The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen: Who Cares If They Are Fake?
Written: Mar 07 '08
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Good Austen voice, moments from novels, everything!
Cons: None
The Bottom Line: Syrie James channels Jane Austen.
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| GravityGirl's Full Review: Syrie James - The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen |
I am on a bit of a Jane Austen kick right now. I guess it started when they re-aired the BBC/A&E version on Masterpiece, but I have found myself reading two P&P/Austen related books. Technically, one is an audio book, and I have also just finished the “lost memoirs” of Austen herself.
Okay, so these aren’t really Jane Austen’s real memoirs, but a very convincing introduction, in which they claim that a seachest full of letters/notebooks was discovered in a house that once belonged to Jane’s brother, had me double checking the front cover to make sure that this was a novel!
These memoirs cover a portion of Jane’s life, mostly after the death of her father. Jane seems to be living Mrs. Bennett’s worst nightmare- after the death of Mr. Austen, Jane and her mother and sister do not have a home of their own, so they spend their time visiting relatives and friends.
Naturally, this transient lifestyle leaves a lot to be desired, but her encounters give her a lot of inspiration for her novels, which she takes up a renewed interest in writing during the course of her “memoirs”. Many of the famous events from her novels are actually events that occurred in her “life”, like the scene in Pride and Prejudice when Lizzie is on holiday with her aunt and uncle and they go to visit Pemberley and Mr. Darcy shows up unexpectedly! There is even a character just like the odious Mr. Collins- apparently, you just can’t make up people as outlandish as Mr. Collins!
But wait- Mr. Darcy was Lizzie’s love interest. Does this mean that Jane Austen, who was notorious for dying a spinster, have a love interest? Yes, but is the mysterious Mr. Ashford a Mr. Darcy… or a Wickham?
This is definitely a must-read for any fan of Jane Austen. We already know that Jane Austen died at a relatively young age, and that she never did marry. One can only wonder where she got the inspiration for her wonderful novels. It is fun to imagine that they were inspired by actual events in her life! It is also very interesting to hear Jane’s personal feelings about her situation and her struggles to accept that she has a true gift when it comes to writing. Despite the affirmations from the people she confines in, Jane has difficulty gaining confidence in herself. And while Jane manages to write happy endings for many of her heroines, her own love story is quite different than the fictional ones she envisions.
I am very impressed with author Syrie James. She has clearly put a lot of research into her story, and like I said, she definitely had me fooled for a bit when it came to the veracity of this novel. A quick search on Amazon reveals that a “sequel” of sorts, entitled “The Lost Memoirs of Charlotte Bronte”. I can’t wait!!
I highly recommend The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen. This is a delightful novel/fictional memoir. I think that this will have particular appeal to Austen fans because they will recognize and appreciate the moments from Austen’s stories. And that is undoubtedly a double treat!
Recommended:
Yes
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