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The Jane Austen Society [Book Review] #BlogTour

June 5, 2020

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner #BlogTour

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Janner (cover) Image: a grooup of five people (backs to camera) walk arm in arm; flowers edge the border

Genre/Categories: Historical Fiction, Books About Books, England, Post WW11, Classics

*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.

Welcome to my stop on The Jane Austin Society Blog Tour. Thanks for the invitation!

Thank you #netgalley #Austenprose #StMartinsPress for a complimentary e ARC of #thejaneaustinsociety for review. All opinions are completely my own.

Summary:

A love of writing and timeless stories draws people together….

Jane Austen’s final home was located in Chawton, England. In this imagined story that takes place shortly after WW11, a number of devoted Austen fans band together to preserve the home and her legacy. A local doctor, a young widow, a young farmer, a descendant of Austen’s, a young maid, and a movie star are among the group, and the story is told through their unique perspectives. Although they are very different from each other, they each share a deep connection with and a great love for the works of Austen.

My Thoughts:

Writing: Fans of Jane Austen will appreciate this imagined story of the first Jane Austen Society and that it is written in the style of an Austen novel. The Jane Austen Society is character-driven (although there’s a suspenseful plot element), charming, relationship-centered, and filled with likable characters (the maid is my favorite!). Although there are many references to Austen’s work throughout the story, I don’t think you need to have read Jane Austen to follow or appreciate the story. If you have read Austen, reading the story will be a richer experience for you. Several reviewers have compared this story to The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society because of the unique group of people in a small community who come together in post-WW11 England to form a book club. In both stories, the book club enriches their lives and strong relationships are formed.

Characters: The Jane Austen Society includes a variety of characters, and it takes a while to get to know all of them. This can make the first part of the story move slowly. These are people you would love to have in book club. They are devoted to their favorite author and her work. I liked how many of the characters found true comfort in reading and rereading their favorite Austen work and how they applied her writing to their own lives. Reading Austen offers this group of readers encouragement for the dreariness and hardships of their post-war lives and personal struggles.

Themes: A few thoughtful themes include saving (themselves, relationships, a legacy), friendship, community, romance, determination, resourcefulness, second chances, and grief.

Anachronisms: Sometimes in historical fiction, actions, thoughts, and behaviors are modernized and a present-day agenda infiltrates the story. This was somewhat noticeable in this story, and my attention to it falls under personal preferences. Even though imagined, I prefer that the story stays as authentic to the times as possible.

Recommended: Overall, I think historical fiction enthusiasts and Jane Austen fans will enjoy this charming and heartfelt story. I think it would make a wonderful movie, too! Book clubs that have read some Austen might particularly enjoy this imagined beginning of the Jane Austen Society.

***May contain spoilers.***
Trigger Warnings and Content Considerations: Even though this is a mostly gentle read, it doesn’t shy away from life’s difficulties: the loss of a baby (difficult birth), mention of suicide, death of a loved one, drug use, and sexual assault.

My Rating:  4 Stars

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The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner (cover) Image: five people (backs to camera) walk with arms linked

The Jane Austen Society Information

Meet the Author, Natalie Jenner

Author Natalie Jenner

Natalie Jenner is the author of THE JANE AUSTEN SOCIETY (St. Martin’s Press, May 2020), a fictional telling of the start of the society in the 1940s in the village of Chawton, where Austen wrote or revised her major works. Born in England and raised in Canada, Natalie graduated from the University of Toronto with degrees in English Literature and Law, and has worked for decades in the legal industry. She recently founded the independent bookstore Archetype Books in Oakville, Ontario, where she lives with her family and two rescue dogs.

Jane Austen Blog Tour Banner (blurb, tour dates, pub date)

BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE: 

QOTD!

Are you a Jane Austen Fan?

Have you read The Jane Austen Society or is it on your TBR?

Happy Reading Book Buddies!

“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke

“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes

“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text

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Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.

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23 comments

  2. I absolutely loved this book and was fortunate to get a Macmillan Audio copy
    Debbie Haupt-The Reading Frenzy

    Reply

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