Jane Austen

Very Interesting People #13

by Marilyn Butler

Definitive, concise, and very interesting...

From William Shakespeare to Winston Churchill, the Very Interesting People series provides authoritative bite-sized biographies of Britain's most fascinating historical figures - people whose influence and importance have stood the test of time.

Each book in the series is based upon the biographical entry from the world-famous Oxford Dictionary of National Biography .

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography

119 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2007

About the author

Marilyn Butler, Lady Butler, FRSL FRSA FBA was a British literary critic. She was Rector of Exeter College, Oxford, from 1993 to 2004, and was King Edward VII Professor of English Literature at the University of Cambridge from 1986 to 1993.

She was educated at Wimbledon High School and St Hilda's College, Oxford.

Her published works include Romantics, Rebels and Reactionaries and Jane Austen and the War of Ideas.
Much of her work has been devoted to the career of the Anglo-Irish novelist Maria Edgeworth, including a classic literary biography of Maria Edgeworth and an important collected edition of Edgeworth's works for Pickering & Chatto.

She was married to David Butler; the couple had three sons. In June 2003 she was awarded an honorary degree from the Open University as Doctor of the University. Butler was a Fellow of the British Academy.

Reviews

[Nelson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Part of Oxford Press's "Very Interesting People" series. In this, the 200th Year of Jane, it seemed appropriate to dive into something about the early mistress of the novel, albeit something less saintly and hyperbolic or hyperventilating. Marilyn Butler has every claim to pen such a volume, having herself contributed mightily to the Austen wave cresting (yet again) with her brilliant text _Jane Austen and the War of Ideas_. What's nice is that this is not a polemical work nor a work of criticism. Instead, it is a barebones biography that cuts through loads of bullshit and nicely recognizes the problems with the early Austen family memoirs of the author. For those looking for an appreciation of the books or breathless fangirl heroine worship, look elsewhere. This short, tight volume is long on specifics, dates and such. It usefully acknowledges where speculation replaces fact and Butler speculates with care. More importantly, she notices (and where appropriate, undermines) the speculations and misreadings of prior Jane-ites. A modest, sober, essential volume for Sgt. Joe Friday types.

[Smiley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found this bite-sized biography readable with interesting information. Some excerpts:

Instead he (her nephew Edward Austen-Leigh) admired Jane's ladylike discretion in covering her work with blotting paper in order to keep her secret, that she was writing for publication, from the neighbours. (p. 55)

The vein of criticism that buoyed her reputation was the claim already voiced by Whately, and after him Thomas Babington Macaulay, that she was a 'prose Shakespeare': a masterly portrayer of character. (p. 99)

Today her novels are firm favourites among book buyers and library users and feature prominently in polls of best-loved fiction, with a special attachment to Pride and Prejudice. (p. 110)

[Olivia · Rating 2 out of 5]

I skipped through most of the book since I’m not very fond of reading about years and dates. Wished it could have a better flow. Did get some understanding though about J.A

[Nathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting.