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4.46 AVERAGE
4.46 AVERAGE
informative
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Sexism, Pregnancy
Minor: Child death, Infidelity
informative
slow-paced
Part look into the life stories and work of the women writers who preceded, influenced, and inspired Austen and part an account of a rare book dealer's quest to assemble a collection of their works and reflections on reading them. I was most interested in the details of these women's lives, and how they fell out of or remained a part of the literary canon, and this made me want to explore more forgotten women writers. I do think this might be a good title to dip in and out of a chapter at a time--I found myself flagging when I was reading it straight through--but it's an engaging blend of literary history and peek into the rare-book trade.
funny
informative
reflective
slow-paced
I took my time reading this and came away with a new perspective on classic writing. I really enjoyed learning about the other women writers and the books that made them successful. I found it very interesting will probably revisit it in the future.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Jane Austen’s Bookshelf is a historical and biographical study of writers (specifically women writers) in the late 18th century that preceded and influenced Jane Austen.
I thought this book was wonderful. It was very interesting and informative about many authors I had heard of, and some that I hadn’t heard of before. (Admittedly none of whom I’d read before - shame on me). The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe is one that comes to mind that has been on the sidelines for me for years. I plan to pick up that one and perhaps some others after reading this book.
Rebecca Romney also provided a glimpse into rare and antiquarian book collecting. It was fascinating.
Alongside my reading of this book, I attempted reading Jane Austen’s final novel Persuasion. I gave Persuasion the old college try. But unfortunately, I learned that Jane Austen is just not for me. I have read Pride and Prejudice (3 Stars), Sense and Sensibility (2 stars), Emma and Persuasion (both DNFs). I don’t know what it is about Jane Austen’s novels but I think they are just too stuffy and slow moving for me. I still appreciate Jane Austen for her contributions to the English literature canon, but I’ve now realized that the “idea of” and reading biographies of Jane Austen are much more interesting to me than reading Austen’s novels.
Jane Austen’s Bookshelf is a great read and I highly recommend it. 5 stars.
I thought this book was wonderful. It was very interesting and informative about many authors I had heard of, and some that I hadn’t heard of before. (Admittedly none of whom I’d read before - shame on me). The Mysteries of Udolpho by Ann Radcliffe is one that comes to mind that has been on the sidelines for me for years. I plan to pick up that one and perhaps some others after reading this book.
Rebecca Romney also provided a glimpse into rare and antiquarian book collecting. It was fascinating.
Alongside my reading of this book, I attempted reading Jane Austen’s final novel Persuasion. I gave Persuasion the old college try. But unfortunately, I learned that Jane Austen is just not for me. I have read Pride and Prejudice (3 Stars), Sense and Sensibility (2 stars), Emma and Persuasion (both DNFs). I don’t know what it is about Jane Austen’s novels but I think they are just too stuffy and slow moving for me. I still appreciate Jane Austen for her contributions to the English literature canon, but I’ve now realized that the “idea of” and reading biographies of Jane Austen are much more interesting to me than reading Austen’s novels.
Jane Austen’s Bookshelf is a great read and I highly recommend it. 5 stars.
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
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relaxing
sad
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fast-paced
This book is truly phenomenal I adored it ! Cannot remember the last time I read something which actually informed me of lots of information I didn’t know , we all read for pleasure and sometimes escapism in a busy trouble filled world , and for me non fiction takes a back shelf , we can’t read everything right ? I did on numerous occasions have to stop and google these ladies to find out more, Romneys research is spot on as are her comments and thoughts about why these once very famous very well read female authors who inspired Austen , have fallen from favour. She has also made me look at writings and books from this period (& earlier ) in a new light.
Our modern sensibilities and frantic pace of life wants instant gratification a quick paced plot or else it’s dnf’ed , authors in this period were more even paced and spread the stories and plot lines over instalments and volumes , mostly for publisher’s financial gain. Reading about these amazing women , their true stories and life’s behind the stories is truly enlightening.
Thank goodness for world of books 📚 as Iv had to order all of the books 📚 mentioned which Austen read, we all know of some of them as being mentioned in Austen’s novels such as Radcliffes mysteries of udolpho which Iv always wanted to read and now speared on to , so it’s on my autumn TBR. Romneys book has also inspired me to have another go at Austen’s lesser favourites , I’m now reading and enjoying Emma for the first time since being a teen & looking at it in a new light , next it’ll be Mansfield park which I never got on with then it’ll be northanger Abbey in the autumn which Iv tried a few times and dnf’ed, but now I understand so much more behind these novels it will heighten my reading pleasure. I urge everyone to read this wonderful book , plus the cover is beautiful which always helps ! 😆
Our modern sensibilities and frantic pace of life wants instant gratification a quick paced plot or else it’s dnf’ed , authors in this period were more even paced and spread the stories and plot lines over instalments and volumes , mostly for publisher’s financial gain. Reading about these amazing women , their true stories and life’s behind the stories is truly enlightening.
Thank goodness for world of books 📚 as Iv had to order all of the books 📚 mentioned which Austen read, we all know of some of them as being mentioned in Austen’s novels such as Radcliffes mysteries of udolpho which Iv always wanted to read and now speared on to , so it’s on my autumn TBR. Romneys book has also inspired me to have another go at Austen’s lesser favourites , I’m now reading and enjoying Emma for the first time since being a teen & looking at it in a new light , next it’ll be Mansfield park which I never got on with then it’ll be northanger Abbey in the autumn which Iv tried a few times and dnf’ed, but now I understand so much more behind these novels it will heighten my reading pleasure. I urge everyone to read this wonderful book , plus the cover is beautiful which always helps ! 😆
informative
inspiring
Really nice, loved reading about woman authors, sad to think that they were literally extirpated (each in complex and time taking ways) from the literary canon; happy to think that we can change that !
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
informative
reflective
slow-paced