'A Jane Austen Education' was a revelation and a treat to read. This non-fiction memoir is about a male doctoral candidate (Deresiewicz) who is 'forced' to read Austen's novels, which he has assiduously avoided thus far, as part of a graduate seminar. Grumbling and jaded, he takes up 'Emma', finding it as dull and repetitive as he'd already decided it must be... until something about it catches his attention. He starts to see himself and a life lesson he needs to learn within the pages of this 'domestic novel'-eighteenth century chick lit, as it were.
Over the course of his graduate and doctoral career, Deresiewicz then makes a point of reading each of Austen's novels, and by doing so learns more lessons from this simple, home loving woman than he's made room for in the life paradigm he'd constructed for himself. In short, they made him a better, more compassionate person. In the end, they made him ready for the relationship for which he'd yearned, and had even 'helped' him choose his wife.
I have to admit, I am something of an Austen lover. However, I found this book astounding for the depth of information about each novel that he is able to impart in a casual, non-teachery book. For each chapter and each novel, Deresiewicz gives the reader not only a wonderful overview of each book, he also gives us an overview of Austen's life, thought processes, and influences that fed into each book. Then he relates what he read to his own life and mind in an honest way that had me cheering for him more than once. Even from the single book that he never came to like (Mansfield Park), he drew a lesson that seems obvious... once he's pointed it out. Having never been able to get through that book myself, I thoroughly enjoyed having an Austen scholar admit that to not liking the book, yet STILL gaining wisdom from the pages.
Which brings up an important point: for a reader who is intimidated by Austen, this book would be a powerful tool. Deresiewicz's breakdowns of each novel are spot on, and the historical information he appends make the novels themselves even more appealing, as they put events in the books in historical and social context. Who knew that 'Northranger Abbey' was a spoof on popular Gothic novels of the day, novels that Austen was jokingly admitting to having read at a time when such an admission would take her status as an author (already precarious, as she was female) even lower? I sure didn't, but his thumbnail sketch made me want to read it again.
I truly, truly enjoyed this book, and would love to own a copy. I give it four coffee cups out of five.
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