life (and I count every American among their number at this point), it was impossible not to understand it as a detailed explanation of the psychology of those particularly toxic people.
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who loves Austen and is interested in the sciences of the brain.
May 8, 2018
I spent the last few days slowly reading this book because it was a much harder read than I expected. I saw “exploring the science of social intelligence with Jane Austen” and thought it would be one of those easy-to-read intro book, but this is actually pretty intense.
Like the subtitle says, this is all about social science. It starts off with what the mind is and how we think (which to be honest I still don’t quite understand), and then moves on to study topics like love, empathy, and empathy disorders (Borderline Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder), ending with a detailed study of Anne from Persuasion, who has “the most developed sense of empathy” out of all the Austen characters.
Throughout the entire book, the author draws heavily on Austen’s characters to explain the various concepts, although they aren’t the exclusive source of examples. So this is definitely a book that gives Austen the spotlight.
For me, I enjoyed the ‘topical’ chapters on relationships and how childhood affects character a lot more than the opening stuff on how the mind works. I know the opening stuff is the foundation, but I found the latter half to be a lot easier to understand.
I really like the section on attachment, where she explains the three different types. There’s:
1. Preoccupied attachment, which is Marianne from Sense and Sensibility. Marianne is unable to self-regulate her emotions and her insecurity makes her distraught when Willoughby leaves and cuts her, sending her into depression and a near brush with death.
2. Secure attachment, which is Elinor from Sense and Sensibility. Although she feels things deeply, she can cope with her strong feelings and the news of Edward’s secret engagement shocks her but doesn’t devastate her.
3. Dismissive attachment, which is Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Darcy’s classic English stiff upper lip means that he “would have developed little tolerance for excitement and therefore would have tended to overregulate in order to control his anxiety.”
I also thought that the point on Austen’s Free Indirect Discourse narrative style and how it has a lot in common with empathy to be very interesting! It’s a pity it’s just a small section in the epilogue because I would have loved to read a chapter on it.
Basically, if you’re a fan of Austen and think you can handle the science in this book, you should totally read it. It’s pretty heavy, but it’s also a really good analysis of Austen’s characters (even though this is technically not a lit book)
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
Like the subtitle says, this is all about social science. It starts off with what the mind is and how we think (which to be honest I still don’t quite understand), and then moves on to study topics like love, empathy, and empathy disorders (Borderline Personality Disorder, Antisocial Personality Disorder, and Narcissistic Personality Disorder), ending with a detailed study of Anne from Persuasion, who has “the most developed sense of empathy” out of all the Austen characters.
Throughout the entire book, the author draws heavily on Austen’s characters to explain the various concepts, although they aren’t the exclusive source of examples. So this is definitely a book that gives Austen the spotlight.
For me, I enjoyed the ‘topical’ chapters on relationships and how childhood affects character a lot more than the opening stuff on how the mind works. I know the opening stuff is the foundation, but I found the latter half to be a lot easier to understand.
I really like the section on attachment, where she explains the three different types. There’s:
1. Preoccupied attachment, which is Marianne from Sense and Sensibility. Marianne is unable to self-regulate her emotions and her insecurity makes her distraught when Willoughby leaves and cuts her, sending her into depression and a near brush with death.
2. Secure attachment, which is Elinor from Sense and Sensibility. Although she feels things deeply, she can cope with her strong feelings and the news of Edward’s secret engagement shocks her but doesn’t devastate her.
3. Dismissive attachment, which is Darcy from Pride and Prejudice. Darcy’s classic English stiff upper lip means that he “would have developed little tolerance for excitement and therefore would have tended to overregulate in order to control his anxiety.”
I also thought that the point on Austen’s Free Indirect Discourse narrative style and how it has a lot in common with empathy to be very interesting! It’s a pity it’s just a small section in the epilogue because I would have loved to read a chapter on it.
Basically, if you’re a fan of Austen and think you can handle the science in this book, you should totally read it. It’s pretty heavy, but it’s also a really good analysis of Austen’s characters (even though this is technically not a lit book)
This review was first posted at Inside the mind of a Bibliophile
March 16, 2018
My review of this book appears in Historical Novels Review 83 (February 2018):
It’s hard to imagine a more apt subject for an English major turned psychotherapist with an interest in empathy and relationships than the novels of Jane Austen. Jones has created an absorbing study of the ways our most beloved characters teach us about human interactions and social settings, using the disciplines of both literary analysis and neuropsychological science. This is a hefty volume and not for the casual reader, but it also offers an accessible introduction to the science of mind and the history of behavioral psychology, written in a warm, engaging, personal style. The text is accompanied by charming black-and-white sketches, rendering complex scientific structures of the brain and cognitive systems into simple, Austen-themed graphics. Jones moves seamlessly from neuroscience to a comprehensive overview of the history of psychotherapy in the second half of the book. Although this is not meant to be a self-help guide, it certainly offers valuable Austenian examples of compassion, resilience, tolerance, and kindness, eminently worthy of emulation by the attentive reader.
It’s hard to imagine a more apt subject for an English major turned psychotherapist with an interest in empathy and relationships than the novels of Jane Austen. Jones has created an absorbing study of the ways our most beloved characters teach us about human interactions and social settings, using the disciplines of both literary analysis and neuropsychological science. This is a hefty volume and not for the casual reader, but it also offers an accessible introduction to the science of mind and the history of behavioral psychology, written in a warm, engaging, personal style. The text is accompanied by charming black-and-white sketches, rendering complex scientific structures of the brain and cognitive systems into simple, Austen-themed graphics. Jones moves seamlessly from neuroscience to a comprehensive overview of the history of psychotherapy in the second half of the book. Although this is not meant to be a self-help guide, it certainly offers valuable Austenian examples of compassion, resilience, tolerance, and kindness, eminently worthy of emulation by the attentive reader.
December 5, 2017
Well written, and an interesting premise. The mix of disciplines is done exceedingly well, and I think this is a book I will come back to and reread more than once.
Read
April 27, 2021Austen fans who will no doubt delight as Jones outlines the many ways in which these books work on a subconscious level and illustrate a keen understanding of the human psyche. JANE ON THE BRAIN has the potential for a wider audience as well, whether for writers looking to infuse their works with greater emotional depth or readers interested in examining literature through the lenses of neuroscience and psychology. Regardless of their reasons for picking up Jane on the Brain, readers will finish this book with a deepened appreciation for Austen’s marvelous genius.
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2021/04/26/explo...
Read our full review here:
https://booktrib.com/2021/04/26/explo...
June 16, 2019
Romance and brain science, two of my a favorite things in one book!
April 29, 2020
Review to come.
dnf
July 27, 2024A lot of fancy verbiage to say what we already know, that Austen’s characters are drawn realistically.
November 9, 2018
loved it.
February 21, 2019
Jane Austen was a literary genius. And, in this book, Wendy Jones takes us on a riveting journey through Austen's other genius - her keen understanding and brilliant depiction of human psychology.
You only have to read her introduction to know that the trip will be rewarding!
If you know Jane Austen already - if you're familiar with Catherine, Elinor and Marianne, Elizabeth, Emma, Fanny, and Anne - you'll have many treats in store, as you explore their relationships and stories while learning about the workings of the brain and social intelligence.
And if you don't know Jane Austen's characters - so real that we feel we know them - you will want to after you read this book!
The material can be challenging, especially if, like me, you know nothing about neuroscience.
But the author's writing style is very clear . . . and also fun!
The gorgeous epilogue, about Anne Elliot, closes out this fascinating book about science that is full of heart!
You only have to read her introduction to know that the trip will be rewarding!
If you know Jane Austen already - if you're familiar with Catherine, Elinor and Marianne, Elizabeth, Emma, Fanny, and Anne - you'll have many treats in store, as you explore their relationships and stories while learning about the workings of the brain and social intelligence.
And if you don't know Jane Austen's characters - so real that we feel we know them - you will want to after you read this book!
The material can be challenging, especially if, like me, you know nothing about neuroscience.
But the author's writing style is very clear . . . and also fun!
The gorgeous epilogue, about Anne Elliot, closes out this fascinating book about science that is full of heart!
November 15, 2018
I loved this book. It is not an easy read, and scientific reading doesn't always come easy for me (persevering was definitely good for my personal brain growth!), but Wendy Jones makes neuroscience accessible through Jane Austen's characters. While I've always thought Austen as brilliant, Jones' book highlights how astute of an observer she was. We are just now able to prove the insights scientifically from Austen's observations over 200 years ago. I also appreciated understanding how Austen was subtly subversive with her points of view of gender equality. An extra bonus is that I feel I have more insight into our current political figures and why they behave the way they do. I'm looking forward to re-reading all of Austen's work now with a neuroscience lens, perhaps theorizing about each of the character's upbringing along the way. :)
October 22, 2018
If you are big fan of Jane Austen's works and wonder why she captivates modern day readers this book is perfect.
May 15, 2021
I read this for my JASNA group, and the author was kind enough to come for a Q&A afterward. The author has both a background in psychotherapy as well as English literature, but the book really isn't a literary study so much as it is a popular discussion of cognitive structures and neurobiology, and how these concepts are reflected in Austen's characters. I really struggle with retroactively applying biological and cognitive terms to early 19th literature wholesale, even though I definitely see some elements in some of Austen's characters.
I want to stress I don't entirely object to using psychoanalytic terms to describe early literature, just felt this book did it with a bit of a heavy hand, and didn't quite agree with some of its characterizations (like the idea that Emma is Austen's most romantic heroine, I'd argue she's probably the least). The majority of the other members of the group loved it, though, and it's a very provoking text, if nothing else, and a good book to read for a book club. I liked it much more after discussing it.
I want to stress I don't entirely object to using psychoanalytic terms to describe early literature, just felt this book did it with a bit of a heavy hand, and didn't quite agree with some of its characterizations (like the idea that Emma is Austen's most romantic heroine, I'd argue she's probably the least). The majority of the other members of the group loved it, though, and it's a very provoking text, if nothing else, and a good book to read for a book club. I liked it much more after discussing it.
July 21, 2021
The strength of this book is in the chapters focusing on behavioural science rather than neuroscience. The neuro jargon was dense, and the author was much more capable of finding interesting parallels with Austen's characters with regards to behaviour (which we can observe) rather than brains (which we can only make silly inferences about).
The chapters on behaviour and empathy were much better, but repetitive. This 350-page book could have been pared down to a long-form essay on Austen and empathy without losing any of its key messaging. I probably would have loved that essay!
I really feel like I'm the target audience for this work - I have a PhD in social psychology, I took a lot of neuro classes in undergrad, AND I'm a huge Austen fan. And this book was a slog even for me. I cannot imagine others having a good time with it.
The chapters on behaviour and empathy were much better, but repetitive. This 350-page book could have been pared down to a long-form essay on Austen and empathy without losing any of its key messaging. I probably would have loved that essay!
I really feel like I'm the target audience for this work - I have a PhD in social psychology, I took a lot of neuro classes in undergrad, AND I'm a huge Austen fan. And this book was a slog even for me. I cannot imagine others having a good time with it.
July 15, 2023
Five things about Jane on the Brain by Wendy Jones 📚📚📚📚
1. This is kind of a study of human psychological motivations made accessible through the lenses of a variety of Austen’s characters and their interactions - with society, the environment, their self, and their closer relationships.
2. Overall, this was pretty fascinating. Not only for what it says about human psychology but what it says about Austen’s understanding of psychology.
3. While I enjoyed this, I also acknowledge that it’s a bit dry. It’s probably not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.
4. It leads with psychology not Austen. So Austenites, just know that going in.
5. I have much to ponder about people after reading this. Highly recommend for those interested in humans - and why we are how we are.
1. This is kind of a study of human psychological motivations made accessible through the lenses of a variety of Austen’s characters and their interactions - with society, the environment, their self, and their closer relationships.
2. Overall, this was pretty fascinating. Not only for what it says about human psychology but what it says about Austen’s understanding of psychology.
3. While I enjoyed this, I also acknowledge that it’s a bit dry. It’s probably not going to be everyone’s cup of tea.
4. It leads with psychology not Austen. So Austenites, just know that going in.
5. I have much to ponder about people after reading this. Highly recommend for those interested in humans - and why we are how we are.
February 27, 2018
I've had this laying around and finally read it. I know all of Austen's novels and I'm also interested in social sciences so it was a clever (if unusual) way to think about either of these topics-intertwined as they were. There are many books devoted to one or the other topic so to me this was an entertaining way to have them combined but it seems that some people felt it was misrepresented. It clearly states on the cover "Exploring the Science of Social Intelligence- with Jane Austen". I wasn't at all surprised by the technical aspects. You will be reading about neurochemicals and romantic love. It wasn't particularly illuminating but it was very enjoyable!
September 3, 2019
Reminded me a little at first of my old English teacher who could always make connections in literature where I could see none.
But this book takes a fascinating premise - that Jane Austin’s inherent understanding of human nature is why we love her characters, and why her books are so enduring - and applies modern understanding of personalities and the brain to explain it all.
An interesting idea which really works and makes an enjoyable and informative read - also making me want to re-read some of Austin's works.
Well written, highly thought provoking and enjoyable.
But this book takes a fascinating premise - that Jane Austin’s inherent understanding of human nature is why we love her characters, and why her books are so enduring - and applies modern understanding of personalities and the brain to explain it all.
An interesting idea which really works and makes an enjoyable and informative read - also making me want to re-read some of Austin's works.
Well written, highly thought provoking and enjoyable.
March 24, 2018
Not as easy to listen to (audio book) as many other non-fiction books. Only for Jane Austen fans as the author highlighted behaviours of Austen's characters to different aspects of social behaviours and personality disorders, together with deeper dive into brain functions. It was interesting at the beginning but became very, very dry to me after 3 chapters or so. I don't think it deserves a 1 star so I upped it to 2 cos I can relate to only the P&P part.
May 27, 2018
Surprisingly readable but probably has limited appeal. I think you have to be really really interested in Jane Austen and at least somewhat interested in neuroscience, which probably restricts the audience quite a bit. But if that describes you, I think you will come away with a stronger understanding of the connection between brain and behavior, as well as a deepened appreciation for Austen's powers to describe the physical manifestations of emotion.
October 9, 2018
Great book for sharing information on what neuroscience has and is learning about social intelligence, with quite a bit of information about what empathy is and it's role in morality. What's really fun is how the author relates the knowledge to the behavior and approaches to life taken by the various characters in Jane Austen's novels. Gives a whole new perspective to character analysis while teaching some great concepts about the brain at the same time. As an English major who went on to become a pharmacist and love science and literature both, this was a perfect combination.
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