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A Brief Guide to Jane Austen
In this witty and accessible guide, author and expert Charles Jennings goes in search of the real Jane Austen. He includes a short biography, gives an overview of her novels, and explores the time period she lived in and the world she inhabited. He also includes Jane's very own words of advice for the modern life.
288 pages, Paperback
First published October 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 17 reviews
September 19, 2020
If pride and prejudice is Jane Austen s best like novel ,sense and sensibility was the first to make it into print but Emma is almost certainly the great. This biography introduced me to the real world of jane Austen and her life. One of the most durable and important writers in English languages. We know that jane was born in 16 December 1775 in Hampshire. How was her life looks like ? Why she was a successful writer?
August 22, 2017
It has been over six years since I last read and reviewed an Austen novel, and nearly as long since I received A Brief Guide to Jane Austen: The Life and Times of the World’s Favourite Author as a birthday gift, along with another Austen biography-like book that I’ll review shortly. Charles Jennings tackles his task with four parts: the actual life of Austen, her novels, life in Regency England, and then life after Jane Austen. In so doing, Jennings hopes to leave the reader with an appreciation not just of Austen as a person or an author but as a moment within the continuum of history; Regency England influenced Austen, and she has in turn has influenced England.
Jennings and others will say that Austen is one of those authors people have strong opinions about. Yet I come to this book feeling rather … ehhhhh … about Austen. If you press me, I’ll come down in the camp that regards her as a wonderful author worthy of her classic status. Yet I stop short of being a “Janeite”. Austen’s books are good in the way that other books are good for me; I don’t regard them as peculiarly special.
Nevertheless, I concede that Austen is an interesting character in her own right, if only because so little is known of her life. This is true of the vast majority of people throughout recorded history; unless you were important or notable, few people bothered to write anything down about you. Austen was fortunate to exist in a time where there was an emerging middle class: her family was rich enough to educate her and support her without her having to work; however, she could very well have faded into obscurity were it not for a few people writing about her and stirring up interest decades after her death.
The first section, in which Jennings describes Austen’s life in a roughly chronological fashion, is competent enough. He tries to eschew delving into her writing, aside from noting when she was working on or publishing particular pieces, but sometimes he can’t help but quote from a particular book. In general, though, this section is a somewhat dry rendition of a life that—while perhaps not as without event as Henry Austen wanted us to believe in his posthumous biographical note—certainly lacked much in the way of drama.
The section on the novels felt similarly academic and much less edifying. Whereas the first section at least educated me about Austen’s life (which I knew little enough about), I’ve read most of her novels. I’m not sure someone would come to this book without having read at least one novel (probably Pride & Prejudice…)—maybe it would be useful in giving an overview so that people can decide which one to tackle next? I don’t know. It’s not bad; it just feels like it is neither brief enough for a newcomer nor in-depth enough for a dedicated fan.
The section on life in Regency England is by far the best, in my opinion. Most of us come to Austen’s novels with an anachronistic understanding of their time period. That isn’t our fault. Even the most faithful adaptations aren’t going to capture every nuance of life in Austen’s time. This is what I find so cool about reading works from eras removed from my own: life was just so different back then. People might have been the same, living and loving and lusting, etc.; but there were just so many unwritten rules that, unless one is a scholar of the period, one might never pick up on. Then there are things like the rules and ritual surrounding dancing—an oft-observed activity in Austen’s novels but one which she, understandably, never explains fully to her readers of the future. So, with this section, Jennings delivers a cornucopia of knowledge, much of which I lacked, and which is going to improve anyone’s experience with Austen’s novels.
The final section, really more of an epilogue chapter, “After Jane”, tries to sum up how our society has canonized her. Again, the limitations of length stymie Jennings, preventing any real analysis. It’s about the length of a university essay and reads a bit like one, with each paragraph moving on to a new topic, clearly in a hurry to cover as much of the breadth of the subject as possible before hitting the word limit. There are interesting facts here too, but the tour is such a whirlwind that readers will be excused if they miss them.
A Brief Guide to Jane Austen lives up to its name. Yet is Austen really someone who can be briefly explained? Jennings tries very hard to meet this challenge, and I don’t want to disparage this book unduly. It’s good; it’s factual. It’s just somewhat dry. So, as I mentioned earlier, I have trouble figuring out the best audience. Janeites will probably already be familiar with this book; less erudite readers aren’t going to find it as engaging. But, if you want to learn more about Jane Austen’s life, this book is a fair way to do so.
Jennings and others will say that Austen is one of those authors people have strong opinions about. Yet I come to this book feeling rather … ehhhhh … about Austen. If you press me, I’ll come down in the camp that regards her as a wonderful author worthy of her classic status. Yet I stop short of being a “Janeite”. Austen’s books are good in the way that other books are good for me; I don’t regard them as peculiarly special.
Nevertheless, I concede that Austen is an interesting character in her own right, if only because so little is known of her life. This is true of the vast majority of people throughout recorded history; unless you were important or notable, few people bothered to write anything down about you. Austen was fortunate to exist in a time where there was an emerging middle class: her family was rich enough to educate her and support her without her having to work; however, she could very well have faded into obscurity were it not for a few people writing about her and stirring up interest decades after her death.
The first section, in which Jennings describes Austen’s life in a roughly chronological fashion, is competent enough. He tries to eschew delving into her writing, aside from noting when she was working on or publishing particular pieces, but sometimes he can’t help but quote from a particular book. In general, though, this section is a somewhat dry rendition of a life that—while perhaps not as without event as Henry Austen wanted us to believe in his posthumous biographical note—certainly lacked much in the way of drama.
The section on the novels felt similarly academic and much less edifying. Whereas the first section at least educated me about Austen’s life (which I knew little enough about), I’ve read most of her novels. I’m not sure someone would come to this book without having read at least one novel (probably Pride & Prejudice…)—maybe it would be useful in giving an overview so that people can decide which one to tackle next? I don’t know. It’s not bad; it just feels like it is neither brief enough for a newcomer nor in-depth enough for a dedicated fan.
The section on life in Regency England is by far the best, in my opinion. Most of us come to Austen’s novels with an anachronistic understanding of their time period. That isn’t our fault. Even the most faithful adaptations aren’t going to capture every nuance of life in Austen’s time. This is what I find so cool about reading works from eras removed from my own: life was just so different back then. People might have been the same, living and loving and lusting, etc.; but there were just so many unwritten rules that, unless one is a scholar of the period, one might never pick up on. Then there are things like the rules and ritual surrounding dancing—an oft-observed activity in Austen’s novels but one which she, understandably, never explains fully to her readers of the future. So, with this section, Jennings delivers a cornucopia of knowledge, much of which I lacked, and which is going to improve anyone’s experience with Austen’s novels.
The final section, really more of an epilogue chapter, “After Jane”, tries to sum up how our society has canonized her. Again, the limitations of length stymie Jennings, preventing any real analysis. It’s about the length of a university essay and reads a bit like one, with each paragraph moving on to a new topic, clearly in a hurry to cover as much of the breadth of the subject as possible before hitting the word limit. There are interesting facts here too, but the tour is such a whirlwind that readers will be excused if they miss them.
A Brief Guide to Jane Austen lives up to its name. Yet is Austen really someone who can be briefly explained? Jennings tries very hard to meet this challenge, and I don’t want to disparage this book unduly. It’s good; it’s factual. It’s just somewhat dry. So, as I mentioned earlier, I have trouble figuring out the best audience. Janeites will probably already be familiar with this book; less erudite readers aren’t going to find it as engaging. But, if you want to learn more about Jane Austen’s life, this book is a fair way to do so.
November 8, 2012
*REVIEWED FOR PUBLISHER*
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a reader with a complete lack of shelf space must still be in want of yet more books! It is also universally acknowledged that Jane Austen, after 200 years, still features on the top ten favourites lists of readers all around the world. She is an enduring icon, a woman whose writing has stood the test of time despite being very much of its time, and this brief guide examines some of the reasons behind that.
Set out in four distinct sections, the guide covers Jane’s life, her novels (in order of publication), the Regency period that her novels have come to so beautifully represent, and the after effects of her work on the world of literature.
Never before have I had so many people interested in the book I am reading – I read this in various public places and could barely finish a page without someone asking which Austen novel I was reading or if I was enjoying the book – even those who professed not to like her novels asked what it was I so loved.
I’ll confess, I’m only partially a Janeite – I find Persuasion slow, Sense and Sensibility dull and Emma infuriating. However, I grew to love Mansfield Park, delight in Pride and Prejudice, and hold Northanger Abbey among my all time favourites. Her Juvenilia, I find, is hit and miss, underdeveloped and very much a product of a writer still trying to develop her craft, but all this is beside the point. The fact remains that people couldn’t resist quizzing me the moment they saw me holding a book bearing the name of Jane Austen – she truly is the world’s favourite author.
This brief guide to Austen and the world around her is absolutely fascinating. Janeites will devour it, but even those of us who have mixed reactions to her work will find themselves pulled into the genteel world of the lady who left us six of the best-loved books the world has ever known.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a reader with a complete lack of shelf space must still be in want of yet more books! It is also universally acknowledged that Jane Austen, after 200 years, still features on the top ten favourites lists of readers all around the world. She is an enduring icon, a woman whose writing has stood the test of time despite being very much of its time, and this brief guide examines some of the reasons behind that.
Set out in four distinct sections, the guide covers Jane’s life, her novels (in order of publication), the Regency period that her novels have come to so beautifully represent, and the after effects of her work on the world of literature.
Never before have I had so many people interested in the book I am reading – I read this in various public places and could barely finish a page without someone asking which Austen novel I was reading or if I was enjoying the book – even those who professed not to like her novels asked what it was I so loved.
I’ll confess, I’m only partially a Janeite – I find Persuasion slow, Sense and Sensibility dull and Emma infuriating. However, I grew to love Mansfield Park, delight in Pride and Prejudice, and hold Northanger Abbey among my all time favourites. Her Juvenilia, I find, is hit and miss, underdeveloped and very much a product of a writer still trying to develop her craft, but all this is beside the point. The fact remains that people couldn’t resist quizzing me the moment they saw me holding a book bearing the name of Jane Austen – she truly is the world’s favourite author.
This brief guide to Austen and the world around her is absolutely fascinating. Janeites will devour it, but even those of us who have mixed reactions to her work will find themselves pulled into the genteel world of the lady who left us six of the best-loved books the world has ever known.
June 23, 2017
Rating: 3.5/5
A very informative and interesting study of Jane Austen, her works, and the Regency period, but I personally found it a little hard to pick up as it wasn't a super exciting book, and the language was very academic (basically it read like a long essay). Still, it's a great read for any die-hard Jane Austen fans!
A very informative and interesting study of Jane Austen, her works, and the Regency period, but I personally found it a little hard to pick up as it wasn't a super exciting book, and the language was very academic (basically it read like a long essay). Still, it's a great read for any die-hard Jane Austen fans!
May 10, 2013
For an Austen newbie like me this Brief Guide – though at over two hundred and forty pages not that brief – is an excellent introduction and summary, told intelligently and sympathetically. Four succinct but readable chapters deal first with her life and novels, followed by an overview in ten sections of life in Regency England and a summary of Jane’s afterlife in criticism and the media. Added to this core are a short introduction, a select bibliography and, finally, an indispensable index. While the map of southern Britain helps chart Jane’s travels (despite the central area being obscured by the binding) what would have made this Guide complete would have been a family tree, however simplified, to elucidate sibling and other relationships.
Jennings, an Oxford English graduate and former journalist, certainly proves an able but unostentatious escort around the nuances of the Regency period and particularly Jane’s contribution and significance to the literature of the time. I’m never going to be enough of a Janeite to spot any flaws or inconsistencies in his account, though of necessity much discussion has to be left out, especially of juvenilia and works, both complete and incomplete, that only get passing mentions. Despite the limitations of space, Jennings manages to give a commentary on each of the six canonical novels which is, of course, what draws most readers in. He’s not afraid to be critical, but he also draws attention to their subtleties and strengths in ways that deepen my understanding of those I’ve already read and prepare me for the ones I haven’t.
For more detailed studies one has to go elsewhere (I’m very much looking forward to Irene Collins’ Jane Austen and the Clergy, for example, an area that Jennings devotes just one page to), but as a general introduction this is perfect. First of all, however, I must hobnob with those other titles beckoning to me from their shelves.
Jennings, an Oxford English graduate and former journalist, certainly proves an able but unostentatious escort around the nuances of the Regency period and particularly Jane’s contribution and significance to the literature of the time. I’m never going to be enough of a Janeite to spot any flaws or inconsistencies in his account, though of necessity much discussion has to be left out, especially of juvenilia and works, both complete and incomplete, that only get passing mentions. Despite the limitations of space, Jennings manages to give a commentary on each of the six canonical novels which is, of course, what draws most readers in. He’s not afraid to be critical, but he also draws attention to their subtleties and strengths in ways that deepen my understanding of those I’ve already read and prepare me for the ones I haven’t.
For more detailed studies one has to go elsewhere (I’m very much looking forward to Irene Collins’ Jane Austen and the Clergy, for example, an area that Jennings devotes just one page to), but as a general introduction this is perfect. First of all, however, I must hobnob with those other titles beckoning to me from their shelves.
March 19, 2013
Brief yes. Insightful, yes too.
A book in three parts - Austen's life, Austen's books, Austen's period (with a short section on her continuing impact today).
Each offered chunks of knowledge, and were readable without being too scholarly. I quite liked the author's insights into each book, unexpectedly, and will be re-reading with a mind on them.
The Regency section was good, if a little too brief. This put the books in context. But a better read on this subject was by John Mullan (What Matters in Jane Austen).
A good read if you're a fan, puts Jane Austen and her books in their period context and the author is clearly well-read and writes well on the subject (with a few modern speech uses an unnecessary repetitions).
A book in three parts - Austen's life, Austen's books, Austen's period (with a short section on her continuing impact today).
Each offered chunks of knowledge, and were readable without being too scholarly. I quite liked the author's insights into each book, unexpectedly, and will be re-reading with a mind on them.
The Regency section was good, if a little too brief. This put the books in context. But a better read on this subject was by John Mullan (What Matters in Jane Austen).
A good read if you're a fan, puts Jane Austen and her books in their period context and the author is clearly well-read and writes well on the subject (with a few modern speech uses an unnecessary repetitions).
January 9, 2015
There are, naturally, hundreds of books about Jane Austen, her life, her work and her times, but this one - given to me for Christmas - is succinct and thoughtful and I loved it. I read it in two days and discovered much about her life; read useful synopses of all her work and found out about her (Regency, obviously) times.
But the thing I liked the very most about the book was Jennings' idea that the reason Austen's works have lasted so long and we love them so much almost 200 years after they were published, is that she writes about the discovery of the self: all her leading female characters have to discover who they are and acknowledge their faults (and, often, rectify them) before they can walk their life's true path.
Which is true of us all, isn't it?
But the thing I liked the very most about the book was Jennings' idea that the reason Austen's works have lasted so long and we love them so much almost 200 years after they were published, is that she writes about the discovery of the self: all her leading female characters have to discover who they are and acknowledge their faults (and, often, rectify them) before they can walk their life's true path.
Which is true of us all, isn't it?
May 31, 2014
Great read for Jane Austen fans! I enjoyed that it went beyond the typical Austen biography and novel analysis; the author also delves into the heart of the Regency period and its social etiquette, important figures, trends, etc. This gives Austen readers a better context of her era and its references in her work. Its also straightforward and succinct, a plus for those who are not necessarily into the fat history books and long biographies!
May 15, 2017
Slight but strong overview, with a decent short biography, commentary on the novels chronologically, and a final chapter that tries to cover later reevaluation, adaptations and other media. This last is probably one-star only, but overall a satusfying read, more insightful than the outer packaging and the 99p The Works remaindering would suggest.
June 28, 2016
This is an interesting look at Jane Austen. I enjoyed the way the author split up the subjects: biography, literary review, English history and culture, ending with Miss Austen's impact on literature and the world in general. I didn't always agree with his assessments of her works, but overall this is a good read for any "Janeite."
August 10, 2016
Jennings talks about Austen's life, each of her novels, the Regency era in Britain, and then he ends with a short section on various modern film/tv/theatrical versions of her work as well as literary and popular criticism. Nothing too, too startling here, and I'm not sure I agree with him that Emma is her best, but this is an interesting read, nonetheless.
October 16, 2016
Il libro è equamente suddiviso in quattro parti; la vita, le opere, il periodo e la posterità. Qualche approfondimento poco noto sulla vita, qualche nuova riflessione sulle opere, curiosità per me inedite sul periodo e un pò di folklore sui vari adattamenti fino ai giorni nostri. Niente di particolarmente interessante. Ho trovato eccessivamente sbrigativa l'analisi delle singole opere.
December 16, 2013
An enjoyable insight into the world of Jane Austen.
March 31, 2017
7.5/8 -- A nice biography of a wonderful and timeless author.
December 10, 2016
A very nice and witty book that gives great insight into the life, times, works and environment of Jane Austen. A must for all Janeites.
June 2, 2013
Not knowing much about British history, it was interesting to read about the Regency.
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