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littlemisscass's review against another edition
4.0
Most of what we know about Jane Austen is based on a closely-curated series of letters (many were purposefully burned) passed down by family members. In her non-fiction work Only A Novel: The Double Life of Jane Austen, Jane Aiken Hodge looks to explore the ‘lives’ of Jane Austen as a family member and as an author.
Only A Novel is playfully written, addressing a smart reader without demanding the reader be smart. Despite this, it definitely veers more towards historical text than light or narrative biography. And that works well - from the introduction, it’s clear that it’s more an analysis into Jane than a chronicling of her life.
While it would help for a reader to know a bit about the period, Jane Austen and her novels, it is not a requirement. While I have a fair knowledge of the era, I am a just casual Austen fan and the book is still easily digestible.
My favourite line from the book comes early on, with Aiken Hodge noting that Jane and her sister Cassandra had an education consisting of “plenty of books, plenty of time, and plenty of good talk”, much like those of her heroines. What better education could there be than that?
Overall, it was great but definitely oriented towards those looking for a more analysis-based text (albeit a lively one) than a mass-market biography. Worth a read.
*An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Only A Novel is playfully written, addressing a smart reader without demanding the reader be smart. Despite this, it definitely veers more towards historical text than light or narrative biography. And that works well - from the introduction, it’s clear that it’s more an analysis into Jane than a chronicling of her life.
While it would help for a reader to know a bit about the period, Jane Austen and her novels, it is not a requirement. While I have a fair knowledge of the era, I am a just casual Austen fan and the book is still easily digestible.
My favourite line from the book comes early on, with Aiken Hodge noting that Jane and her sister Cassandra had an education consisting of “plenty of books, plenty of time, and plenty of good talk”, much like those of her heroines. What better education could there be than that?
Overall, it was great but definitely oriented towards those looking for a more analysis-based text (albeit a lively one) than a mass-market biography. Worth a read.
*An ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
cleheny's review against another edition
3.0
It can't be easy to write a biography of Jane Austen. The evidence of her life is contained in family memoirs written long after her death, and from letters that were heavily redacted by her sister and executrix, Cassandra. There were no great incidents that would prompt others to memorialize their encounters with Austen. Her life centered on the same events that her heroines experienced: visits, caring for sick or indisposed family members, and domestic chores consistent with a middle class life. Where letters are missing, and family members either unable or unwilling to disclose the events that might have been covered by the missing letters, there is little for the biographer to do but speculate.
To her credit, Hodge-with one glaring exception--doesn't do much of this. She quotes extensively from the existing correspondence as she tells Austen's lifestory, and, usually, her conclusions are well-supported by the evidence. I found her assumption that Austen had some kind of emotional or intellectual estrangement from her mother unsupported, however; it may be true, but Hodge doesn't lay out the evidence she relies upon.
The more glaring exception is the author's conclusion that Austen experienced some kind of religious or moral crisis in the years between her writing of Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park. Certainly, Mansfield Park is a different and more mature work, but I don't know that the most compelling explanation is that Austen experienced some kind of crisis in the interim. As there is absolutely no information regarding Austen's experiences or feelings during this time, Hodge's theory is totally without any basis in anything but her own speculation. And yet Hodge writes as if this is the only explanation for why Austen's tone and focus changed.
Hodge also seeks the source of Austen's various characters in her family members, friends, and acquaintances. Some of what she points out is convincing, but, especially, as the biography progresses, Hodge overreaches and her comparisons become intrusive. For example, when describing a visit of her niece, Caroline (one of three children, and one of those siblings several years' older), with her 11 cousins at their home, Austen mentioned that Caroline did not enjoy the visit as much as her brother. At this point, Hodge says that this reaction forms part of the basis of Fanny Price's character. Maybe, or maybe Austen saw nothing more surprising than a child with only two siblings understandably overwhelmed by the noise and activity of a house with 11 children (plus at least 2 visitors). Not everything Austen observed necessarily made it into her books. I found this insistence on drawing parallels to be somewhat annoying, as if Austen couldn't create such vivid characters without having actual examples of each component part before her.
To her credit, Hodge-with one glaring exception--doesn't do much of this. She quotes extensively from the existing correspondence as she tells Austen's lifestory, and, usually, her conclusions are well-supported by the evidence. I found her assumption that Austen had some kind of emotional or intellectual estrangement from her mother unsupported, however; it may be true, but Hodge doesn't lay out the evidence she relies upon.
The more glaring exception is the author's conclusion that Austen experienced some kind of religious or moral crisis in the years between her writing of Pride and Prejudice and Mansfield Park. Certainly, Mansfield Park is a different and more mature work, but I don't know that the most compelling explanation is that Austen experienced some kind of crisis in the interim. As there is absolutely no information regarding Austen's experiences or feelings during this time, Hodge's theory is totally without any basis in anything but her own speculation. And yet Hodge writes as if this is the only explanation for why Austen's tone and focus changed.
Hodge also seeks the source of Austen's various characters in her family members, friends, and acquaintances. Some of what she points out is convincing, but, especially, as the biography progresses, Hodge overreaches and her comparisons become intrusive. For example, when describing a visit of her niece, Caroline (one of three children, and one of those siblings several years' older), with her 11 cousins at their home, Austen mentioned that Caroline did not enjoy the visit as much as her brother. At this point, Hodge says that this reaction forms part of the basis of Fanny Price's character. Maybe, or maybe Austen saw nothing more surprising than a child with only two siblings understandably overwhelmed by the noise and activity of a house with 11 children (plus at least 2 visitors). Not everything Austen observed necessarily made it into her books. I found this insistence on drawing parallels to be somewhat annoying, as if Austen couldn't create such vivid characters without having actual examples of each component part before her.
lifeandtea's review against another edition
4.0
Review link: https://lifeandteablog.wordpress.com/2019/04/08/book-review-only-a-novel-by-jane-aiken-hodge/
I want to begin by saying that I received this book for free through Netgalley, but all thoughts are my own. This book is about the double life of Jane Austen, the author & the sister/aunt/daughter. In this book we learn a lot about Jane Austen’s everyday life, as well as that of her life as an author. Although I have read 2 of her novels, Persuasion and Pride & Prejudice, I did not know much if anything about Jane Austen herself, so I found this book to be extremely informative & interesting. Jane Aiken Hodge’s writing style is easy to read through, making this a quick non-fiction read, which I appreciate. I do personally enjoy reading a lot of non-fiction but sometimes feel as if it takes a very long time to get through due to the writing style, but the writing in this book was wonderful to read & didn’t feel too heavy. I also like that this book included a lot of quotes and details about Jane Austen’s letters to her sister Cassandra, who she was very close to. I really felt like I was learning a lot by reading this and did really enjoy it and can tell a lot of research and care went into this book, which is a discussion more of the life of Jane Austen than the death, as her death is not really touched upon too much in this book. But I am glad that her death is not really mentioned, partially because I am aware that her death is in a way a mystery, but also since this book is the double life of Jane Austen. I also feel like I learnt more about the world of publishing in the 1800’s and also Jane’s struggles but also successes of being an author. She is most definitely an author somewhat appreciated in her time, but is much more appreciated and admired now. We also did learn more about Jane Austen’s family in this book and love learning about how tightly-knit her family were and how admired she was as Aunt Jane. This is a must read for any Jane Austen fans, or even if you’re just interested in reading about the lives of classic authors.
I want to begin by saying that I received this book for free through Netgalley, but all thoughts are my own. This book is about the double life of Jane Austen, the author & the sister/aunt/daughter. In this book we learn a lot about Jane Austen’s everyday life, as well as that of her life as an author. Although I have read 2 of her novels, Persuasion and Pride & Prejudice, I did not know much if anything about Jane Austen herself, so I found this book to be extremely informative & interesting. Jane Aiken Hodge’s writing style is easy to read through, making this a quick non-fiction read, which I appreciate. I do personally enjoy reading a lot of non-fiction but sometimes feel as if it takes a very long time to get through due to the writing style, but the writing in this book was wonderful to read & didn’t feel too heavy. I also like that this book included a lot of quotes and details about Jane Austen’s letters to her sister Cassandra, who she was very close to. I really felt like I was learning a lot by reading this and did really enjoy it and can tell a lot of research and care went into this book, which is a discussion more of the life of Jane Austen than the death, as her death is not really touched upon too much in this book. But I am glad that her death is not really mentioned, partially because I am aware that her death is in a way a mystery, but also since this book is the double life of Jane Austen. I also feel like I learnt more about the world of publishing in the 1800’s and also Jane’s struggles but also successes of being an author. She is most definitely an author somewhat appreciated in her time, but is much more appreciated and admired now. We also did learn more about Jane Austen’s family in this book and love learning about how tightly-knit her family were and how admired she was as Aunt Jane. This is a must read for any Jane Austen fans, or even if you’re just interested in reading about the lives of classic authors.
mugglemom's review against another edition
4.0
Definitely a good book to have in my Jane Austen arsenal. I found this book to have more of Jane's personal letters to family and friends pulled out for the reader to examine. Well researched but sometimes the author's personal reflections had me eye-rolling. Took me a bit to get into the novel.
Also, the amount of traveling that Jane & Cassandra do between their brother's homes is a new fact that I did not realize. Quite incredible, all considering the timeframe and technology (ie, bad roads and only horse & buggy --ouch).
Also, the amount of traveling that Jane & Cassandra do between their brother's homes is a new fact that I did not realize. Quite incredible, all considering the timeframe and technology (ie, bad roads and only horse & buggy --ouch).
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
A well researched, fascinating and entertaining book, perfect for fans of Jane Austen.
I liked the style of writing, the clarity of the explanations and how the the book is organized.
It was an entertaining read, I recommend it to any Jane Austen fan.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Agora Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I liked the style of writing, the clarity of the explanations and how the the book is organized.
It was an entertaining read, I recommend it to any Jane Austen fan.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Agora Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
lissan's review
4.0
Jane Austen’s popularity never seems to cease. New biographies enter the market at regular intervals. Thank you to Endeavour Press, who provided me with a review copy, I have read Jane Aiken Hodge’s biography of Austen’s life, from 1972. It still feels very modern. It could be that a newer biography would have more revelations on Austen’s life, but I am not sure. The main problem writing about Jane Austen’s life is, that there are not that many facts to base it on. Some letters survive, but many were destroyed by her sister Cassandra after her death.
Jane Aiken Hodge has written a charming biography of one of the most popular English writers. This was not the case in her own time though. Apart from Pride and Prejudice, which was the most popular, the others did not do that well. She wrote the first books several years before they were actually published. The first book she wrote, which her father managed to sell to a publisher, was Susan. It was never published and years later, her brother Henry bought it back from the publisher. Jane Austen rewrote it and it was finally published posthumously as Northanger Abbey.
I recently read two other books connected to Jane Austen; Jane Austen and Food (review) and Jane Austen and Names (review) by Maggie Lane. Maggie Lane compared food and names in Jane Austen’s books with culture and tradition at the time and how it might have been in her own life. The conclusion was that Jane Austen knew very well what she was talking about when she described food, meals and tradition because she based it on her own experience. This comes to mind now, when I read this biography. Jane Aiken Hodge follows the letters chronologically and pair it with glimpses from Jane Austen’s life. Her letters tell us that she was a very witty, sharp and humorous person. Her letters follow the style she uses in her books. It is easy to mistake quotations from her letters for something from one of her books. Her real life and the life of her books are woven into each other. Just like the food described in the books are typical for the time, and the names she gives her characters are often found in her own family, it seems that she has taken a lot of inspiration from her own life. Jane Aiken Hodge shows us places, excursions and trips that Jane Austen went to/on and how similar outings ended up in her books.
The Austen family was big and very closely knit. Jane was the youngest of eight siblings; she had six brothers and one sister. They grew up in Steventon in Hampshire where the father was a rector. Her mother came from the prominent Leigh family. She had a firm hand on the household, and it must have been a full time work to care for such a big family. All the brothers married and one of them, had 11 children! When the father died they moved from Steventon to Bath and then Southampton before they settled in Chawton, a place which belonged to one of her brothers.
Money was a problem after the death of the father. Her sister Cassandra was engaged to be married, but her fiancé sadly died before the marriage. Cassandra remained unmarried, and took over the charge of the house from her mother. Jane was helping out as well. They had to turn the money around, although they received help from the brothers, of which some were rather wealthy. Two were in the navy and spent a lot of time at sea. Here is another real life experience that ended up in her books. It seems that Jane might have had some offers of marriage when she was younger, but they were turned down. One does not really know what she thought about marriage or if she wanted to get married. As they years went by, she accepted it and became a beloved ‘Aunt Jane’ to her nieces and nephews. Considering that all her books was about the ‘marriage game’ it was maybe a different life for her. At the times the only way for a woman to have a life was to get married. Jane Austen had her writing and she did make some money during her lifetime to ease the every day life.
I like this biography very much. First of all it gave me an insight into the private life of Jane Austen. Extracts from her letters give a valuable insight into her way of writing. It was quite a surprise to see that it is so much like her books. I was a little bit curious about the title. Which novel? What double life? Does she really have a double life? Not one that is very obvious. I think the author refers to Jane Austen’s wish to keep it a secret that she was writing books. She was a very shy and withdrawn person and liked best to be either alone or surrounded by family and friends. The biography is written like an Austen novel and her real life, and the life of her books, are woven into each other.
The family belonged to the English landed gentry and their life seemed to be quite like a book by Jane Austen.
A review from my blog thecontentreader.blogspot.com
Jane Aiken Hodge has written a charming biography of one of the most popular English writers. This was not the case in her own time though. Apart from Pride and Prejudice, which was the most popular, the others did not do that well. She wrote the first books several years before they were actually published. The first book she wrote, which her father managed to sell to a publisher, was Susan. It was never published and years later, her brother Henry bought it back from the publisher. Jane Austen rewrote it and it was finally published posthumously as Northanger Abbey.
I recently read two other books connected to Jane Austen; Jane Austen and Food (review) and Jane Austen and Names (review) by Maggie Lane. Maggie Lane compared food and names in Jane Austen’s books with culture and tradition at the time and how it might have been in her own life. The conclusion was that Jane Austen knew very well what she was talking about when she described food, meals and tradition because she based it on her own experience. This comes to mind now, when I read this biography. Jane Aiken Hodge follows the letters chronologically and pair it with glimpses from Jane Austen’s life. Her letters tell us that she was a very witty, sharp and humorous person. Her letters follow the style she uses in her books. It is easy to mistake quotations from her letters for something from one of her books. Her real life and the life of her books are woven into each other. Just like the food described in the books are typical for the time, and the names she gives her characters are often found in her own family, it seems that she has taken a lot of inspiration from her own life. Jane Aiken Hodge shows us places, excursions and trips that Jane Austen went to/on and how similar outings ended up in her books.
The Austen family was big and very closely knit. Jane was the youngest of eight siblings; she had six brothers and one sister. They grew up in Steventon in Hampshire where the father was a rector. Her mother came from the prominent Leigh family. She had a firm hand on the household, and it must have been a full time work to care for such a big family. All the brothers married and one of them, had 11 children! When the father died they moved from Steventon to Bath and then Southampton before they settled in Chawton, a place which belonged to one of her brothers.
Money was a problem after the death of the father. Her sister Cassandra was engaged to be married, but her fiancé sadly died before the marriage. Cassandra remained unmarried, and took over the charge of the house from her mother. Jane was helping out as well. They had to turn the money around, although they received help from the brothers, of which some were rather wealthy. Two were in the navy and spent a lot of time at sea. Here is another real life experience that ended up in her books. It seems that Jane might have had some offers of marriage when she was younger, but they were turned down. One does not really know what she thought about marriage or if she wanted to get married. As they years went by, she accepted it and became a beloved ‘Aunt Jane’ to her nieces and nephews. Considering that all her books was about the ‘marriage game’ it was maybe a different life for her. At the times the only way for a woman to have a life was to get married. Jane Austen had her writing and she did make some money during her lifetime to ease the every day life.
I like this biography very much. First of all it gave me an insight into the private life of Jane Austen. Extracts from her letters give a valuable insight into her way of writing. It was quite a surprise to see that it is so much like her books. I was a little bit curious about the title. Which novel? What double life? Does she really have a double life? Not one that is very obvious. I think the author refers to Jane Austen’s wish to keep it a secret that she was writing books. She was a very shy and withdrawn person and liked best to be either alone or surrounded by family and friends. The biography is written like an Austen novel and her real life, and the life of her books, are woven into each other.
The family belonged to the English landed gentry and their life seemed to be quite like a book by Jane Austen.
A review from my blog thecontentreader.blogspot.com
vesper1931's review
2.0
A look at Jane Austen's life through her writings, her family and available contemporary records.
rickety_snippets's review against another edition
4.0
Wow! Such detail! This author has truly done her homework. I found that this book was so packed with information that I couldn't have any distractions while reading. It is not a quick or easy read, because of its size and detail, but the many tidbits of information are interesting and fun. This book provides the best of both worlds--substantive information about a classic author that is also fascinating and a joy to read.
Thank you to the publisher, who provided me with a free electronic copy of the book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review. These opinions are my own.
Thank you to the publisher, who provided me with a free electronic copy of the book via Netgalley. I was not required to write a review. These opinions are my own.
annarella's review against another edition
5.0
A well researched, fascinating and entertaining book, perfect for fans of Jane Austen.
I liked the style of writing, the clarity of the explanations and how the the book is organized.
It was an entertaining read, I recommend it to any Jane Austen fan.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Agora Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
I liked the style of writing, the clarity of the explanations and how the the book is organized.
It was an entertaining read, I recommend it to any Jane Austen fan.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to Agora Books and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine
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