Jane Austen: A Life by Claire Tomalin

 

Title:  Jane Austen:  A Life

Author:  Claire Tomalin

Narrated by:  Danielle Cohen

Publisher: Echo Point Books & Media, LLC

Length: Approximately 13 hours and 45 minutes

Source: Purchased from Audible.

What person would you like to read a biography about?

Claire Tomalin writes a complete biography of famous author Jane Austen.  This biography shows that contrary to what the family published after her death, Austen did have a lot going on with her life with constantly moving.  She also interacted with a variety of interesting family members, neighbors, and family friends.  She was able to take her study of humanity to write wonderful novels that still delight the masses today.

My thoughts on this book:

·       This was an August pick for the JASNA Northwoods Book Club.

·       Tomalin suggested that Henry Austen may have been an inspiration for both Wickham and Henry Tilney.  It was interesting to think about.

·       This was very interesting to listen to on audiobook.

·       I had read this great biography of Jane Austen twenty plus years ago.  It was great to reread it again after all of this time.

·       I would classify this read as nonfiction, biography, Jane Austen, and audiobook.

·       There was more detail on Austen’s neighbors in this book than I needed.

·       This is a great book for readers who want to know more about Austen.  It gives a good understanding of Jane Austen’s world which I find helpful when reading her works.

·       I was sad again that most of Austen’s letters were destroyed.  We could learn so much more about her life if they still existed.

·       I liked the literary analysis of Austen’s works.

·       The author does speculate on parts of Austen’s life, especially her younger years.

Overall, Jane Austen:  A Life by Claire Tomalin is a very readable biography that gives a great overview of a beloved author and her world.