One of my goals for this year is to mix some more nonfiction into my reading selections, and I figured my mild obsession with Jane Austen was as good a place as any to start.
What Matters in Jane Austen? Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved by John Mullan delves into the subtext of Jane Austen’s six published novels (and her drafts of unpublished ones). It’s very well researched, discussing many Regency cultural elements her original readers would have been familiar with, such as mourning practices, salaries, pastimes, and (gasp!) sex. Even more fascinating, it discusses Austen’s brilliant narrative style, including use of dialogue and character POV.
Each of the twenty titular questions has its own chapter, which makes it very convenient reading because I could easily pick up the book and read a chapter on its own, then put it down for a month, etc., all while reading a fiction novel concurrently. (I think it will be a bit long-winded to be used as a reference book in the future, though.)
The book uses multiple textual examples from each of Austen’s published works, so it really helps if you are already familiar with at least the majority of them. I personally have read all six; I’ve not read Sanditon, The Watsons, or Lady Susan, but these are only discussed briefly. If you’ve only read Pride and Prejudice, I would recommend a good annotated copy of that instead, as you might be overwhelmed by the amount of information here.
Mullan also uses Jane Austen’s own letters to support his points, which is a very interesting and helpful source of information that I’m not as familiar with.
I found the chapters on Austen’s writing techniques to be the most interesting. It was more novel to me than the cultural aspects, and while I had some small differences of opinion with some of his points, it really made me think about why I enjoy Austen’s writing so much, and how I can apply that to my own writing as well.
I wouldn’t claim that this is essential reading for Janeites, but I certainly enjoyed it, and I think it enhanced my enjoyment of Austen’s works as well. I think I really need to give Emma another chance now. Or maybe I could just re-read all of them…
4/5 stars
I’ve had this book on my to-read list for a while now… thanks for sharing your thoughts! I’ll have to bump up its priority.
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I thought you might like it! Let us know your thoughts when you get around to it. Hope you enjoy it as well.
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I’ve only read P&P, S&S, and Persuasion. Really couldn’t relate to the girl in Persuasion. Did you see the Jane Austen Book Club? Did you like it?
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Ahhh I remember you saying this before, because Persuasion is my favorite! lol I think you should try Emma.
Yes, I liked Jane Austen Book Club. It’s actually one of the very few instances where I liked the movie better than the book.
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Yeah persuasion… Couldn’t relate at all and just got frustrated. I should watch that movie again. I remember liking it.
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I’ve seen him speak in person, he is as amazing on the page as he is in person.
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What was the talk about?? Sounds like a great experience 🙂
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It was.
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