Imatge de l'autor

Jon Spence (1945–2011)

Autor/a de Becoming Jane Austen

3 obres 741 Membres 9 Ressenyes

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Crèdit de la imatge: www.smh.com.au

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In August 2014, I joined the Austen in August reading challenge at Lost Generation Reader, committing myself to reading only books by or about Jane Austen and her works. I'd had this book, Becoming Jane Austen, in my possession for several years and hadn't mustered the courage yet to dive in. It wasn't that the book itself seemed uninteresting to me, it was just that I wasn't impressed with the film that came out of it, so it was hard to get excited about reading it. I'm so glad that I did, however---it is the perfect book for the Austenite who thinks she knows everything there is to know about Jane!

I've always believed that all writing is autobiographical in some way. In Becoming Jane Austen, author Jon Spence draws parallels between Jane Austen's real life and the characters and plot lines in her novels. Focusing mainly on her cousin Eliza, as well as rumored love interest, Tom LeFroy, Spence gives ample evidence that Austen's own relationships were woven deeply into her works---even to the point of leaving clues for others to find about themselves.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading about the Austen family "scandals" that influenced works like Love & Freindship (sic), as well as the many ways in which she brought her personal life into the stories; the connection of Pride and Prejudice---and everything that came after it---to Tom LeFroy, for example. I've read lots of commentaries claiming there was really nothing between her and Tom and that modern readers just want to find a love story where one seems to be lacking. However, I think this book makes an excellent case for there having been a romantic relationship there---even if just from Jane's perspective.

This is definitely no quick and easy read. If you're not a die hard biography person, hungry for any unknown morsel about Jane, you might want to skip this one. But, if you're like me and just can't get enough of Austen, Regency England, or how an author's personal life and relationships can affect every aspect of her writing, Becoming Jane Austen, is an excellent choice for your cold weather reading!
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classyhomemaker | Hi ha 8 ressenyes més | Dec 11, 2023 |
Can't ever have enough Jane Austen... but really thrilled at the movie that was created from the whisper of Tom Lefroy in this biography.
 
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lissabeth21 | Hi ha 8 ressenyes més | Oct 3, 2017 |
I've been a fan of Jane Austen's writing since I was 13 years old but I didn't pick up a biography on her until a couple years ago and I finally got around to reading it. Although I've known the basic biographical outline of Austen's life for a long time, it was interesting to get a far more in-depth treatment.

This is the biography that was used as the basis for the film Becoming Jane (and while I know and understood why others had issues with it, I love it) so Tom Lefroy is given a bit more consideration than I would imagine he garnered in other Austen biographies. However, I felt the biography was well-balanced and gave equal space to each phase of Jane Austen's life. I also found the Austen family history included in the book interesting although the continued reusage of the same names in each generation did make it difficult to keep everyone straight at times.

Because Jane Austen did not keep a diary and only some of her letters survive, Spence does make some speculations about her life, emotions, and thoughts that some people may find contentious. I took no issue with his arguments but I can understand why others could and my viewpoint may change when I eventually get to reading Jane Austen's letters. His discussion of themes in her various novels and how they were influenced by her life experience were interesting and the only point where I found it wearing was in his discussion of the fragment Sanditon, which seemed too long. My only complaint is that Spence ended the biography with Austen's death and did not cover the posthumous publication of her last two novels nor give any explanation about the lives of the rest of her siblings which I felt would have been a slightly more satisfying conclusion.

An interesting biography and one I would be tempted to compare with other Jane Austen biographies to see how Spence's interpretations differ with those of previous biographers.
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MickyFine | Hi ha 8 ressenyes més | Jun 23, 2011 |
Becoming Jane is an enlightening read; I do not agree with all Spence's arguments, but he does raise some intriguing points.

Read my complete review here: http://things-she-read.org/2010/05/03/becoming-jane/
 
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emperatrix | Hi ha 8 ressenyes més | May 3, 2010 |

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Obres
3
Membres
741
Popularitat
#34,276
Valoració
½ 3.6
Ressenyes
9
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9
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