Jane Austen at Home: A Biography - Hardcover

Lucy Worsley

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1473632188 ISBN 13: 9781473632189

Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton, 2017

Synopsis

'This is my kind of history: carefully researched but so vivid that you are convinced Lucy Worsley was actually there at the party - or the parsonage.' Antonia Fraser
On the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death, historian Lucy Worsley leads us into the world in which our best-loved novelist lived.
This new telling of the story of Jane's life shows us how and why she lived as she did, examining the rooms, spaces and possessions which mattered to her, and the way in which home is used in her novels to mean both a place of pleasure and a prison. It wasn't all country houses and ballrooms, in fact her life was often a painful struggle.
Jane famously lived a 'life without incident', but with new research and insights Lucy Worsley reveals a passionate woman who fought for her freedom. A woman who far from being a lonely spinster in fact had at least five marriage prospects, but who in the end refused to settle for anything less than Mr Darcy.

About this title

About the Author

Lucy Worsley is an historian, author, curator and television presenter. Lucy read Ancient and Modern History at New College, Oxford and worked for English Heritage before becoming Chief Curator of Historic Royal Palaces, based at Hampton Court. She also presents history programmes for the BBC including 'Empire of the Tsars: Romanov Russia with Lucy Worsley' and 'Lucy Worsley's Reins of Power: The Art of Horse Dancing'. Her bestselling books include A Very British Murder: The Curious Story of how Crime was Turned into Art, If Walls Could Talk: An Intimate History of the Home, Courtiers: the Secret History of the Georgian Court and Cavalier: The Story of a 17th century Playboy.

Review

A sprightly new take on Austen's life. * Mail on Sunday * An interesting portrait of Georgian and Regency material culture. There's much intriguing historical detail. * Literary Review * Worsley offers us much that Austen's admirers wish to know... [she] is entirely convincing. * New York Times * A deep, prolifically researched dive into the houses, vacation homes, and schools where the author spent her life. * Vogue magazine * Rarely, if ever, will you encounter a historian so in command of their material. Truly, this is a dazzling exercise in persuasion, written with sense and sensibility. * Saturday Express * Brilliant and very moving, this book is a fascinating and original exploration of Jane Austen with lots of new material - Worsley brings Austen to life superbly, through her pages she is a flesh and blood woman, intelligent, powerful, contradictory, loving, loved. A magnificent book. * Kate Williams * A vivid portrait of Jane Austen. A must for any Austenite. * Red magazine * Jane Austen at Home offers a fascinating look at Jane Austen's world through the lens of the homes in which she lived and worked throughout her life. The result is a refreshingly unique perspective on Austen and her work and a beautifully nuanced exploration of gender, creativity, and domesticity. * Amanda Foreman * This is my kind of history: carefully researched but so vivid that you are convinced Lucy Worsley was actually there at the party - or the parsonage. * Antonia Fraser *

Edition details

• Publisher: Hodder & Stoughton
• Publication date: 2017
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1473632188
• ISBN 13: 9781473632189
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 352