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A review by alyce6d980
Selected Letters by Vivien Jones, Jane Austen
4.0
Having read the majority of Jane Austen's novels in the last few months, I've found myself a little obsessed with her. I think she's such an amazing character, with sassy wit, a feminist mind and a sharp tongue which all make her so accessible despite the 200 years separating us.
When I spotted this book of letters in the library where I work, I picked it up without hesitation. The opportunity to get inside the mind of a genius was irresistible.
Jane herself acknowledges that her letters are full of 'little matters', but that didn't put me off. I didn't mind reading the minor occurrences that happened in her life, because it painted a picture of a version of England that I'm never going to be lucky enough to experience. There will be no long stimulating walks in the country or rides in horse-drawn carriages for me, and it really blows my mind to consider just how vastly everything has changed in what is a relatively brief period of time.
However, I struggled at points with the vast array of characters that Jane wrote about, and because a lot of them shared names it was hard to keep all of them in order. If I'd been studying the letters rather than reading them for enjoyment, I probably would have referred to the glossary in the back of the book more regularly, but it's hard to appreciate them when you're breaking your flow by flipping to the back of the book every couple of pages!
When I spotted this book of letters in the library where I work, I picked it up without hesitation. The opportunity to get inside the mind of a genius was irresistible.
Jane herself acknowledges that her letters are full of 'little matters', but that didn't put me off. I didn't mind reading the minor occurrences that happened in her life, because it painted a picture of a version of England that I'm never going to be lucky enough to experience. There will be no long stimulating walks in the country or rides in horse-drawn carriages for me, and it really blows my mind to consider just how vastly everything has changed in what is a relatively brief period of time.
However, I struggled at points with the vast array of characters that Jane wrote about, and because a lot of them shared names it was hard to keep all of them in order. If I'd been studying the letters rather than reading them for enjoyment, I probably would have referred to the glossary in the back of the book more regularly, but it's hard to appreciate them when you're breaking your flow by flipping to the back of the book every couple of pages!