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A review by cstefko
Jane Austen: A Brief Life by Fiona Stafford
4.0
4.5 stars
I read this one very slowly, only a chapter or two at a time, but I really enjoyed it. I have yet to read a book by or about Jane Austen that I haven't liked. What I appreciated most about Stafford's biography was that she would sometimes make a leap of faith or conjecture about Austen's life, but was open about doing so, and about her reasoning. As far as the biographical facts of Austen's life go, this book didn't present much new information that I hadn't read about before, but as always, the commentary on Austen's work is what you really are reading for. Every biographer has a unique spin on each of Austen's novels. I especially liked Stafford's thoughts on Persuasion, which is my favorite of the novels (don't even talk to me about the new film trailer, seriously). I'm definitely going to check out some of the additional resources Stafford shared in the afterword and the bibliography. Overall, I would consider this a must-read for any Austen fan. It's one of the most accessible Austen biographies, for sure.
I read this one very slowly, only a chapter or two at a time, but I really enjoyed it. I have yet to read a book by or about Jane Austen that I haven't liked. What I appreciated most about Stafford's biography was that she would sometimes make a leap of faith or conjecture about Austen's life, but was open about doing so, and about her reasoning. As far as the biographical facts of Austen's life go, this book didn't present much new information that I hadn't read about before, but as always, the commentary on Austen's work is what you really are reading for. Every biographer has a unique spin on each of Austen's novels. I especially liked Stafford's thoughts on Persuasion, which is my favorite of the novels (don't even talk to me about the new film trailer, seriously). I'm definitely going to check out some of the additional resources Stafford shared in the afterword and the bibliography. Overall, I would consider this a must-read for any Austen fan. It's one of the most accessible Austen biographies, for sure.