Reviews with content warning for Death of parent - The Jane Austen Society

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The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

13 reviews

mjjohn3's review

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hopeful inspiring lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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theverycraftyvegan's review

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emotional lighthearted slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I am a Jane Austen fan myself and I enjoyed how so many characters from very different walks of life all came together to try and save a piece of Jane Austen’s history.

It was difficult to me to meet that many characters in so few pages right at the start. I couldn’t keep anyone straight except for 3 or 4 of them for a while but, eventually, as I learned more about them, I was able to keep them straight.

The book was wrapped up in the last chapter and it felt rushed.

Almost all the characters were coupled up by the end, which I felt was unnecessary.

An entertaining read for Austen fans. I loved that while it was fictional it was also dipped in facts.

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someryarns's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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kelly_e's review

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emotional hopeful medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Title: The Jane Austen Society
Author: Natalie Jenner
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.25
Pub Date: May 26, 2020

T H R E E • W O R D S

Delightful • Uplifting • Bittersweet

📖 S Y N O P S I S

Set in post WWII Chawton, the final place famed author Jane Austen lived, The Jane Austen Society centers around Austen's former home, now occupied by a few distant relatives. With Austen's legacy threatened, an unlikely group of villagers, united by their love for her work, band together to preserve what is left by creating The Jane Austen Society. A story of love and loss, deep personal struggles, and the power of books.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I'll admit I have never read Jane Austen, and I may never read her work. However, I was instantly drawn to The Jane Austen Society for it's bookish basis - any book relating to the universal language of literature and the power of books is a book for me!

And sometimes the right books falls into your lap at the right time, which was the case for me with this one. My own grief was strong at the point I picked it up without knowing one of the main themes would be grief. I had absolutely no idea how much I would connect with the narrative (Adeline and her grief, in particular), and there are several quotes below that I have been thinking about ever since. The grief aspect was so appreciated.

The Jane Austen Society mixes historical fiction, personal tragedy, the English countryside, and Austen fandom beautifully. And while I could have done without all the legal details relating to charitable societies and estate management, on the whole the writing is great. Of course, there is also bookish aspect that I always adore. Turning to books for solace is something I have done time and time again, so it just felt validating. Additionally, I adored how a love of books brought this distinctly different cast of characters together. Each character had their place, and thought I personally connected with Adeline most, I had a soft spot for Adam.

I definitely think my appreciation of this book would have been enhanced if I'd have read some of Austen work, nonetheless Natalie Jenner's debut was such an enjoyable read and I look forward to more from her in the future.

📚 R E C O M M E N D • T O
• Austen devotees
• historical fiction lovers
• fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society

🔖 F A V O U R I T E • Q U O T E S

"The unnatural loss of youth not only hits us harder, it seems to insist on invading our days, as if the memory of the person lost too soon has a hidden, persistent source of energy."

"From all of his years of practice, Dr. Gray knew only one thing for sure: that some of us are given too much to bear, and this burden is made worse by the hidden nature of that toll, a toll that other cannot even begin to guess at."

"But the thing that no one warns you about, when the pain is too great - when the pain is so great that you'd rather die than face another day of it - is that the pain becomes bigger, and more real, than anything else. It's like the circle of grief which is not supposed to shrink, even with time, but also not to grow - it's as if it is still expanding with the pain, feeding on it, infecting everything else around you. A calculating, inextinguishable darkness that covers everything, even the few things that you were promised would remain outside the grief, by all those well-meaning people who simply had not yet experienced a grief as bad as yours."

"For the world that existed demanded the pain, and the living with it, and would never let you go even when everything else fell away."

"'All I know is that I really loved him. I really did, deeply. And now I have no one. And everyone wants me to just go on. It's been a year, they'll say, it's time to get out. Take walks. Long walks. Go to the movies. Just get out there again and live.'
Mimi shook her head sadly at the young widow. 'Adeline, my father killed himself when I was very young, and it impacts me even as we sit here. It is a part of me, that awful, irrevocable act. And I am never going to be quite whole again because of it. You are not the problem: the loss is.'
Adeline looked up at Mimi with tears streaming down her cheeks. It was the first time she had let herself cry since that awful night outside in the garden with Dr. Gray.
'And, yes, sadly, no one can ever understand your loss. It belongs to you. It impacts only you. And guess what? They don't need to understand.'

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carireadsbooksandtarot's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

Narrated by Richard Armitage

5 Stars

I really enjoyed this book. I discovered it when I heard Jenner’s upcoming novel Bloomsbury Girls discussed on a podcast. It sounded like a good read so when I added it to my TBR, I decided to give this one a try. I’ll admit, I probably would have skipped over this title normally thinking it was a bit of fluff but the book itself discusses how Austen’s work is passed over as frivolous women’s novels, and that is just what I was doing! Instead I found a beautiful cast of well-rounded realistic characters in Austen’s small home village brought together by a mutual love and respect for Jane Austen and her writing. The group forms in the hope of turning Austen’s cottage into a museum and protecting her legacy. Each member is dealing with grief in the aftermath of World War II, and find comfort and meaning in working together towards this mission. I loved the discussion of Austen’s novels and characters throughout and now want to re-read all of them. You needn’t have read Austen to appreciate this book though. If you care deeply about literature, love stories in which people with different backgrounds are brought together over a shared passion, and can’t resist an English village setting, you’ll love this book. The narration felt warm and comforting. I’m definitely looking forward to Jenner’s next book!

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