Mention Jane Austen and you'll likely incite a slew of fervent opinions from anyone within earshot. Regarded as a brilliant social satirist by scholars, Austen also enjoys the sort of popular affection usually reserved for girl-next-door movie stars, leading to the paradox of an academically revered author who has served as the inspiration for chick lit (The Jane Austen Book Club) and modern blockbusters (Becoming Jane). Almost two hundred years after her death, Austen remains a hot topic, and the current flare in the cultural zeitgeist echoes the continuous revival of her works, from the time of original publication through the twentieth century. In Jane's Fame, Claire Harman gives us the complete biography of the author and analyzes her lasting cultural influence, making this essential listening for anyone interested in Austen's life, works, and remarkably potent fame.
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"As an ardent Austen fan I loved this exploration into her life and its analysis of her literary and cultural impact. A definite must for Janeites, the book is also easily accessible to the more casual fan, and provides excellent analysis of how her works have transcended time for their sharp satire and wit, refuting the belief by some that they are simple romances. There is nothing simple about them, and it's their depth and complexity that has made them such perennial favorites. If you haven't partaken in any Austen outside of the movies, pick up a copy of one of her books and prepare to be delighted." — Ayne (4 out of 5 stars)
"As an ardent Austen fan I loved this exploration into her life and its analysis of her literary and cultural impact. A definite must for Janeites, the book is also easily accessible to the more casual fan, and provides excellent analysis of how her works have transcended time for their sharp satire and wit, refuting the belief by some that they are simple romances. There is nothing simple about them, and it's their depth and complexity that has made them such perennial favorites. If you haven't partaken in any Austen outside of the movies, pick up a copy of one of her books and prepare to be delighted."
Diverting anecdotes pepper award-winning British biographer Harman's sharp and scholarly analysis of Jane Austen's life.
" Really interesting, quite meta (as it's not really about the novels &c., but about JA's legacy from her lifetime through the present), and mercifully short. "
" Although I have considered Jane Austen to be my favorite author for several years now it has only been recently that I've really spent time reading about her life. Harmon chronicles Austen's rise from almost obscurity after her death to her steady rise to fame from the late 1800s into present day. Harmon does not spend a lot of time on present day interest except to discuss the movie versions, specifically the 1995 version of Pride and Prejudice.I would recommend this to anyone looking for an easy to read chronicle of her life and lasting legacy. "
" I enjoyed reading this book, particularly the first half which details the gradual rise of Jane Austen's popularity through the nineteenth century. "
" Please don't shoot me but I'm not a huge jane austen fan. I love jane austen movies so I wanted to read this biography to try and get me excited about her books. Didn't work. Book was terribly dry. I'm sure if you live and die for austen, then this book will appeal to you. "
" A definite must for all Janites. There are many good books about Jane's life, this is one that can be added to a list of good reference material. "
" As someone who has just fallen into Austenland, I would have say that I did enjoy this book. Its nice to know that there are others like me, who does enjoy a great book. I probably wouldn't go as far as dressing up (although it would be fun) but to follow the many sequels, prequels, and variations--I'm on board! There was this one point in the book where the author says that writers make bad biographies since their lives are boring--I have to disagree. Maybe the day to day wasn't as exciting, but if we could only read their minds! "
" Loved reading the historical parts, but once the author reached the 1950s on she rushed through it too much. "
" A scholarly, but fairly interesting look at how Jane Austen, her heirs, critics, fans, and the world in general promoted her image and her books, from a small niche interest to the phenomomen that is Jane Austen today. "
" I liked this book. I discoverd stuff I would have never guessed about Jane Austen. very interesting. "
" This book is very well written and reads more like a story than a typical biography. I like the focus on Jane's fame as opposed to focusing only on the author herself. Highly recommend it to anyone wanting to know more about Jane Austen and the story behind her success. "
" Interesting look at how Jane Austen's work has taken on a life of its own through the years. The most surprising parts to me were that her books weren't as popular when they first came out as they are now, and that Austen's work was read regularly in the trenches of World War I. "
" Lordy, this book bored me as much as some of Jane Austen's writing..I thought the biographical stuff was interesting, but it was so dryly written that it was hard to keep my interest. "
" Interesting, to me at least, although some Britishisms that I didn't get here and there and some parts dragged. Perhaps should downgrade, but lots of information not found elsewhere. "
" I enjoyed this. It did an excellent job of explaining how little we have of Austen's actual history on top of how incredibly eclectic her literary history has been. She really would have been flabbergasted by how her books have lived since she wrote them. "
" Compilation of facts and comments about Jane Austen. I was hoping it would include letters written by Jane. "
" Really interesting look at Jane's growth in popularity quite a while after her death. Most of her biggest fans in the 19th & early 20th century were men (but not Mark Twain, as it turns out)! "
" Nothing startlingly new here but interesting all the same. If you know a lot about Jane Austen, you probably won't learn a ton. I was happy to see that the author enjoyed "Miss Austen Regrets" as much as I did. "
" I'm too tired to review this after writing up my last review, so I'll just say that this is an impressively researched book, and a great example of what you can do when, frankly, we just don't know much. "
" Chock full of Jane Austen biography but the writing is as dry as a desert drought. "
Claire Harman is the author of Sylvia Townsend Warner, which won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize; Fanny Burney, which was short-listed for the Whitbread Prize; and the critically acclaimed Robert Louis Stevenson. Elected a fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2006, Harman teaches at the Universities of Manchester and Oxford in England and Columbia University in New York City.
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.
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