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lynneelue's review against another edition
4.0
I liked the accuracy and detail of this book. It was very interesting to read and I felt like I was really getting to learn a lot about Jane Austen. I liked how it analyzed the books she wrote a little but mostly in relation to her background and inspirations to writing them. I liked how it started off with a history of her ancestors. This is one biography that I will read again so I can remember, because I want to remember.
kwurtzel3's review
3.0
Had plenty of good info. Not as all-around informative as David Nokes's biography, and with quite a few more opinions, but I did glean some new information out of it. It was also interesting to read about Spence's feelings on the Lefroy/Austen relationship, even if I don't agree with most of his opinions.
chanbychance's review against another edition
3.0
This book is basically a biography of Jane Austen's life. The only interesting part in it is when it talks about Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy love life. But if your a Jane Austen lover like me you will love reading about her life and the trials she went through.
catmar19's review against another edition
3.0
Interesting little biography. This is not a book for people who aren't fans of Austen or who haven't read at least a couple of her books. I have to admit that I did bog down in a couple of places. The care and wit that is given to Austen is appreciated.
thatkeeginlady's review against another edition
3.0
This is my second time trying to read this book, the first time it was so dry I couldn’t really get into it. This time I must’ve just been in the right mood because the book definitely got more interesting and I was able to engage with it more towards the middle. Definitely has the most research about Jane, and the only part that’s a little sad is that so many people she knew died in the course of her life. I know it was something that happened a lot back then, but it’s sad to read about.
sarahatheart's review against another edition
1.0
This was a travesty of a biography, based mostly on speculation and wishful thinking. Mr. Spence should have written a novel and been done with it.
kaitlin_dunford's review against another edition
2.0
I gave it two stars because there actually was some interesting information in the book. But seriously, I got so sick of the "Jane must have..." and "This was Jane's inspiration for..."
Seriously? I mean, conjecture is okay by me as long as the author makes it clear that it's opinion and speculation and not fact. Far too often, Spence just mixed it with the facts. And what irked me more was the fact that he did it so presumptuously, as though he absolutely knew (though he had no hard evidence) that his conjecture was truth.
All of that stuff about Eliza and her influence on Jane, for all I know, could be the case. But there are also other sources of inspiration that Austen could've drawn from, so to pin all of her genius on her experiences with Eliza and with Tom LeFroy (by the way, for goodness sakes, just because she uses a name that happens to be found in Tom Jones does NOT mean that she is still dwelling on Tom LeFroy.)
Overall, I found it slightly informative, but mostly irritating, condescending, and sloppy.
Seriously? I mean, conjecture is okay by me as long as the author makes it clear that it's opinion and speculation and not fact. Far too often, Spence just mixed it with the facts. And what irked me more was the fact that he did it so presumptuously, as though he absolutely knew (though he had no hard evidence) that his conjecture was truth.
All of that stuff about Eliza and her influence on Jane, for all I know, could be the case. But there are also other sources of inspiration that Austen could've drawn from, so to pin all of her genius on her experiences with Eliza and with Tom LeFroy (by the way, for goodness sakes, just because she uses a name that happens to be found in Tom Jones does NOT mean that she is still dwelling on Tom LeFroy.)
Overall, I found it slightly informative, but mostly irritating, condescending, and sloppy.
evamaria's review against another edition
4.0
Very fascinating insights into the life of one of my favorite authors.
missylynne's review against another edition
Bought around the time the movie with the same name came out. Note sure if it was coincidental or done because of the movie.