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catfactory's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Gorgeously written but for such a short book, it had a few too many slow spots. I loved Cassy, though, and really identified with her and her sense of duty to her family. A must read for Jane Austen fans and lovers of family drama.
frompemberleytomiltonblog's review against another edition
5.0
Review published at :
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpress.com/2020/04/16/miss-austen-by-gill-hornby/
4.5 - Rounded to 5
Miss Austen opens in 1840 with Cassandra Austen, now in her late 60s, making a journey to the village of Kintbury with the apparent purpose of paying her respects to Isabella Fowle, who had just lost her father. But in fact, Cassandra’s real purpose is to destroy the letters that were exchanged between her sister Jane and Isabella’s mother, a dear friend of the family.
The destruction of the mentioned letters is the driver of the narrative, but it was not the fulcral point that captured my attention in this book. The letters that Cassandra discovers and reads so many years after they were originally written, and the memories they entice, are the captivating part of the book, because through them, Cassandra will revisit the most important moments of her life, transporting the reader into a past where the entire Austen family is presented to the reader at their best and their worst moments.
Jane Austen is obviously an important character in this story, but she is not the only focus of the novel, and even thought I absolutely loved the characterization Mrs Hornby did, which was authentic and intriguing, and the description of Jane’s most important life events, it was the other Miss Austen, who surprised and enchanted me the most. I always thought of Cassandra Austen as a sweet Jane Bennet, but in this book Cassandra Austen is depicted in a more profound manner, revealing not only altruism and kindness, but also intelligence, will of power and astuteness.
This book is not filled with action, nor is it an exciting page turner, and even if I would have liked it to be a little more fast paced, I truly appreciated the introspective character of this narrative. In a world such as ours, where everything is fast paced and we are fed through the overwhelming social media with an unrealistic, standardised and unobtainable concept of happiness and success, we don’t spend enough time analysing what happiness means to us. We don’t spend enough time analysing our decisions, or the path we should to take. We don’t even dare to deny the ideal of happiness imposed by society may not be what is best for ourselves. Miss Austen dwelves on all those aspects and through its main character, Cassandra Austen, we realize that it doesn’t matter what society thinks we must do, it doesn’t matter what other people think of us, what truly matters is that we feel happy about our choices, about our life and ourselves, and that we always look at what we have with appreciation. The moral of this book, whose events take place two centuries ago, could not be more pertinent and relevant in today’s society, and that is in my perspective its main achievement.
Miss Austen is an extremely well written book which reveals a thorough research into one of England's most talented authors, but it is much more than a tribute to the Austen sisters, it is a tale of friendship and love, and a reminder of what is important in life. Despite the era that is depicted in this novel, Miss Austen could not be more pertinent in these troubled times we live in, and I highly recommend it to those looking for a book which questions the hardships, difficulties and expectation of females in society.
https://frompemberleytomilton.wordpress.com/2020/04/16/miss-austen-by-gill-hornby/
4.5 - Rounded to 5
Miss Austen opens in 1840 with Cassandra Austen, now in her late 60s, making a journey to the village of Kintbury with the apparent purpose of paying her respects to Isabella Fowle, who had just lost her father. But in fact, Cassandra’s real purpose is to destroy the letters that were exchanged between her sister Jane and Isabella’s mother, a dear friend of the family.
The destruction of the mentioned letters is the driver of the narrative, but it was not the fulcral point that captured my attention in this book. The letters that Cassandra discovers and reads so many years after they were originally written, and the memories they entice, are the captivating part of the book, because through them, Cassandra will revisit the most important moments of her life, transporting the reader into a past where the entire Austen family is presented to the reader at their best and their worst moments.
Jane Austen is obviously an important character in this story, but she is not the only focus of the novel, and even thought I absolutely loved the characterization Mrs Hornby did, which was authentic and intriguing, and the description of Jane’s most important life events, it was the other Miss Austen, who surprised and enchanted me the most. I always thought of Cassandra Austen as a sweet Jane Bennet, but in this book Cassandra Austen is depicted in a more profound manner, revealing not only altruism and kindness, but also intelligence, will of power and astuteness.
This book is not filled with action, nor is it an exciting page turner, and even if I would have liked it to be a little more fast paced, I truly appreciated the introspective character of this narrative. In a world such as ours, where everything is fast paced and we are fed through the overwhelming social media with an unrealistic, standardised and unobtainable concept of happiness and success, we don’t spend enough time analysing what happiness means to us. We don’t spend enough time analysing our decisions, or the path we should to take. We don’t even dare to deny the ideal of happiness imposed by society may not be what is best for ourselves. Miss Austen dwelves on all those aspects and through its main character, Cassandra Austen, we realize that it doesn’t matter what society thinks we must do, it doesn’t matter what other people think of us, what truly matters is that we feel happy about our choices, about our life and ourselves, and that we always look at what we have with appreciation. The moral of this book, whose events take place two centuries ago, could not be more pertinent and relevant in today’s society, and that is in my perspective its main achievement.
Miss Austen is an extremely well written book which reveals a thorough research into one of England's most talented authors, but it is much more than a tribute to the Austen sisters, it is a tale of friendship and love, and a reminder of what is important in life. Despite the era that is depicted in this novel, Miss Austen could not be more pertinent in these troubled times we live in, and I highly recommend it to those looking for a book which questions the hardships, difficulties and expectation of females in society.
emmadnl's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
myworldtoread's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
bec_wheels's review against another edition
3.0
This book was an interesting and easy read that provides insight into the life of Jane and Cassandra Austen from the perspective of Cassandra. It's light-hearted and some what of a holiday read.
kneesa's review against another edition
4.0
4.5
Todo lo que se trate sobre Jane Austen me fascina y este libro no es la excepción. Me parece que nunca había pensado en Cassandra y en su version de las cosas. Creo que este libro se lo imagina muy bien
Todo lo que se trate sobre Jane Austen me fascina y este libro no es la excepción. Me parece que nunca había pensado en Cassandra y en su version de las cosas. Creo que este libro se lo imagina muy bien