'As near perfect a life of Austen as we are likely to get: intelligent, feeling, suggestive' Carmen Callil, Daily Telegraph
Those of us who did persevere found it rewarding, in that we now know a lot more than we did previously, about the kind of social fabric - the expectations and demands, and the material environment - within which Jane Austen lived her life.Jane Austen is the definitive biography of one of Britain's best-loved novelists, from the acclaimed author of Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self, Charles Dickens: A Life and The Invisible Woman Wellington 016 Some of the group found this book too 'academic' for thir tastes, and did not finish it. Whitby 003 Everyone liked this book - we admired the way Tomalin shows Austen as a member of a large active family, rather than a quiet secluded spinster. But many found the book tedious and the repetitive names confusing. Most of us enjoyed learning the historical context and the many small details of day-to-day life. An engaging, absorbing account of one of our greatest writers.
Also, she is an observer of the society in which she lives and writes about it so clearly and with considerable accuracy and humour. Jane Austen is seen in the context of her family and her times (late 18th century) but is not a 'typical' woman in some ways, as she doesn't get married or have children. Much research and detail has gone into this work, but it is made interesting and accessible to the reader. Claire Tomalin is a skilled biographer who draws the reader in with her down to earth, easy to read style. We felt that the author had very little information about Jane really, but fleshed out her biography with lots of information about relatives, friends and acquaintances.
Comments from GroupsĪ very interesting social history of Jane Austen's time. Sourcing local archives, Tomalin produces a picture of this author's life, and English society at the end of the 18th century. The six novels of Jane Austen picture a world of civility and reassuring stability, but her work also connected with some key events of the period.
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