jewellspring's review against another edition
5.0
I am not a "love all things Jane Austen" reader, but I found this biography very enjoyable. It brought the movies to life, the answers to questions about her life, and brought her creative process alive through her many letters. I enjoyed learning about which elements of her personal life and beliefs came alive on the page. It helped paint a picture of why she was larger than life and a woman of her times like you and me. Highly recommend for anyone who's enjoyed Austen's work and interpretations of her life.
amelia555's review against another edition
4.5
Really enjoyed this book! I'm an admirer of Jane Austen, but not a devotee, and I can attest this book's extreme readability for everyone. This is as much an account of life of a famous writer as it is a story of a woman in a precarious financial situation in a very particular time and place. The book is well-researched and provides as much info as possible about Jane Austen distilled from various letters and accounts. But when the information isn't known or clear, it turns to what what thought of or popular at the time as something Jane must've used. What medicine was frequently prescribed (the Austens almost definitely used it too), what fashions occupied women's minds (Jane and Cassandra probably wore them too), where they traveled for holidays, and, in general, what was accustomed for people, specifically women, of their position in society. All through the book we follow the Austen women as they're forced to move from one house to another, and learn just how dependable single women were on their family relations.
I enjoy Lucy Worsley's TV shows, they're both educational and fun. Previously, I read her book on the history of different rooms in a house (If Walls Could Talk) and found it lacking — too scattered. But this one was much better, the story is centered, and it's clear the subject is dear to the author.
I enjoy Lucy Worsley's TV shows, they're both educational and fun. Previously, I read her book on the history of different rooms in a house (If Walls Could Talk) and found it lacking — too scattered. But this one was much better, the story is centered, and it's clear the subject is dear to the author.
patjam's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
mollyxmiller's review against another edition
4.0
A fun, but also moving, depiction of Jane Austen's life through the many homes that she inhabited. The idea of finding or achieving a home is very much a common thread that runs throughout her novels and after reading her biography by Lucy Worsley, it is painfully obvious why she longed for that kind of permanence and peace (even Chawton Cottage, which appears a very peaceful countryside residence today, was right next to basically what would have been a major highway--where a stagecoach would have rattled the entire house every morning).
I recommend this biography to anyone curious to know more about the places where Jane lived and worked. The focus is on the different places she visited and lived--but it of course explores her relationships with her family, friends, and others as she moved throughout her life.
I recommend this biography to anyone curious to know more about the places where Jane lived and worked. The focus is on the different places she visited and lived--but it of course explores her relationships with her family, friends, and others as she moved throughout her life.
leasummer's review against another edition
5.0
The market is flooded with JA biographies. This one is worth picking up. It’s fresh and interesting. I highly recommend it.
The audio is great - the narrator is perfect and the extra readers add extra entertainment.
The audio is great - the narrator is perfect and the extra readers add extra entertainment.
kitsunediary's review against another edition
informative
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
A very well written and researched biography. As a fan of Austen's work I really enjoyed this.
laurenjpegler's review against another edition
4.0
A really interesting biography that looks at Jane Austen through “the home”. How her Living quarters made her into the person we know her as today. It was really interesting and I learnt quite a bit about her. I was listening to this on audiobook and I did enjoy it but I don’t think it was the best audiobook I’ve ever listened to – you could hear the breathing of the woman, which irritated me sometimes.