Customer Reviews

Becoming Jane Austen

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My only regret is that I borrowed this book from the library instead of buying it outright. Author Jon Spence has done a remarkable job in detailing Jane Austen's life, and there are many interesting tidbits that bring you closer to the mind of this 19th century writer. What strikes me most is Spence's knack for fluid detail with words that capture from the start. He presents an excellent account of the times Austen lived in and an organized melody of her personal life from letters she wrote to her sister Cassandra. Spence obviously did his homework, and we are fortunate to have her life viewed as if we were a fly on the wall. If you only read one book on Austen, make it this one.

It is a great beginning for someone interested in Jane Austen - especially after seeing the movie Becoming Jane with Anne Hathaway and James McAvoy. I read it through in about 5 days during lunch breaks and after work.

I found it to be interesting yet the author's style left me wondering if he hadn't written it in secondary school. It had a very juvenile tone to it - not polished. There were some confusing jumps back and forth in time when he went on tangents that really weren't relevant to the story of Jane Austen's life.

Altogether a good book, but not a great one. It did however, leaving me wanting to know more about Jane Austen as this was I felt a very good stepping stone in my quest for more information on this "refereshing authoress" who I can't believe I'd never read before. The movie got me started; this book got me hooked. But I want more than this book had to offer.

*This reviewers note: Unbelievably, at 36 years of age and being an avid reader, I'd never read Jane Austen before. And I definitely am not one to read biographies, but between the movie and Jon Spence's biography, I feel I want to know more about this woman.