Becoming Jane Austen

May 03, 2011 Elizabeth rated it 1 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: boston-janeites, 2011, bio-memoir-diaries-letters, books-about-books, in-by-of-england, reviewed, jane-austen-made-me-do-it

This is the worst kind of thinking. It is sloppy. It is irresponsible. It is insulting. That it insults my beloved Jane Austen doesn't just upset me; it gets me ranting. It is the worst kind of scholarship because while Jon Spence has some new (!) and fascinating research on Jane Austen's life in here, it is ruined by his supposition, conjecture, and intent on proving his own theories without adequate (or sometimes any) supporting evidence.

Biographies should have peer review. They should be held...more

39 likes · like · see review

Jul 06, 2008 Danielle rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Jane Austen lovers

Shelves: non-fiction

Let me start off by saying I was more than a little bothered by the movie produced based on this novel. Did I watch it? No... I REFUSE!!!! The movie tells a completely made up story with the premise that Jane almost eloped with a man (didn't happen) and that it took him to spark her brilliance (offensive). What bothers me most is that many people will believe the fiction of the movie and think they know Jane Austen.

Ok enough with the rant. The movie was based loosely on a few claims that Jon Sp...more

9 likes · like · see review

Oct 18, 2007 Denise rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: chicklit

I wrote an enormous review of this book in my blog, so I'm going to just copy and paste here (minus one paragraph because apparently it was too long):

This was a good read, a fascinating look into Jane Austen's life. It has all the requisite biographical details, but it goes one step further and tries to fill in the blanks for us. Unfortunately, that makes it more supposition than fact, and the author (Jon Spence) doesn't always make it clear which is which. There are plenty of "Jane must have fe...more I wrote an enormous review of this book in my blog, so I'm going to just copy and paste here (minus one paragraph because apparently it was too long):

This was a good read, a fascinating look into Jane Austen's life. It has all the requisite biographical details, but it goes one step further and tries to fill in the blanks for us. Unfortunately, that makes it more supposition than fact, and the author (Jon Spence) doesn't always make it clear which is which. There are plenty of "Jane must have felt"s, and "She was probably inspired by"s, which at least let us know it's the author's opinion. But he also attributes many opinions, feelings, and motivations to her without equivocation, things he couldn't possibly know. If he pulled them directly from his research, he would have annotated it, because this was a well-researched book with exhaustive endnotes and a full bibliography. But he merely states things as fact, when clearly there's no proof of their validity. This bothered me, leaving me to wonder how much of the book was actually true.

On the other hand, I found the author's personal explanations enormously helpful in my own search to satisfy my curiosity. Many of his ideas made sense to me, and he pointed out small things that I probably never would have considered, or even noticed. The big question seems to be: did Jane really have a secret understanding with Tom Lefroy? To watch "Becoming Jane", the movie inspired by this book, you'd think so. But after reading the book, itself so controversially full of conjecture, I can only say that the movie is almost entirely fiction. It's a good movie, very enjoyable, and containing enough heart-squeezing moments to classify it as a true chick flick. But it's not true. It takes one small segment of Jane's life, one with very little source material, and only suggested in Spence's book, and turns it into a two-hour movie with characters who apparently never existed (Lady Gresham) and situations that never arose (the elopement).

We don't know exactly what went on with Tom Lefroy. He never did come back to Stephenton, but Jon Spence submits rather compelling evidence that they did have a deeper relationship than anyone might have supposed. I'm inclined to believe him, especially since Jane's sister Cassandra destroyed most of her letters from that period, apparently at her request, and the few we have do hint at a relationship with Tom. But if this is true, then he's an utter cad for leaving her high and dry to wait for him, never contacting her again, and marrying someone else. It's true he did have a rich relation on whom he depended entirely, and who had a track record of giving or withholding money based on his approval of a relative's marriage. And it's true he had a LOT of siblings; I believe there were 12 in all. So perhaps he did what he had to do, just as the movie portrays.

What I really liked about the book was the way it drew parallels between her family life and her novels, showing possible inspiration for certain characters and situations. Some of these parallels were really stretching, but some seem so obvious I don't see how they could possibly be coincidental, even if only subconsciously showing up in her work.

Read the book, see the movie, take it all with a grain of salt, and enjoy.(less)

4 likes · like · see review

Jun 07, 2008 Jenny rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Austen and History lovers

Shelves: history, austen-books

To preface this - its a history book that digs into the sources and makes some pretty interesting connections about Jane Austen's life. So I am a history major, and I love this stuff. I can't say I buy his argument all the time, but the author really looks at letters, facts, and connections to point out the key events and feelings of Jane Austen. He really shows how much her family and friends, as well as romance with Tom LeFroy though this is the most sketchy part, influenced her stories. But a...more

2 likes · like · see review

Aug 26, 2007 Marigold rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: amateur historians

If you like biography, or you like reading about this particular time period in history, you'll enjoy this book, as I did. It helps if you enjoy Jane Austen but if you like her books & you DON'T like history, this might bore you. I enjoy Jane Austen's work & I love history, & I enjoyed reading about her family & friends because that's what makes a time period come alive for me. If you think you're getting a romantic account of Jane Austen's love story (as in the movie), forget it...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jun 16, 2008 Cissy rated it 3 of 5 stars

Very interesting read for true Jane Austen fans who don't mind wading through names, places, and sometimes tedious details. Since this is the inspiration for the movie, be prepared for a strong insistence on a relationship between Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy (the author frequently finds connections that may or may not be true). I enjoyed learning more about Jane Austen's life and the society of those times; Jon Spence does a thorough job of relating events of her life to storylines of her novels....more

2 likes · like · see review

Dec 16, 2007 "Aubri"/Lisa rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Jane Austen fans & those who like biographies

Shelves: non-fiction-biographical

It took me longer than usual to get through this book, but it was well-worth it! I have no doubt the accuracy of the actual facts of Spence's biography of Miss Austen - there are plenty of notations referring to her own words from her letters to her friends and family, particularly her sister Cassandra. However, it is Spence's interpretation of those words that makes this book facinating. How can we know for certain this is what Jane Austen felt? We can't. But Spence's ideas are certainly compel...more

1 like · like · see review

May 01, 2008 Alyssa rated it 2 of 5 stars

Overall, the book was okay. I found the facts to be interesting, but when the author professed to know who or what inspired Jane Austen's characters, I found it a bit irksome. It's unfortunate that not much is known about Austen's personal life and I didn't mind when Spence made a few speculations, but I dare say he speculated too much.

As for this book being the inspiration behind the movie Becoming Jane- I didn't get that at all. There's very little information about her romance with Tom Lefroy...more

2 likes · like · see review

Jul 15, 2008 Ranielle rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of Jane Austen

Only a small amount of the book discusses the potential relationship between Jane Austen and Tom Lefroy, the story that was the inspiration for the film BECOMING JANE. The book itself is no wild speculation, but carefully detailed and evidenced, with more hints at what might have been even after the two were parted and Austen went on to write her novels. The first few chapters are dense with family names and dates, which are difficult to absorb, but once Jane starts writing, the book becomes and...more

1 like · like · see review

Aug 21, 2008 Meg rated it 2 of 5 stars

I'm pretty sure every biography in the bookstore has a quote on the back about how the book isn't dry, boring, or overly pedantic. The amazing thing is--I FALL FOR IT EVERY TIME!!! I have yet to read a biography that didn't fit those adjectives EXACTLY... and this one is no exception. Full of information, to be sure. And if you love Jane Austen OBSESSIVELY you might be able to put up with it. I personally love her, but with a healthy, balanced kind of love... which wasn't enough to help me enjoy...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 12, 2010 Elena rated it 5 of 5 stars

"Becoming Jane Austen" by Jon Spence is the biography upon which the 2007 film was based. I must admit that while I disliked the film at first, I have since come to appreciate it after viewing it on cable television innumerable times. The movie Becoming Jane captures the poignancy of the great author's first and only love which would haunt her life and novels until her death at the age of forty-one. The book, however, fleshes out the depth of the influence which the clever, charming Irishman Tom...more

like · see review

Sep 11, 2009 Tifnie rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Any Jane Austen fan

Shelves: historical-non-fiction

I truly enjoyed reading this book, albeit slow, it was treasure to get a glimps into Jane Austen's life.

Becoming Jane Austen is about her life and how each novel she wrote was a play on her own life at the time. Stories taken from real life experiences, family names, love lived and lost. Jane Austen was a woman ahead of her time. She shares her views on marriage, family, letters between her sister, Cassandra and herself, and a little sneak peak of her feelings on Tom Lefroy, the only man she lo...more

1 like · like · see review

Dec 26, 2011 Mellen rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: readingmyunreadbooks

This biography of Jane Austen has caused something of controversy by promoting the thesis that Jane Austen had a love affair with a fellow by the name of Tom Lefroy who later went on to be on the Chief Justice of Ireland. This biography was apparently the inspiration for the movie Becoming Jane (starring Anne Hathaway).

The evidence for such a love affair is exceedingly slim, and for many fans the supposition that Jane Austen's genius is powered by a doomed love is insulting.

The author states in...more

like · see review

Jun 08, 2009 Brenda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Biography of Jane Austen.

Very interesting information on the life of Jane Austen. I especially enjoyed reading about the particulars regarding the publication of her books.

A serious drawback is the way in which the author relates his information. The Austens were a large family, with may relatives, friends and acquaintances. They also seem share the same 4 or five names - Jane, Cassandra, Elizabeth, Fanny and Mary for the women; James, Edward, Henry, Charles and Tom for the men. The writing does...more

like · see review

Dec 02, 2012 Eileen rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: my-books

Jon Spence may well be an OK historian, but he commits the classic 'male author writing of a well-known female' error, turning this book, while admittedly fun to read, into tripe. Attributing any part of Jane Austen's talent and success to 'dashed female hopes of love' in her relationship with Lefroy- when so little is actually known of that relationship--is absurd. Additionally, insinuating that Jane effectively stole Lefroy's 'characters', in writing her own works, is simply unacceptable. It f...more

like · see review

Sep 25, 2011 Nicole R rated it 1 of 5 stars

Shelves: history, memoir-biography, 2011

We started off with a detailed family history, and it was really hard to keep track of everyone because the same few names appeared rather frequently.

As much as I love Jane Austen, I couldn't get into the book. While Jane's family had a big influence on her writing, I felt like they were more prominent than Jane herself. The book itself was really dry, and I had a lot of trouble getting through it. Sadly, I don't remember much of anything from the book, mostly because I couldn't bring myself to...more We started off with a detailed family history, and it was really hard to keep track of everyone because the same few names appeared rather frequently.

As much as I love Jane Austen, I couldn't get into the book. While Jane's family had a big influence on her writing, I felt like they were more prominent than Jane herself. The book itself was really dry, and I had a lot of trouble getting through it. Sadly, I don't remember much of anything from the book, mostly because I couldn't bring myself to care.

There was a lot more speculation than I thought. We don't know a lot about Jane Austen, so I'm okay with some speculation. The problem is that he presents it as facts, and tells us how Jane felt, when really...how can we know what she was feeling? And the cover was misleading- on the front cover, it says (and I quote), "the true love story that inspired the classic novels." The back cover mentions that Tom Lefroy, a young lawyer that Jane met, "affected her life and caught her imagination." It's misleading in the fact that he's only mentioned a few times. And the whole "we don't really know for sure, but her sister Cassandra would have known" thing...well, why bother making it seem like her meeting Tom Lefroy is a big deal, when it really wasn't?

I might be somewhat accepting of the fact that Tom Lefroy may have inspired Pride and Prejudice, but I just couldn't believe that 20 years later, she was still pining for him and that meeting him had an influence on both Persuasion and Emma. For all the influence he supposedly had on her life, it would have been nice to learn more about him and what happened to him.

Another thing that I didn't like was the ending. For a book that started back in the 1600's, it would have been nice to see what happened with her posthumously published novels. The book literally ends with Jane's death, and a few more pages about how her death impacted her family.

I have to give a 1 out of 5. I couldn't like it, and while I'm curious about Jane Austen and her life, this book did nothing to satisfy that curiosity.
(less)

like · see review

Jan 20, 2013 Kereesa rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Those who want to know more of JA-but take it with a grain of salt

Recommended to Kereesa by: Dr. Elizabeth McKim

Shelves: 2013, life-writing-seminar, memoirs-diaries-biography, non-fiction

Pre-Review Joke: I wonder, does this count as alternative fiction? Aha.

Review:

This was actually...okay. I mean it's definitely not living up the wonderfulness that is Tomalin's classic take on Austen so far, but it did have moments. Just not the ones that were purposely part of Spence's overall argument concerning Austen and her inspirations, or the Tom Lefroy argument that went on, much too long, and, in the end, didn't convince me in the slightest.

Please. 'Interpretation' aside, your evidence...more

like · see review

Apr 03, 2013 Eddy Allen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: arts-and-historical

Jon Spence's fascinating biography of Jane Austen paints an intimate portrait of the much-loved novelist. Spence's meticulous research has, perhaps most notably, uncovered evidence that Austen and the charming young Irishman Tom Lefroy fell in love at the age of twenty and that the relationship inspired Pride and Prejudice, one of the most celebrated works of fiction ever written. Becoming Jane Austen gives the fullest account we have of the romance, which was more serious and more enduring than...more

like · see review

May 11, 2012 Jessica Clark rated it 3 of 5 stars

I will have to say it's more a 3.5 stars. When I picked up this book I didn't realize it was a biography, I thought it was just going to be a story like the movie, "Becoming Jane", which the movie is based from this book, at least I think? But I was glad it was a biography because I wanted to learn more about Jane Austen. I liked how he tied the books with her life, my biggest thing was the beginning seemed a little slow, I felt like he was talking more about her brother Henry and her cousin, El...more

like · see review

Feb 28, 2009 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is an intriguing and very readable biography of writer Jane Austen. Spence does a good job of avoiding a common trap that has tripped up so many other Austen biographers. A popular motivation for researching Austen’s life is that they have fallen in love with her work and characters, and hence have already unwittingly drawn conclusions about Austen, based on her fiction. Their research then becomes reduced to looking for other sources to confirm their picture of her. Unfortunately, people h...more This is an intriguing and very readable biography of writer Jane Austen. Spence does a good job of avoiding a common trap that has tripped up so many other Austen biographers. A popular motivation for researching Austen’s life is that they have fallen in love with her work and characters, and hence have already unwittingly drawn conclusions about Austen, based on her fiction. Their research then becomes reduced to looking for other sources to confirm their picture of her. Unfortunately, people have a natural tendency to read more “autobiography” into works of fiction than is warranted.

Spence does it the other way ‘round. He first outlines for us the significant events that shaped Austen’s life, as described in various historical documents, including family wills and papers. He then looks for evidence of her mind and mood at each of those life junctures, primarily through her correspondence with her sister, Cassandra, and other family letters. Only then does he draw parallels to her work and offer theories of how her experiences, thoughts and feelings may have influenced what she wrote.

Like all good writers, Austen borrowed elements from real people and events to lend reality to her characters and plots. However, Spence recognizes Austen as a master of irony with a nose for what makes a good story and the ability to faithfully recreate the “voice” of another person, even one whose viewpoints she opposes. Therefore, Spence is more ready to assume that Austen’s life and her fiction may diverge.

This way of thinking enables Spence to show us a deeper side to Austen that appears to contradict some commonly held beliefs about the author. He also poses several interesting theories that were new to me at least. For example, he provides convincing arguments that her short-lived relationship with Tom LeFroy may have had greater significance than previously supposed; he demonstrates how strongly the importance of “place” and her desire for independence drove Austen's personal and business decisions; and he suggests that her most autobiographical character may not be Lizzie Bennett or Emma Woodhouse, but perhaps Mr. Darcy himself.

As other reviewers have pointed out, there is an element of conjecture in this book, but it is conjecture informed by well-documented source material and basic common sense, which makes the theories more plausible. And Spence is quite careful to indicate when he is speculating. Whether or not you agree with his theories, he applies just the right balance of factual documentation and storytelling to make this an easy and enjoyable walk through the author’s life.(less)

like · see review

Feb 28, 2011 Deborah Ideiosepius rated it 5 of 5 stars

This book fascinated me nearly as much as some of Austin's novels. The writing style had the same elegance and economy that has meant that Austin's work has survived the era's so well - as you would expect from someone who has abviously spent many years reading and analysing her work.

I picked this book up at the library and am very glad I did, I have every intention of buying a copy as soon as I get the chance.

Questions I would ask Jon Spence; Why the certainty that Jane was talking about her br...more

1 like · like · see review

Sep 17, 2009 Barb added it

Recommended to Barb by: Meredith but I'm not holding a grudge

Shelves: book-club-reads, gave-it-a-try-and-then-gave-up, non-fiction

This is a very, very, very, very thorough examination of Jane Austen's life and writing. If you LOVE Jane Austen and want to know about her family relationships and how they may have impacted her writing give this a try.

My experience with Jane Austen is mixed, I read 'Pride and Prejudice' which I hated and I watched 'Becoming Jane' which I loved. This I gave up on around page 85 even though it was a book club selection and I had a slight fear of being beaten about the head with it because I did...more

2 likes · like · see review

May 19, 2010 Leah rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: jane-austen, nonfiction, biography

As a longtime fan of Jane Austen, I've always wanted to know more about her. I've read all her novels—and even read other novels simply because she mentions them in her books (The Mysteries of Udolpho that plays such an important part in Northanger Abbey).

And this biography by Jon Spence gives a lot of detail about Austen's life that I hadn't known before, despite taking classes on Jane Austen and seeing biographical specials about her. Her family and friends, experiences and stories, regrets a...more

like · see review

Mar 10, 2009 Karrie rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is the biography of Jane Austen that the movie "Becoming Jane" was supposedly based on. Of course, the movie is based on perhaps one chapter of this book (and scatterings throughout the book of the author's conjecture about her relationship with Tom Lefroy), and then the rest of the movie is pure fiction. I have read quite a few biographies of Jane Austen, and I enjoyed this one. However, the author writes as if he knows what Jane and her friends and family felt at certain times and during...more

like · see review

Jan 20, 2009 Stephanie rated it 3 of 5 stars

A biography with a hint of "dramatic interpretation". I enjoyed it, although I thought many of the author's assertions were a stretch. Unfortunately, the evidence is so fragmentary that we will never really know about some of Jane Austen's life. Spence's main contention is that she had a failed romance with Tom Lefroy, which dominated her heart and her literary imagination for the rest of her life. I thought it was a romantic notion, and I liked the fictionalized movie based on this book, but I...more

like · see review

Jul 01, 2011 Sandra Strange rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: history-and-nonfiction

This biography traces the life of Jane Austen, quoting liberally from her correspondence and the correspondence of family and friends about her and her life. It traces her family and tells about her friends. Unlike the movie, the book is not totally focused on her ill fated love, although the author does tell about her experiences and gives all of the evidence about them, which really isn't a lot. Her story reveals the many similarities between her life and the lives of her family and friends an...more

like · see review

Apr 05, 2012 Kartika B rated it 4 of 5 stars

-I never really understood the fuss with the connections between social class and relatioships. But I got a better understanding from LeFroy's situation - he couldn't escape and pursue a relationship with Jane because he had to obey his uncle, who ultimately took care of his family's welfare. LeFroy almost abandoned his family, but Jane declined :) because she couldn't live without thinking that she had caused LeFroy's family to starve to death. They sacrificed their love for the sake of others...more

like · see review

Mar 15, 2012 Dromeda rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: bios-true-life, jane-austen

Interesting, but highly speculative.

It's a real pet-peeve of mine with these sort of books when the author assumes to know exactly what the subject is thinking or feeling without any true evidence to back up these claims. Perhaps Jon Spence is correct when he states that certain characters or situations were based on Tom Lefroy or Austen family members but I feel Spence is grasping at straws to state with absolute authority that they are.

I'd recommend the Deirdre Le Faye works on Jane Austen ov...more

like · see review

Nov 08, 2010 Susan rated it 4 of 5 stars

I started reading this book in the summer, but for some reason, boredom took over around pg. 174 and I had put it away until today. I had been reading it as part of the Everything Austen II challenge from Stephanie's Written Word blog, and I had pretty much given up ever completing it. I decided to give the book another try today (mainly to complete the challenge and get it off my currently-reading list) and was pleasantly surprised. The place where I left off seems to be where Austen's life bec...more

like · see review

Jun 29, 2010 Jules rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: austen, biography-memoir-letters, 2010

I'll have to preface this "review" (I don't think my bookly blurbs actually deserve that title, but whatever) by saying that reading this biography was interesting for me. It's highly readable and takes into account a lot of facts, it seems.

I can't help it, though, that overall Jon Spence's biography feels more mainstream than something that could be academically usable. He presents his own speculation and interpretation about Jane Austen's life as if it were the truth, going so far as to talk a...more

like · see review

topics	posts	views	last activity
A Good Yarn...: Reviews	2	9	May 17, 2013 01:47pm
which is the best beoming jane version. (book)	1	4	Mar 04, 2012 03:01pm
Mala B.'s rhetorical question	3	9	Jul 30, 2011 05:29pm

title link	preview: Becoming Jane Austen
avg rating	preview: Becoming Jane Austen Goodreads rating: 3.64 (2354 ratings)
small image	preview: click here [close]
med image	preview: click here [close]
BBCode	[url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/636674.Becoming_Jane_Austen?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book][img]http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1297337700l/636674.jpg[/img][/url] [url=http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/636674.Becoming_Jane_Austen?utm_medium=api&utm_source=blog_book]Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence[/url]

Becoming Jane Austen

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (4)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Becoming Jane Austen

Becoming Jane Austen

Friend Reviews

Lists with This Book

Community Reviews

new topicDiscuss This Book

combineOther Editions (4)

Genres

Readers also enjoyed similar books

Share This Book

Share This Book on Your Website

Trivia About Becoming Jane Austen

new topic
Discuss This Book

combine
Other Editions (4)