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A review by vivianfonseca
Jane Austen, the Secret Radical by Helena Kelly
4.0
I first read Pride & Prejudice in my late teens and Persuasion in my early 20s. For those brief years, I could only see what everyone else saw in her novels. Light. Fun. Fluffy.
Then I read her letters to her sister, Cassandra.
Since reading the letters, I've had a hard time reconciling Jane as a woman and author with the light, fluffy stories I was meant to find in her books. It simply didn't add up.
I don't remember how I stumbled on this book. It was probably a Goodreads reccomendation. However path led me here, I thank my lucky stars I decided to read this book.
It not only helped me put Jane's work in the right contemporary (to Austen) context, but compelled me to read the novels I hadn't read yet. When reading these novels (and revisiting my old favorites), I found a different Jane Austen than the one I was told I'd find. Caustically sarcastic and sharp to the point of being surgical. In short: a Jane Austen I not only recognize from her personal letters, but also one I can relate to and adore!
The book also offers interesting insights into the symbolism hidden within the books and some insight into what these symbols might have meant to Austen and her intended audience.
Lastly, the main lesson I learned from this book can be ssummarized in this quote: "Forget the Jane Austen you think you know. (...) Read Jane's novels. They are there to speak for her".
4.5☆
Then I read her letters to her sister, Cassandra.
Since reading the letters, I've had a hard time reconciling Jane as a woman and author with the light, fluffy stories I was meant to find in her books. It simply didn't add up.
I don't remember how I stumbled on this book. It was probably a Goodreads reccomendation. However path led me here, I thank my lucky stars I decided to read this book.
It not only helped me put Jane's work in the right contemporary (to Austen) context, but compelled me to read the novels I hadn't read yet. When reading these novels (and revisiting my old favorites), I found a different Jane Austen than the one I was told I'd find. Caustically sarcastic and sharp to the point of being surgical. In short: a Jane Austen I not only recognize from her personal letters, but also one I can relate to and adore!
The book also offers interesting insights into the symbolism hidden within the books and some insight into what these symbols might have meant to Austen and her intended audience.
Lastly, the main lesson I learned from this book can be ssummarized in this quote: "Forget the Jane Austen you think you know. (...) Read Jane's novels. They are there to speak for her".
4.5☆