Chrissie's Reviews > Jane Austen at Home

This is a non-fiction book about the Georgian author Jane Austen (1787 – 1817). The Georgian era covers the period in British history from 1714 to 1830 when the Hanoverian kings George I, George II, George III and George IV reigned. The Victorian era followed. The literature of the two periods differ, each mirroring the social customs that held sway. Georgian society is typified by joie de vivre, dancing and theater, as well as dissipation and extravagance, for those with means. There is less fixation on moral constraints in the former, more in the latter. The pendulum swings, changing direction from debauchery to prudery.

Worsley’s book speaks not only of Austen’s life and the books she wrote but also of her era. Reading the book is thus interesting for two reasons—it will appeal to those searching for information about the author and to those curious about the Georgian era. It does not get sidetracked into a discussion of political events: the Napoleonic Wars serve merely as a background.

Both Worsley and Austin zoom in on the lives of British middle- and upper-class women. Men are discussed in relation to their controlling influence upon women. Feminism is not a new phenomenon! Women were writing and having their voices heard even before the turn of the 19th century.

Definitive source material concerning some aspects of Jane Austen’s person and life are lacking, but there remains still much information to study. It is evident the author has done a thorough job. Letters do still exist. The only picture we have of Jane is drawn by her three-year older sister, Cassandra; this drawing has however been improved upon when Jane gained fame. Worsley works with that information which is available, clearly stating what is and is not sure. She puts out varying suppositions and analyzes them. Her arguments are convincing. I am no expert whatsoever, but the conclusions she draws make sense to me. I like very much how she lays out the facts and then analyzes what is known. She is upfront. She states outright that she adores Austen; yet one never gets the sense that she vies from the truth or tries to bend facts.

The author does not attempt to fabricate what is not known, although she does analyze what is not clear. We do know where Austen lived. We do know when and by what means her six books came to be published, the last not yet completed at her death. What is known about her death is that it was due to either Addison’s disease or Hodgkin’s lymphoma, possibly with depression and arsenic poisoning playing in too. We know of her fondness for the writings of Samuel Richardson and Frances Burney and her devotion to her sister, Cassandra. We know where she lived in her youth and where she resided after her father died and her brothers failed to provide her with a home. We follow her route of different residences from Steventon, in Hampshire, to Bath, to Southampton, back to the village Chawton in Hampshire and finally to Winchester. It Is not hard to imagine her longing for a permanent home.

We can only suppose how perhaps the events of Jane’s own life are mirrored in her characters’ lives and the choices they make. Worsley draws numerous examples of where the events in the lives of Austen’s characters may be a rewriting of events in her own life. We can observe Jane’s dislike of her mother, but we do not come to understand why. When there is adequate information explaining underlying motives, the author speculates and explains step by step the conclusions she draws. I appreciate and feel comfortable with this methodology. What is known is presented. What is postulated is presented as such.

I enjoyed the book because of what it has taught me about the Georgian period. I feel I have a better understanding of the author’s novels and her characters. Their brashness, pzazz and humor feel even more right than before I picked up this book.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Ruth Redman. The author narrates the introduction and the epilog. She and a male narrator disperse ad hoc lines that pepper the text, quotes or poems for example. They are in this way appropriately separated from the surrounding text. This is effective. It adds clarity. Redman is however the primary narrator of the audiobook. Her reading is delightful. In Georgian times women would entertain one another by reading to each other. One felt that Redman was reading as maybe Jane would have spoken had she been reading the lines. Lovely is the adjective that comes to mind in describing Redman’s narration. The speed is perfect, and I had no trouble understanding what is said. She does not dramatize; she simply reads in a delightful manner.

I do recommend this book.