The Making of Jane Austen

Did you know that Jane Austen was a 'transnational' figure used in support of women's suffrage,' or that early twentieth century playwrights 'tweaked' her characters and plots to make them more 'feminist'? This interesting and well-researched book has these details and more.  The author looks at the history of illustrations of her novels, plays based on the novels and how they have been used in the education system.  Sometimes, Jane Austen has been seen as a traditional and pious, while at other times she has been seen as an author who wanted social change, especially for women. Her humour has often been seen as mild and gentle, but some have enphasized her biting wit and irony.

This is a good look by Devoney Looser at the different versions of Jane, but I did skim over some parts of it, and I found it a bit dry at times, although I enjoyed reading about the many fascinating people who have been involved in 'making Jane Austen,' such as the Australian Helen Jerome who deserves a biography of her own! It's recommended for academics and readers who want to learn more about how Jane Austen was seen in the past. I will look for more of Devoney Looser's books.

I received this free ebook from Edelweiss n return for an honest review.