Although us Austenites will take any opportunity possible to talk about Jane Austen (and quite frankly make one), we have so many more now that it is the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth! (Yes, I am strongly considering having a birthday party for her…) All this is to say, I was incredibly excited when I found out that there was a book tour for Janet Todd’s new book, Living with Jane Austen. While people will wax poetic about Pride and Prejudice and Emma, Austen’s other novels are often ignored- Todd embraces her full bibliography. Let’s dive into Living with Jane Austen by Janet Todd!
Thank you to Austenprose PR and the author for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Living with Jane Austen, Janet Todd
Fanny Price, in Mansfield Park, tells her persistent suitor that ‘we have all a better guide in ourselves…than any other person can be’. Sometimes, however, we crave external guidance: and when this happens we could do worse than seek it in Jane Austen’s own subtle novels. Written to coincide with Austen’s 250th birthday, this approachable and intimate work shows why and how – for over half a century – Austen has inspired and challenged its author through different phases of her life. Part personal memoir, part expert interaction with all the letters, manuscripts and published novels, Janet Todd’s book reveals what living with Jane Austen has meant to her and what it might also mean to others. Todd celebrates the undimmable power of Austen’s work to help us understand our own bodies and our environment, and teach us about patience, humour, beauty and the meaning of home.
Why You Should Read This…
This is a fascinating book. It is part literary analysis, part Austen biography, part memoirs. And that makes it all the more interesting as the reader. Todd is quite obviously an expert in Austen’s writings, and she has not only immersed herself in it but has taken the time to reflect on what it means on a more personal level. While Austen’s works mean something different to all of us, Todd’s reflections then in turn led to several of my own. (I very much appreciate that for many of us, Austen is not something to rush through but rather to sit with and ruminate on.)
This book is an academic-style of literary analysis but I think that Todd makes it accessible to anyone. Even if you’ve only read one of Austen’s novels, she explains and cites things in a way that makes you feel very familiar with it. It is not a particularly chatty book but as I said above, I loved that I was able to read a chapter and then ponder on it for a few days. It made me want to take time and slow down to think, a rare thing for me these days. You also do not need to have read a ton of Austen to enjoy this book and find meaningful take-aways on several different topics.
A note: the book also heavily draws on Mary Wollstonecraft’s life and writings, and I think that is a great choice. The contemporary authors challenged the limitations on women in the period in very different ways; the juxtaposition in and of itself is wonderful commentary.
Is Living With Jane Austen on your to-read list?
Cheers,
The Historian
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