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bhnmt61's review
4.0
I don't usually enjoy biographies--too much detail for my sieve-like brain. But Tomalin has an engaging style that drew me right in. I ended up reading this as if it were one of Austen's novels. I didn't always agree with her interpretations of the novels, but she was always interesting and insightful. If you're a fan of JA, or if you want a glimpse into what it was really like to be a single woman with no money in the early nineteenth century, this is a must read.
shareen17's review
4.0
Of course I love all things Jane Austen. I enjoyed reading about her life and times. I could have done without a few of the tangents and some of the conjecture.
shellydennison's review against another edition
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
Excellent and very readable biography. With relatively few sources to work with, Tomalin fills the gaps with plausible surmises and captures a playful spirit rather than a retiring type.
melanie_books's review against another edition
4.0
I've long been an admirer of Jane Austen's stories so it was high time that I read a book about the lady herself. I was not disappointed! Claire Tomalin paints an enchanting picture of Jane Austen and her family (though it was not always a bed of roses.) From her rather unceremonious birth to her untimely death, we see a quick-witted woman who loved books and her family.
The book is mostly chronological and gathers information primarily from letters and records at the time - which is quite the feat considering that Jane's sister and niece burned many of the letters that she wrote! I enjoyed taking an in-depth look at some of her books though I wasn't quite sure why each book wasn't given equal time. I also found it difficult to keep all of Jane's family members straight - which is hardly the fault of the author but rather due to the fact that they only used about 6 different names in that family! :) I would have enjoyed an extra chapter dedicated to exploring the influence that Jane Austen's work had on other writer and readers but my guess is that such a topic would require another book entirely!
The book is mostly chronological and gathers information primarily from letters and records at the time - which is quite the feat considering that Jane's sister and niece burned many of the letters that she wrote! I enjoyed taking an in-depth look at some of her books though I wasn't quite sure why each book wasn't given equal time. I also found it difficult to keep all of Jane's family members straight - which is hardly the fault of the author but rather due to the fact that they only used about 6 different names in that family! :) I would have enjoyed an extra chapter dedicated to exploring the influence that Jane Austen's work had on other writer and readers but my guess is that such a topic would require another book entirely!
clairewilsonleeds's review
4.0
I think the biographer did a great job with what she had - basically long story short, Jane Austen is completely mysterious and we actually know very little about her. The novel covered a lot about her family which was interesting.