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jamtart's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
medium-paced
5.0
redwavereads's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
3.75
rainynook's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
What more could you possibly want from a biography of Jane Austen? This lovely book, by historian Lucy Worsley, is outstanding. Dr. Worsley gathers tiny details from all of Jane's published & unpublished works, her remaining 160 letters, recollections by close friends & numerous other sources & derives her own observations as to what made this rather mysterious & much beloved author tick, as well as why her characters did particular things in each book & how that meshed with the author's own life. I learned so many fascinating details from this book (the story Jane's first cousin, Eliza Capot, Comtesse de Feuillide, watching Marie Antoinette & the King eat dinner at Versailles is just one of many) & I also read it in tandem with Jane Austen's last book (published after she died), "Persuasion", which read together, was very illuminating. I listened to the Audible version, & while the readers (Ruth Redman, as well as 2 other actors who come in to do small parts) all do a excellent jobs at reading the text, Dr. Worsley herself only reads the introduction & the epilogue & I do wish she'd read the whole thing. Highest recommendation, much deserved.
moominmama_11's review against another edition
4.0
Really engaging and well written/researched book, only loses a point because of the lack of material about Austen with them being such a cagey, genteel lot