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A review by lizanneinkan
Jane Austen: A Life by Carol Shields
3.0
Carol Shields composed a slight (185 page), literary biography of Jane Austen that poses many questions and answers a few. This is not a fault of the book. Austen did not keep a diary and her sister Cassandra burned any letters she deemed unflattering. Also, for most of her adult life, Austen was a spinster with limited means who was only know by family and neighbors.
All that established, this is a pleasant intro to Austen’s life. Shields works from the novels themselves and what they reveal as well as letters and notes from family members.
It’s obvious that Austen’s life was even more restricted than her protagonists in large part because she didn’t marry. She and Cassandra, the only girls and youngest in a family of seven kids, moved when their parents moved. Austen stopped writing for eight years while living in Bath, a choice she would not have made, given her preference for country life.
This biography won’t provide a sense that you really know Austen but it’s interesting to see how Shields puts together the pieces she can find.
All that established, this is a pleasant intro to Austen’s life. Shields works from the novels themselves and what they reveal as well as letters and notes from family members.
It’s obvious that Austen’s life was even more restricted than her protagonists in large part because she didn’t marry. She and Cassandra, the only girls and youngest in a family of seven kids, moved when their parents moved. Austen stopped writing for eight years while living in Bath, a choice she would not have made, given her preference for country life.
This biography won’t provide a sense that you really know Austen but it’s interesting to see how Shields puts together the pieces she can find.