Jane Austen Society
* INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER *
"This novel delivers sweet, smart escapism." —People
"Fans of The Chilbury Ladies’ Choir and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society will adore The Jane Austen Society… A charming and memorable debut, which reminds us of the universal language of literature and the power of books to unite and heal." —Pam Jenoff, New York Times bestselling author of The Lost Girls of Paris
Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England's finest novelists. Now it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen's home and her legacy. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.
A powerful and moving novel that explores the tragedies and triumphs of life, both large and small, and the universal humanity in us all, Natalie Jenner's The Jane Austen Society is destined to resonate with readers for years to come.
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Community Reviews
I have to admit that I had serious misgivings about this book, and was getting a little annoyed with some of the characters, but after the story began to center around the society, the book grabbed me and I couldn’t put it down. I grew to care about all of the people in this little village. Things turn out well, but not in any of the ways I expected. A very satisfying read, especially if you’re a Jane Austen fan.
thenextgoodbook.com
The Jane Austin Society by Natalie Jenner
304 pages
What’s it about?
This story takes place in the small town of Chawton, England just after World War II. Chawton is best known for being the last home to novelist Jane Austen. An unlikely group of people band together to form a society dedicated to preserving the famous writer's legacy. We are introduced to a small group of local villagers as well as a few visitors in this homage to Jane Austen.
What did it make me think about?
This was just an enjoyable, light book that made me think of the enduring legacy some writers leave behind.
Should I read it?
This book really is written for true fans of Jane Austen. For all those who enjoy her work- you will enjoy this charming, sweet novel. Do not expect anything deep or terribly thought provoking- but sometimes that's a perfect option. A really nice respite during a pandemic!
Quote-
"Part of the comfort they derived from rereading was the satisfaction of knowing there would be closure- of feeling, each time, an inexplicable anxiety over whether the main characters would find love and happiness, while all the while knowing, on some different parallel interior track, that it was all going to work out in the end."
If you liked this try-
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennesy by Rachel Joyce
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart
The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach
The Jane Austin Society by Natalie Jenner
304 pages
What’s it about?
This story takes place in the small town of Chawton, England just after World War II. Chawton is best known for being the last home to novelist Jane Austen. An unlikely group of people band together to form a society dedicated to preserving the famous writer's legacy. We are introduced to a small group of local villagers as well as a few visitors in this homage to Jane Austen.
What did it make me think about?
This was just an enjoyable, light book that made me think of the enduring legacy some writers leave behind.
Should I read it?
This book really is written for true fans of Jane Austen. For all those who enjoy her work- you will enjoy this charming, sweet novel. Do not expect anything deep or terribly thought provoking- but sometimes that's a perfect option. A really nice respite during a pandemic!
Quote-
"Part of the comfort they derived from rereading was the satisfaction of knowing there would be closure- of feeling, each time, an inexplicable anxiety over whether the main characters would find love and happiness, while all the while knowing, on some different parallel interior track, that it was all going to work out in the end."
If you liked this try-
The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennesy by Rachel Joyce
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson
The Tower, The Zoo, and The Tortoise by Julia Stuart
The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach
If you're a new kid in town, you may not yet know what a Jane Austen fangirl I am. Yet - I am the gross and goblin-esque sort of fangirl, not the cutesy fangirl. In the case of Jane Austen, you'd expect a fangirl to, idk, drink tea in antique teacups, wear knitted shawls, and, Idk, positively swoon over that dashing Mr. Darcy. Sure, I appericate this image, but I take the same approach to my Jane Austen fandom as I do to all my other fandoms - ie, I'll take the cringe with the fluff. Basically, I'll read/watch anything and everything that is a nod to Jane Austen, no matter how trite and over-done. Sometimes I'll even coyly feign interest, but I'll almost always end up reading (or watching) it.
So, it was no surprise that I was going to read "The Jane Austen Society" sooner or later. Only... Here's the thing I wish I'd known going into it: this is historic fiction, but it leans heavier on the fiction than it does the historic. It's fine that a large part of the story is entirely of Ms Jenner's imagination, but it's always been a pet peeve of mine in historic fiction when authors flirt around with actual historic people with their own stories and identities, but basically throw the whole thing out the window and write a fiction that have could stood on it's own without needing to stand in the place of the real person. I perfectly understand why people do it - just because these obscure people existed doesn't mean that history has a means of remembering them fully, but I still think it's a pretty ballsy move.
The Jane Austen Society is, in fact, a story inspired (and therefore "loosely based") on the community of people who came together in the 1940's to protect the remaining estate of the famous authoress. But really, the story is actually about a small English community who share a common love for Jane Austen's books, and discover their own blooming romances. I would still have read the book if it was actually about the community that rescued Austen's legacy and created a tourist's Mecca for book-lovers out of their sleepy town. I would also still have read about a group of people who are falling in love with each and are inspired by Jane Austen in the process. Regardless, this book makes itself a perfect Book Club book.
Here's what I loved and found exciting about this book: it's perfect for an Austen nerd, because every character's hot takes on the novels I've wanted to say myself for years and years (I have a lot of Austen and Brontë hot takes). I loved Evie Stone - the brilliant and precocious scullery maid who took advantage of her position to dig up some of Austen's personal artifacts (because she reminds me of myself. But I also love the underestimated heroes.) I also loved how the relationships mirrored the relationships in many of Austen's novels - which apparently was not something the author originally intended, but when she saw the set up forming on it's own organically, she embraced it and went with it.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you enjoyed this review, you can find it and others like it here.
So, it was no surprise that I was going to read "The Jane Austen Society" sooner or later. Only... Here's the thing I wish I'd known going into it: this is historic fiction, but it leans heavier on the fiction than it does the historic. It's fine that a large part of the story is entirely of Ms Jenner's imagination, but it's always been a pet peeve of mine in historic fiction when authors flirt around with actual historic people with their own stories and identities, but basically throw the whole thing out the window and write a fiction that have could stood on it's own without needing to stand in the place of the real person. I perfectly understand why people do it - just because these obscure people existed doesn't mean that history has a means of remembering them fully, but I still think it's a pretty ballsy move.
The Jane Austen Society is, in fact, a story inspired (and therefore "loosely based") on the community of people who came together in the 1940's to protect the remaining estate of the famous authoress. But really, the story is actually about a small English community who share a common love for Jane Austen's books, and discover their own blooming romances. I would still have read the book if it was actually about the community that rescued Austen's legacy and created a tourist's Mecca for book-lovers out of their sleepy town. I would also still have read about a group of people who are falling in love with each and are inspired by Jane Austen in the process. Regardless, this book makes itself a perfect Book Club book.
Here's what I loved and found exciting about this book: it's perfect for an Austen nerd, because every character's hot takes on the novels I've wanted to say myself for years and years (I have a lot of Austen and Brontë hot takes). I loved Evie Stone - the brilliant and precocious scullery maid who took advantage of her position to dig up some of Austen's personal artifacts (because she reminds me of myself. But I also love the underestimated heroes.) I also loved how the relationships mirrored the relationships in many of Austen's novels - which apparently was not something the author originally intended, but when she saw the set up forming on it's own organically, she embraced it and went with it.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If you enjoyed this review, you can find it and others like it here.
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