Customer Reviews

Jane Austen and the Clergy

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Despite it's rather uninspiring title, this is an excellent book. Irene Collins is a history prof with a special interest in the connection between literature and historical events, and this book is just packed with facts and insights in a readable and entertaining format. It will help you work out just what Edmund Bertram had to go through in order to become the owner of a living, and why Mr Knightly shouldn't be blamed for the appointment of Phillip Elton.I've been a Janeite for four decades and have had the hardback version of this book for five years. I can honestly say that it is one of the two most useful books I have ever found concerning Jane Austen's life and mind, and I am constantly turning to it for reference.

The hardback edition and the paperback seem to be the same format, with differences only in the paper quality and size. There are several pertinent black and white illustrations, great endnotes, bibliography and index. The chapters are logically aranged with simple titles like "The Parson's Education", "The Parson's Wife" and "Morals and Society", and I would estimate that over ninety percent of all examples are taken from JA's life and family or from her works. Other examples are contemporary and exceedingly pertinent.Yet it's still light enough to be read from cover to cover, first time around, if you so wish.

If you love Jane Austen then you need to read this book. It really is great value for money.

In this work, Ms. Irene Collins presents to the reader a lovely opportunity to look, not only into the clerical connections of Jane Austen, but also into that of the country parish generally. Those who have read through the charming prose of Jane Austen, yet wanted to take a deeper look into the life of the country parson--a profession so many of her characters possess--would do well to read this book. The main body is composed of nine chapters covering the whole realm of the parson's livng; from his education, to the various neighborhoods he occipied, to the nature and method of worship. Within each she eloquently relates the subject matter to Jane Austen herself; by which, the reader is treated to a lovely portrait of the authoress' life. It also contains several illustrations and eight pages of glossed photographs and pictures. Anyone looking to glimpse into the rural parish of late 18th and early 19th century England, which Jane Austen knew as home, would thoroughly enjoy reading this splendid book.