Description
Book SynopsisPart biography and part cultural history, this splendid book not only tells the captivating story of Jane Austen's life, but also her literary legacy. The slow growth of Austen's fame, the changing status of her work, and what it has stood for in English culture is a story of personal struggle and family dynamics as well as a history of critical practices and changing public tastes.
Jane's Fame is essential reading for anyone interested in Austen's life, works and unshakable appeal.
Trade ReviewA deft, elegant exploration of the cult of all thing Austen . . . a happy blend of critical insight and narrative bounce, making
Jane's Fame a fine addition to the current trend for analysing posthumous lives. * * Guardian * *
Harman is particularly good on how writing became the centre of [Jane's] life . . . this fascinating and sophisticated take on Jane Mania is a sparkling addition to the canon.
-- Christopher Hudson * * Evening Standard * *
An extraordinary book, crammed with scholarship and glittering with trivia . . . Harman's book offers so many delight . . . This is a fantastic compendium of absolutely everything relating to Austen, the tone calm and impartial despite severe provocation.
* * Independent on Sunday * *
A wonderful book . . . A shrewd but unstuffy critic, Harman's prose rings with good sense, affection and humour, and she articulates very well indeed what's good about Austen without descending into the camp either of drooling Janeites or literary-theoretical pseudery . . . [
Jane's Fame] manages to be not only scholarly, but indecently entertaining. * * Daily Mail * *
An exhilarating look at the rise of Divine Jane's worldwide influence. Harman charts its course with wit and style, as well as scholarly precision, making this a book that no Austen addict will want to resist. -- Mark Bostridge * * Literary Review * *
Splendid . . . there is no doubt that Harman is the first to treat this fascinating subject in an accessible, lively manner unshackled by academic jargon. There is much to enjoy in this book . . . it's the quality of the insights and the interpretations that make this book such a good read. -- Paula Byrne * * Sunday Telegraph * *
A witty examination of [Austen's] rise to world domination . . . Harman unpicks the cultural and sexual fantasies at the heart of Jane fandom with great skill . . .
Jane's Fame is threaded through with 150 years of opinions [of Austen], but there is not a dull sentence among them. -- Frances Wilson * * Daily Telgraph * *
A wonderfully informative read. -- Sarah O'Meara * * Edinburgh Evening News * *
An intelligent addition to the Austen industry...Harman has taken a subject that in a previous generation would have been restricted to academia, and given it the treatment necessary to catch the attention of modern Austen fans...
Jane's Fame is a valuable and illuminating addition to the ranks of Austen mania. -- Rosemary Goring * * Sunday Herald * *
A brilliant addition to the Austen canon. -- Janina Pogorzelski * * The Lady Magazine * *
In this excellent book Claire Harman traces the emergence of the cult of Jane - from the early readers who admired the unique, natural style of her writing. -- Sophie Missing * * Observer * *
Wonderful . . . not only scholarly but indecently entertaining . . . her prose rings with good sense, affection and humour
-- Sam Leith * * Daily Mail * *
A highly readable analysis of Jane Austen's unique place in both literary and general culture. * * Good Book Guide * *
