Scan barcode
toesinthesand's review against another edition
4.0
This was long but incredibly well-researched and thorough. Really interesting look at the life of one of my favorite authors who I really didn't know much about.
momreaderh's review against another edition
3.0
5 stars if you can never get enough of Jane Austen. Otherwise, interesting but long.
johanna_b's review against another edition
5.0
I loved this and can't remember the last time I had so much fun reading a biography! Definitely a must-read for any Jane Austen fans. Happy Reading :)
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