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Discussing “Jane Austen: A Life”

Meetings· Virtual Book Club

6 Jun

By Karin Wiberg

On May 16, JASNA-NC met for our quarterly Virtual Book Club to discuss Claire Tomalin’s Jane Austen: A Life. The book will be featured at June’s Jane Austen Summer Program and we took the opportunity to get a head start. Many of us were still making our way through the book, but some clear themes emerged in the discussion.

Screenshot of Zoom with participants holding up their copies of Jane Austen: A Life
A few of the virtual book club crew

Biographers’ Speculation

Several people commented that while this book was strong on research, it felt like it had more speculation than other Austen biographies (e.g., Lucy Worsley’s, Deirdre Le Faye’s) about things that simply couldn’t be known. This observation brought forth the idea of biographers’ biases and what they bring into the book. One person commented that Deirdre Le Faye’s biography is much more “these are the facts.” Tomalin’s language itself—“could have” or “would have”—emphasized her speculation. Some people were uncomfortable with the amount of speculation; some were more comfortable with it. One person described it as “food for thought…like picking up breadcrumbs.”

Poor Mrs. Austen

Jane Austen: A Life book cover

Poor Mrs. Austen seemed to take a good deal of criticism from Tomalin, whether directly or just in tone. (Though someone commented Mrs. Austen does not come off well in the Worsley biography either.) To some, the description of her hypochondria felt a bit overboard. There also seemed to be implications of maternal neglect, e.g., sending Jane away to school at a young age. Was it a modern view of common past practices? Will we look back on our mothers who smoke and drank during pregnancy and condemn them? There is so much we don’t know. To be fair, Tomalin made the point that pregnancy was a huge part of women’s lives, that many women died in childbirth, and that wet-nursing was not unusual especially in middle- and upper-class families. And we must have some sympathy for Mrs. Austen—running a boarding school in her home, managing lots of kids, farm responsibilities, etc.

Sex and Childbirth

Tomalin had some interesting commentary on sex and childbirth. We know that it was not uncommon for women to die in childbirth, and without birth control, the best way of avoiding having children was abstention. One passage mentioned the large number of years between children for James and Mary and speculates that she insisted on separate bedrooms. Edward’s wife Elizabeth had lots of kids; Tomalin commented that Darcy would never inflict that on Lizzy—as though having sex is somehow unrefined… And was that really a fair comment? After all Edward was sleeping with his wife, not someone else—would celibacy be better? One person commented on reading elsewhere about advice from one woman to another of the era: Don’t be too proud of separate rooms, which only increases temptation; instead have a servant sleeping in the room with you (presumably to keep the husband from coming in). In looking at the family tree at the back of the book and seeing all the births, we must offer respect for these women and their strength!

Cousin Eliza

Nearly everyone found Cousin Eliza fascinating. She traveled to India to find a husband. She took devoted care of a disabled son. And she was all around interesting. Many said they would like to learn more. Luckily Deirdre Le Faye has a book about her: Jane Austen’s ‘Outlandish Cousin’: The Life and Letters of Eliza de Feuillide. Additionally, Sue and Gisele are working on a talk about Eliza for later this year.

The Bath Years

There was a period of about six years when the Austens were in various places in Bath and then another few years after Mr. Austen’s death where the women moved around frequently, giving Austen a decade of little to no writing. It appears Austen did not especially like Bath (at least reading between the lines) and had been shocked at the decision to move there from the family home in Steventon. Bath may have caused more social obligations, more disruption, more depression—the reasons for not writing still seem a bit murky, and more so due to the lack of letters from this period.

Overall: Recommended

Overall, people enjoyed Jane Austen: A Life. It is a literary biography that “paints a good picture.” And those who were still reading planned to keep going. Those of us attending JASP look forward to further discussion then.


Our next book club selection for August is Mansfield Park.

Previous Post: « Fascinated by the British Army
Next Post: Becoming Bath: An Evolving Town »

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2 weeks ago

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Our member Carolyn Brown is hosting an online event with JASNA-Mississippi, and we're all invited to attend! Join the Mississippi Region for a Zoom presentation by Laura Jones, a painter from Laurel, Mississippi, whose most recent paintings, titled "Filmscapes," were inspired by the 2005 film version of Pride and Prejudice. Jones will share her art and the story behind it. Her work has been featured in Season 8 of Home Town on HGTV and, in addition to her art, she serves as an executive assistant at Erin and Ben Co.Jones says the collection focuses on the background of the film. She says: "Often overlooked, the setting is not just a location; it becomes a vital, living part of the narrative. It supports the characters, enhances the drama, and sets the stage for their journeys. In this collection, I aim to spotlight these scenes, drawing attention to the environments that shape and influence the story, bringing them into their own moment of focus. These paintings transform the setting from a passive backdrop into a main character, and once they are hung in the homes of their new owners, they will become the background of a new story."Join Zoom Meeting on Wednesday, May 14th at 7 p.m. Central Time (8 p.m. Eastern):us02web.zoom.us/j/83517582795?pwd=PDndsbqMsUCHOmozNWceB52BC6X52V.1Meeting ID: 835 1758 2795Passcode: 745917 ... See MoreSee Less

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4 weeks ago

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What: Virtual Book Club: What Jane Austen’s Characters Read (and Why) by Susan Allen FordWhen: May 4, 2025 from 2:00-3:30 p.m.Where: In the comfort of your home via ZoomRSVP: This event is open to members and interested guests; it is FREE but registration is required. Register for Zoom at jasnanorthcarolina.org/events/may-4-2025-virtual-book-club-susan-allen-fords-what-jane-austens-ch...Accessibility: We have auto-captions available in the Zoom meeting for our conversation and the author Q&A discussion, and accompanying slides with text and images that will be as clear and as high-contrast as possible. If you have accessibility needs we have not addressed here, please let us know.About the BookThe first detailed account of Austen’s characters’ reading experience to date, this book explores both what her characters read and what their literary choices would have meant to Austen’s own readership, both during her life and today.Jane Austen was a voracious and extensive reader, so it’s perhaps no surprise that many of her characters are also readers-from Mr. Collins in Pride and Prejudice to Fanny Price in Mansfield Park. Beginning by looking at Austen’s own reading as well as her interest in readers’ responses to her work, the book then focuses on each of her novels, looking at the particulars of her characters’ reading and unpacking the multiple (and often surprising) ways in which what they read informs our reading. What Jane Austen’s Characters Read (and Why) uses Austen’s own love of reading to invite us to rethink the ways in which she imagined her characters and their lives beyond the novels.About the AuthorSusan Allen FordSusan Allen Ford is Professor of English Emerita, Delta State University, USA. and has been editor of Persuasions: The Jane Austen Journal and Persuasions On-Line since 2006.She has spoken at many AGMs and to many JASNA Regions and has published essays on Austen and her contemporaries, gothic and detective fiction, and Shakespeare. She was a plenary speaker at the 2016 AGM in Washington, D.C., and has served as a JASNA Traveling Lecturer. ... See MoreSee Less

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2 months ago

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April 13, 2025 – “Jane Austen in American Periodicals: Highlights of the First Hundred Years” with JASNA President Mary MintzJASNA-NC is delighted to announce that our JASNA President, Mary Mintz, will be with us this April to share her talk, "Jane Austen in American Periodicals: Highlights of the First Hundred Years." RSVP for the zoom link at ... See MoreSee Less

April 13, 2025 - "Jane Austen in American Periodicals: Highlights of the First Hundred Years" with JASNA President Mary Mintz - JASNA North Carolina

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Join JASNA-NC as we welcome our JASNA President, Mary Mintz, who will share how Austen is represented in American periodicals.
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