StoryGraph Jane Austen at Home: A Biography by Lucy Worsley

[astrangerhere]

I thought I'd start a thread since at least one other person is reading this right now.

I won't spoil my thoughts on the book as a whole, but I do feel like I got more out of it because I've also read Claire Tomalin's biography, which Worsely references (and argues with) throughout.

I appreciated the tone overall, and the approach. Late last year, I read Jenn Shapland's My Autobiography of Carson McCullers. This quote from Worsley's introduction struck a very similar tone:

This is, unashamedly, the story of my Jane, every word of it written with love.

[issybird]

I’m halfway through and I have mixed feelings. It’s a pleasant, entertaining read but I don’t feel as if I’m getting much depth or insight from it. I’ve read better books about women’s lives in Georgian England; this is good about that but it doesn’t add to my understanding. Perhaps it’s the fannish aspect that sets my teeth on edge a bit.

Every now and then, Worsley says something insightful about one of the books and those are my favorite parts. I hope there’s more of that now that Jane’s hitting her writing stride.

I have to note that Worsley got the date of Louis XVI’s execution wrong. Just sloppy and not important, but I wish books in general did a better job of fact-checking.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by issybird

I’m halfway through and I have mixed feelings. It’s a pleasant, entertaining read but I don’t feel as if I’m getting much depth or insight from it. I’ve read better books about women’s lives in Georgian England; this is good about that but it doesn’t add to my understanding. Perhaps it’s the fannish aspect that sets my teeth on edge a bit.

Every now and then, Worsley says something insightful about one of the books and those are my favorite parts. I hope there’s more of that now that Jane’s hitting her writing stride.

I have to note that Worsley got the date of Louis XVI’s execution wrong. Just sloppy and not important, but I wish books in general did a better job of fact-checking.

I totally get that. But at least she was honest about it from the outset. I keep coming back to the contrast with Shapland (which was a FABULOUS book) because it was unashamedly a memoir tied in with the discovery of McCullers and her life. I did feel like I learned more about McCullers though.

There is some definite depth lacking, but some real bright spots. I do rather enjoy an author actively debating points from other books/sources in the text.

[issybird]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

There is some definite depth lacking, but some real bright spots. I do rather enjoy an author actively debating points from other books/sources in the text.

I noted your mention of the Tomalin biography. I’ve only read her biography of Nelly Ternan, Dickens’ mistress, which was fantastic. I doubt I’ll bother with her Austen bio as this will be enough Jane to hold me for quite some time. Mostly, I’m not all that interested in author’s biographies unless the life itself was interesting or it casts a wider net, which in fairness this book by Worsley does. I attribute that in part to a very influential high school English teacher who was a strong advocate of New Criticism.

[astrangerhere]

Originally Posted by issybird

I noted your mention of the Tomalin biography. I’ve only read her biography of Nelly Ternan, Dickens’ mistress, which was fantastic. I doubt I’ll bother with her Austen bio as this will be enough Jane to hold me for quite some time. Mostly, I’m not all that interested in author’s biographies unless the life itself was interesting or it casts a wider net, which in fairness this book by Worsley does. I attribute that in part to a very influential high school English teacher who was a strong advocate of New Criticism.

Take a peek at Shapland then. Might not be to your taste at all, but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I did my thesis on Southern Gothic, so it was fun ride for me.

[Deskisamess]

Originally Posted by astrangerhere

I thought I'd start a thread since at least one other person is reading this right now.

Thanks for mentioning this, it sounds interesting, and my library had it available to borrow. I'd been looking for something new to read. I know I'll hear Lucy's soft "r" in my head as I read it. 😄

[Bookpossum]

I'm about a quarter of the way through at this stage. I'm enjoying it, especially after having read the whitewashed efforts by Austen's family members, who seemed intent on turning her into a saint, and succeeded only in making her seem rather boring.

Like issybird, I do enjoy her comments about one or other of the Austen books and hope to have more of that as the book progresses.