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Jane Austen: A Biography
A reissue of a biography of novelist Jane Austen, originally published in 1938, which charts Austen's life amongst her small circle of friends and family, and considers the inspiration behind her major works, in addition to providing an insight into the social life of the Georgian gentry.
287 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1938
4 people are currently reading
268 people want to read
About the author
Elizabeth Jenkins
57 books58 followersFrom Elizabeth Jenkins' obituary in The New York Times:
As a novelist, Ms. Jenkins was best known for “The Tortoise and the Hare” (1954), the story of a disintegrating marriage between a barrister and his desperate wife that Hilary Mantel, writing in The Sunday Times of London in 1993, called “as smooth and seductive as a bowl of cream.” Its author, Ms. Mantel wrote, “seems to know a good deal about how women think and how their lives are arranged; what women collude in, what they fear.”
To a wider public Ms. Jenkins was known as the author of psychologically acute, stylishly written, accessible biographies. Most dealt with important literary or historical figures, but in “Joseph Lister” (1960) she told the life of the English surgeon who pioneered the concept of sterilization in medicine, and in “Dr. Gully’s Story” (1972) she reconstructed a Victorian murder and love triangle.
Margaret Elizabeth Jenkins was born on Oct. 31, 1905, in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where a year earlier her father had founded Caldicott, a prep school.
She studied English and history at Newnham College, Cambridge, where at the time women could take exams but not receive degrees. The principal of the college was Pernel Strachey, sister of the biographer and Bloomsbury figure Lytton Strachey, and through her Ms. Jenkins met Edith Sitwell and Leonard and Virginia Woolf.
She found the company intellectually distinguished but rude and unpleasant. Woolf’s description of Ms. Jenkins’s first novel, “Virginia Water” (1929), as “a sweet white grape of a book” did not erase the impression.
Despite good reviews for her first novel and a three-book deal with the publisher Victor Gollancz, Ms. Jenkins began teaching English at King Alfred’s School in Hampstead, where she remained until the outbreak of World War II.
In this period she wrote two of her most admired biographies, “Lady Caroline Lamb” (1932) and “Jane Austen” (1938), as well as the chilling “Harriet” (1934), a novel about the sufferings of a mentally disabled woman whose husband, a scheming clerk, marries for her money.
During the war Ms. Jenkins worked for the Assistance Board, helping Jewish refugees and victims of the German air raids on London. She later worked for the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Information.
“Elizabeth the Great” (1958) showed her biographical talents at their most effective. Although she relied on the standard historical sources, Ms. Jenkins added a psychological dimension to her portrait that other historians had scanted.
The historian Garrett Mattingly, in a review, wrote that Ms. Jenkins “is really not much interested in war and diplomacy, politics and finance.” Her specialty, he argued, was the human heart. “We believe Elizabeth Jenkins,” he added, “because, by imaginative insight and instinctive sympathy, she can make the figures of a remote historical pageant as real, as living, as three-dimensional as characters in a novel.”
Ms. Jenkins returned to the Elizabethan period in “Elizabeth and Leicester” (1961) and roamed further afield in “The Mystery of King Arthur” (1975) and “The Princes in the Tower” (1978). In “Six Criminal Women” (1949), she presented short studies of two murderers, a pickpocket, a blackmailer and a con artist living between the 14th and 19th centuries. A more wholesome gallery of characters was put on view in “Ten Fascinating Women” (1955).
In 1940 she helped found the Jane Austen Society and took part in its campaign to buy Austen’s house at Chawton, where Austen spent the last eight years of her life. It is now a museum.
Her novels included “Doubtful Joy” (1935), “The Phoenix’ Nest” (1936), “Robert and Helen” (1944), “Brightness” (1963) and “Honey” (1968).
In 2004 Ms. Jenkins published a memoir, “The View From Downshire Hill.” Its title refers to the Hampstead neighborhood whe
As a novelist, Ms. Jenkins was best known for “The Tortoise and the Hare” (1954), the story of a disintegrating marriage between a barrister and his desperate wife that Hilary Mantel, writing in The Sunday Times of London in 1993, called “as smooth and seductive as a bowl of cream.” Its author, Ms. Mantel wrote, “seems to know a good deal about how women think and how their lives are arranged; what women collude in, what they fear.”
To a wider public Ms. Jenkins was known as the author of psychologically acute, stylishly written, accessible biographies. Most dealt with important literary or historical figures, but in “Joseph Lister” (1960) she told the life of the English surgeon who pioneered the concept of sterilization in medicine, and in “Dr. Gully’s Story” (1972) she reconstructed a Victorian murder and love triangle.
Margaret Elizabeth Jenkins was born on Oct. 31, 1905, in Hitchin, Hertfordshire, where a year earlier her father had founded Caldicott, a prep school.
She studied English and history at Newnham College, Cambridge, where at the time women could take exams but not receive degrees. The principal of the college was Pernel Strachey, sister of the biographer and Bloomsbury figure Lytton Strachey, and through her Ms. Jenkins met Edith Sitwell and Leonard and Virginia Woolf.
She found the company intellectually distinguished but rude and unpleasant. Woolf’s description of Ms. Jenkins’s first novel, “Virginia Water” (1929), as “a sweet white grape of a book” did not erase the impression.
Despite good reviews for her first novel and a three-book deal with the publisher Victor Gollancz, Ms. Jenkins began teaching English at King Alfred’s School in Hampstead, where she remained until the outbreak of World War II.
In this period she wrote two of her most admired biographies, “Lady Caroline Lamb” (1932) and “Jane Austen” (1938), as well as the chilling “Harriet” (1934), a novel about the sufferings of a mentally disabled woman whose husband, a scheming clerk, marries for her money.
During the war Ms. Jenkins worked for the Assistance Board, helping Jewish refugees and victims of the German air raids on London. She later worked for the Board of Trade and the Ministry of Information.
“Elizabeth the Great” (1958) showed her biographical talents at their most effective. Although she relied on the standard historical sources, Ms. Jenkins added a psychological dimension to her portrait that other historians had scanted.
The historian Garrett Mattingly, in a review, wrote that Ms. Jenkins “is really not much interested in war and diplomacy, politics and finance.” Her specialty, he argued, was the human heart. “We believe Elizabeth Jenkins,” he added, “because, by imaginative insight and instinctive sympathy, she can make the figures of a remote historical pageant as real, as living, as three-dimensional as characters in a novel.”
Ms. Jenkins returned to the Elizabethan period in “Elizabeth and Leicester” (1961) and roamed further afield in “The Mystery of King Arthur” (1975) and “The Princes in the Tower” (1978). In “Six Criminal Women” (1949), she presented short studies of two murderers, a pickpocket, a blackmailer and a con artist living between the 14th and 19th centuries. A more wholesome gallery of characters was put on view in “Ten Fascinating Women” (1955).
In 1940 she helped found the Jane Austen Society and took part in its campaign to buy Austen’s house at Chawton, where Austen spent the last eight years of her life. It is now a museum.
Her novels included “Doubtful Joy” (1935), “The Phoenix’ Nest” (1936), “Robert and Helen” (1944), “Brightness” (1963) and “Honey” (1968).
In 2004 Ms. Jenkins published a memoir, “The View From Downshire Hill.” Its title refers to the Hampstead neighborhood whe
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 2, 2022
Two surprises on this one: it was abridged (sad face), and it was written in 1938. Elizabeth Jenkins was a founding member of the Jane Austen Society. Teresa Gallagher gave an excellent narration, just the right timbre. I'm impressed with the production standards at Naxos Audiobooks.
The book gave me a clearer understanding of Jane's family. I knew Cassandra was her sister, but not that she was an older sister, and they were the only females amongst five brothers.
I loved the piano interludes and recognized Clementi. After a little digging, I discovered that the music played between tracts, by Haydn and Clementi, was from Jane's music books which can be seen today at Chawton. Nice touch!
The book gave me a clearer understanding of Jane's family. I knew Cassandra was her sister, but not that she was an older sister, and they were the only females amongst five brothers.
I loved the piano interludes and recognized Clementi. After a little digging, I discovered that the music played between tracts, by Haydn and Clementi, was from Jane's music books which can be seen today at Chawton. Nice touch!
August 27, 2018
This was much better than I expected it to be. It’s written with a feel of Jane Austen. Almost like she wrote her own biography. Nice!
October 31, 2013
Nothing special about it but it is a quick read and interesting if you like Jane Austen. Its failing is that it maintains that British reserve towards its subject so that even though the author uses Austen's and family members' own letters as source material, you still don't feel like you are getting to know the famous novelist too intimately.
July 17, 2017
Jenkins's approach to Jane Austen and her life is done much in the style of Jane Austen herself (or classical writing, whichever you choose).
This book is great in that the writing is descriptive and engaging and provides the readers with wonderfully full accounts of all of Austen's works that one feels they have reread her stories and fallen in love with them all over again. That being said, this is also a very, very biased account of Jane Austen and her work. Jenkins decided to express her opinion very passionately about the genius that is Jane and her works, while, ironically, expressing her lack of bias during textual interpretations and others discussing JA controversy because Jenkins uses logic and fact...
Overall, I enjoyed this book and pairing it with Halperin's account gives one a very interesting thought -base from which to consider Austen and her works.
This book is great in that the writing is descriptive and engaging and provides the readers with wonderfully full accounts of all of Austen's works that one feels they have reread her stories and fallen in love with them all over again. That being said, this is also a very, very biased account of Jane Austen and her work. Jenkins decided to express her opinion very passionately about the genius that is Jane and her works, while, ironically, expressing her lack of bias during textual interpretations and others discussing JA controversy because Jenkins uses logic and fact...
Overall, I enjoyed this book and pairing it with Halperin's account gives one a very interesting thought -base from which to consider Austen and her works.
January 2, 2016
Very simple and brief biography. A few inaccuracies that this non-expert Austen lover noticed.
The audio version has lovely period music in between sections, which makes it sound like the audio track for a PBS documentary. Not that that's bad--but it IS an indication of what to expect.
The audio version has lovely period music in between sections, which makes it sound like the audio track for a PBS documentary. Not that that's bad--but it IS an indication of what to expect.
June 22, 2016
I liked this biography of a favorite author of mine. She wan't only a great writer - but she was just a really good human being! Interesting family life.
July 2, 2025
Upon leaving my hosts’ country estate (does a Tonbridge, Kent 4-bed count?), my charming hostess removed a cherished volume from her library and pressed it to me, saying “Have you ever read this? I think I read it as a teenager. Please return it when you’ve finished”. Stupefied by her confidence that I wanted to read the book, and marvelling that she did not remember that I hadn’t returned at least three other books she’d lent me in the past, I committed myself to the task of reading it, or at the very least, putting the tome onto my pile of books I have every intention of reading at some point.
My friend who had kindly lent me the book gave me additional instructions that because the physical entity of the book was meaningful to her, to be delicate with it (in addition to returning it). Reader, this is a paperback reprinted in 1972, each page yellowing and dry, threatening to detach itself from the spine when the hint of breath lightly stirs it. I am, by nature, a careful person (despite the curb incident, to be related anon), but given the book’s fragile state, and the small and tightly packed typeset used, I was tempted to return it with the suggestion that I had in fact read it. I could, perhaps, just allow the gentle lender to believe I had read it, without having completely done so in the fullness of the meaning of “completely”. However, recently I found myself convalescing after leaping from a wall at Lyme Regis into the arms of an impressionable captain (or stepping off a curb while not paying attention), and therefore determined to read this book.
First published in 1938, this biography of Jane Austen explores Austen’s family life and work during the course of her relatively short life. Elizabeth Jenkins, the author, uses Austen’s letters to various relatives and friends, as well as memories and memoirs of some of these relatives and friends, to provide at, at times, a very detailed account of some aspects of Austen’s life. While I can’t say it’s particularly eye-opening to know what Austen purchased on shopping outings, it does perhaps provide insight on how an unmarried woman of her class might live. Jenkins had time within the biography to discuss, among other potential influences upon Austen, regency architecture, romantic poetry, and the concept of the picturesque.
I had a basic knowledge of Austen gleaned from BBC documentaries, wandering through National Trust properties or reading bits and pieces here and there. I very much liked the portrait of Austen as presented here. I knew, for example, that she never married, but was very fond of her nieces and nephews. This book gave her nieces and nephews names (and there were a lot! One of her 5 brothers had 11 children! But they all had children!!) and showed that she wasn’t writing the odd birthday card or sending a voice memo to wish them luck on exams; besides writing them loving and charming letters constantly, they were also always visiting each other. She enjoyed balls, dancing, staying out til 5am (I say, my dear Jane!), shopping, house parties, the theatre, etc. She was lively and apparently extremely good company. I like being more informed about her, and also how someone like her might have enjoyed their regency life.
I read P&P at the age of 16, and it changed my life. It was a lightening bolt moment, a road to Damascus awakening. While always a reader, I had not realised a story could be as witty, or nuanced, or layered as this. I did not know they came like this. Since then, of course, I’ve read all of Austen’s books, many times over. As for many people, they are my go to comfort reading. I think I have always enjoyed them on an instinctive level, which is good enough. But I realised when I read this biography, that I have only rarely rationally analysed these books, or compared them with each other in this way. My only excuse for this intellectual laziness other than not being an intellectual is that I am gorging myself on the unmitigated pleasure of the scrumptious feasts, that I can’t make myself slow down to think of the nutrition or cooking styles of the individual courses. Fortunately for me, Jenkins discusses each of the books with plot and character analyses and contextualises them within Austen’s life, while making clear her belief that Austen never wrote plot or characters directly from life. Hoorah! Jenkins has done the heavy chewing for me; this will add to my enjoyment of Austen’s books in future.
Why only 3 stars? The book was a bit of a slog. It was great to get all the detail, but I had to work hard to stay focused. Perhaps if this book were written today, there would be subheadings or other devices to break it up. Don’t discount how dispiriting facing page after page of unbroken and small type can be. On the good side, halfway through this brittle paperback was a clipping cut from the Times dated 19 July 1975, reporting on a festival opened by Mr Richard Knight, Austen’s great great great great nephew. That was an unexpected delight, which the owner of the book will no doubt be happy to have returned.
My friend who had kindly lent me the book gave me additional instructions that because the physical entity of the book was meaningful to her, to be delicate with it (in addition to returning it). Reader, this is a paperback reprinted in 1972, each page yellowing and dry, threatening to detach itself from the spine when the hint of breath lightly stirs it. I am, by nature, a careful person (despite the curb incident, to be related anon), but given the book’s fragile state, and the small and tightly packed typeset used, I was tempted to return it with the suggestion that I had in fact read it. I could, perhaps, just allow the gentle lender to believe I had read it, without having completely done so in the fullness of the meaning of “completely”. However, recently I found myself convalescing after leaping from a wall at Lyme Regis into the arms of an impressionable captain (or stepping off a curb while not paying attention), and therefore determined to read this book.
First published in 1938, this biography of Jane Austen explores Austen’s family life and work during the course of her relatively short life. Elizabeth Jenkins, the author, uses Austen’s letters to various relatives and friends, as well as memories and memoirs of some of these relatives and friends, to provide at, at times, a very detailed account of some aspects of Austen’s life. While I can’t say it’s particularly eye-opening to know what Austen purchased on shopping outings, it does perhaps provide insight on how an unmarried woman of her class might live. Jenkins had time within the biography to discuss, among other potential influences upon Austen, regency architecture, romantic poetry, and the concept of the picturesque.
I had a basic knowledge of Austen gleaned from BBC documentaries, wandering through National Trust properties or reading bits and pieces here and there. I very much liked the portrait of Austen as presented here. I knew, for example, that she never married, but was very fond of her nieces and nephews. This book gave her nieces and nephews names (and there were a lot! One of her 5 brothers had 11 children! But they all had children!!) and showed that she wasn’t writing the odd birthday card or sending a voice memo to wish them luck on exams; besides writing them loving and charming letters constantly, they were also always visiting each other. She enjoyed balls, dancing, staying out til 5am (I say, my dear Jane!), shopping, house parties, the theatre, etc. She was lively and apparently extremely good company. I like being more informed about her, and also how someone like her might have enjoyed their regency life.
I read P&P at the age of 16, and it changed my life. It was a lightening bolt moment, a road to Damascus awakening. While always a reader, I had not realised a story could be as witty, or nuanced, or layered as this. I did not know they came like this. Since then, of course, I’ve read all of Austen’s books, many times over. As for many people, they are my go to comfort reading. I think I have always enjoyed them on an instinctive level, which is good enough. But I realised when I read this biography, that I have only rarely rationally analysed these books, or compared them with each other in this way. My only excuse for this intellectual laziness other than not being an intellectual is that I am gorging myself on the unmitigated pleasure of the scrumptious feasts, that I can’t make myself slow down to think of the nutrition or cooking styles of the individual courses. Fortunately for me, Jenkins discusses each of the books with plot and character analyses and contextualises them within Austen’s life, while making clear her belief that Austen never wrote plot or characters directly from life. Hoorah! Jenkins has done the heavy chewing for me; this will add to my enjoyment of Austen’s books in future.
Why only 3 stars? The book was a bit of a slog. It was great to get all the detail, but I had to work hard to stay focused. Perhaps if this book were written today, there would be subheadings or other devices to break it up. Don’t discount how dispiriting facing page after page of unbroken and small type can be. On the good side, halfway through this brittle paperback was a clipping cut from the Times dated 19 July 1975, reporting on a festival opened by Mr Richard Knight, Austen’s great great great great nephew. That was an unexpected delight, which the owner of the book will no doubt be happy to have returned.
May 31, 2025
I was surprised to see that this was written in 1938 but from the start it's obvious that the author was a huge admirer of Jane Austen and not just her books, like every other student., we had to read one of Miss Austen's books for our exams at school and having to study the book for themes etc ruined them for me but as an adult, I went back and have read some of them again, so it was interesting to delve into the background of Jane Austen and her family . Clearly as I have said before, it shows from this author's research and attention to detail that it wasn't a subject that waa difficult for her to write
February 4, 2022
I would have to give this almost 4 ⭐️. I think the real problem for me was that I listened to it and it had so many characters I struggled to keep up with who was who. I have that problem sometimes when I listen. I’m going to try and read a biography in ebook or hard copy form and see if I can’t learn more about one of my favorite authors.
April 16, 2022
A short & sweet introduction to the life of Jane Austen. I loved how the biography was written in the genteel style of a novel of manners—felt like Austen wrote it herself! However, at times, especially in the middle, I got lost in the seemingly countless relations of Austen. More focus might’ve been helpful.
April 8, 2022
A nice picture of Janes life
February 20, 2025
As someone who has never read a Jane Austen, nothing has ever made me want to read one of her novels more than this biography.
Catching a glimpse into the life of one of history’s most well-loved authors, I was pleased as well as relieved to find a woman who does not fit into the stereotype “tortured artist”.
Hearing of her many siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends who all enjoyed the prolific author’s works sheds a new light on the characters and stories that her writing follows. To me, learning about the full and meaningful life of the author adds an interest to the stories that were inspired by this life that was not there before.
Catching a glimpse into the life of one of history’s most well-loved authors, I was pleased as well as relieved to find a woman who does not fit into the stereotype “tortured artist”.
Hearing of her many siblings, cousins, nieces, nephews, and friends who all enjoyed the prolific author’s works sheds a new light on the characters and stories that her writing follows. To me, learning about the full and meaningful life of the author adds an interest to the stories that were inspired by this life that was not there before.
November 15, 2025
It is the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth this year, so I am re-reading all of her novels. In doing so, I became curious about the woman behind the books and checked out this biography from my library. I knew nothing about Jane Austen's background, so I did learn a lot from this book. However, the information on some parts of her life was frustratingly scant. We hear she had a suitor who planned to meet up with her over the summer to pursue a deeper relationship, and then he died, and that's that - wait, what? Why and how did he die? She was also engaged to be married for one day before breaking it off. Apparently, the young man was well-situated, likeable, and from a nice family, but one element was missing... by which we are to infer she didn't have deep enough feelings for him. Since most of Austen's novels are about courtship, readers are naturally curious about her own romantic life, why she didn't marry, etc. But had she married and been busy birthing babies every year (like her sister-in-law who had eleven children and died with the birth of the last) she likely would not have been able to write most of her novels. She did refer to at least one of them as her "own dear child." I understand the historical record may be lacking on situations that occurred over two hundred years ago, but I hope to read a more thorough biography of her someday.
December 30, 2025
Written in 1938, Jane Austen: A Biography by Elizabeth Jenkins reads with all the charm and restraint of an Austen novel itself. Jenkins - clearly an ardent admirer - paints Austen’s life with affection, elegance, and no small measure of reverence.
There’s a gentility to the writing that feels both fitting and nostalgic. The biographical narrative is rich with descriptions, evoking not just Austen’s life but the spirit of her novels, offering full-bodied accounts of each book that almost feel like revisiting old friends.
That said, this is very much a biography for fans, by a fan. Jenkins’s adoration occasionally borders on hagiography, and her commentary doesn’t always allow space for objectivity. The middle chapters, especially, become a bit tangled in the web of extended family and acquaintances - I lost track more than once.
Still, it’s a graceful and affectionate portrait of an “ordinary” woman with extraordinary literary gifts. A lovely way to close out my Austen Reading Challenge.
There’s a gentility to the writing that feels both fitting and nostalgic. The biographical narrative is rich with descriptions, evoking not just Austen’s life but the spirit of her novels, offering full-bodied accounts of each book that almost feel like revisiting old friends.
That said, this is very much a biography for fans, by a fan. Jenkins’s adoration occasionally borders on hagiography, and her commentary doesn’t always allow space for objectivity. The middle chapters, especially, become a bit tangled in the web of extended family and acquaintances - I lost track more than once.
Still, it’s a graceful and affectionate portrait of an “ordinary” woman with extraordinary literary gifts. A lovely way to close out my Austen Reading Challenge.
August 12, 2025
Elizabeth Jenkins’s Jane Austen: The Biography is a book for true “Janeites” and dedicated Austen lovers. Written with clear admiration for and indepth knowledge of its subject, it places Austen in the historical context of the late 18th and early 19th century, painting a vivid picture of the peaceful yet changing world in which she lived and wrote.
Jenkins’s research is impressively thorough, revealing an in-depth understanding of Austen’s life, family, and social environment. However, at times the book assumes a degree of prior knowledge that might leave less familiar readers a little lost. The absence of chapter titles also makes navigating the biography more difficult than it needs to be.
Still, for readers who already know and love Austen’s work, this biography offers a rich, immersive journey into the world Austen lived in.
Thank you NetGalley and August Books for the ARC!
Jenkins’s research is impressively thorough, revealing an in-depth understanding of Austen’s life, family, and social environment. However, at times the book assumes a degree of prior knowledge that might leave less familiar readers a little lost. The absence of chapter titles also makes navigating the biography more difficult than it needs to be.
Still, for readers who already know and love Austen’s work, this biography offers a rich, immersive journey into the world Austen lived in.
Thank you NetGalley and August Books for the ARC!
April 10, 2022
I'm an avid Jane Austen fan, and I've read several biographies. This one, so far, is my favorite. When I'd finished reading it, I felt I knew her and her family personally, besides understanding her novels in a different and more intimate way. Jenkins was good at selecting the best compilation of excerpts from letters and journals to illustrate personalities and family life. I think I'll echo the quotation by Molly Keane on the back cover: "A book I shall never lend to anybody--I should so dread its loss."
February 21, 2019
An informative, if not riveting, biographical sketch of the well-known author. I was particularly interested in Austen's cousin, the Comtesse de Feuillide (the way she inspired Austen's writings and her husband's end during the French Revolution), Austen's relationships with her siblings and nieces, and in the history that went behind each novel she wrote. This is a helpful companion to Austen's work that offers a history and personality to the woman behind the pen.
September 21, 2023
Listened to the audiobook-nice narration. I finished all Jane’s books and was looking for something to scratch the itch. This was sort of written like one of her books…I found myself thinking of them as characters instead of real people. I wish so much that she had lived longer than early 40s. If she was writing such amazing books then, sometimes two in a year, imagine what she could have done had she had 20 or 30 or 40 more years!! 😭
December 6, 2018
Jane Austen is one of my all time favourite authors. Her persistence to be published and her to authors coming later means that we have her and other female authors of the time to thank for opening this world to us. That said this biography is a very dry read, doesn't really highlight Austen's attributes and wouldn't light anybody's fire
January 5, 2019
Pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed this book. Written in an engaging manner, this tells the story of her life from her childhood to her deathbed , articulating her successes and failures as an author . This narrative, explaining the events of her life , showcases many of the circumstances of her personal life that Austen included in her books.
September 29, 2021
Maybe it was Teresa Gallagher's audio narration or maybe it was Elizabeth Jenkins writing, but this biography read as one that resembled Austen's novels. As such, it didn't lend itself very well to casual listening. That doesn't mean to say it wasn't informative - I enjoyed it well enough and would do to listen to it once more!
October 27, 2022
Read the abridged version, but it suited my purposes perfectly. Now wasn’t the time for me to delve into a massive biography, so it was just right.
Found it hard to keep track of who was who in the story
Jane seems to have had a relatively happy life ❤️
Found it hard to keep track of who was who in the story
Jane seems to have had a relatively happy life ❤️
March 11, 2024
Stutt ævisaga Jane Austen, sem ég hlustaði á. Það hefði líklega verið betra að lesa hana, því ég ruglaði aðeins saman hver var hver af ættingjum og vinum hennar, og hefði verið gott að geta flett til baka í bókinni. Ágætur lesari.
August 13, 2025
A simple, short biography on Jane Austen. It shares the highlights of her life with little analysis or historical context. The audiobook reader was pleasant to listen to and the background piano music added a nice touch.
August 20, 2018
Delightful Audiobook with musical interludes and excellent reader. Contained many excerpts from Austen's letters which could have been found in one of her novels, so similar in tone and content!
October 28, 2018
Well written and very meticulous. A lot was very familiar because biographists cover the same ground.
May 29, 2020
Good basic biography. Short & sweet.
July 3, 2020
For a short biography this spoke a lot more of her family; brothers, nieces, nephews than it did about Jane herself would have liked more information about her and her life.
Read
March 5, 2021I just think she's neat <3
December 27, 2021
A nice short little biography of Jane, written in a style similar to Jane.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews