Customer Reviews

Just Jane (Ladies of History Series #2)

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With all the hoopla over Jane Austen in recent years, especially the "Becoming Jane" movie, which I had heard was a bit over-the-top, I was not sure whether I was going to enjoy this book.

What actually drew me to it was the fact that it was published by Bethany House, a Christian publisher. I had never read anything before that tried to look at Jane as a woman of faith---even though her father was a rector. I was curious to see how the author would handle that, and wondered if she would stretch the truth in her portrayal of Jane to either 1) make Jane seem more religious/spiritual/pious than she probably was, or 2) make the book more exciting and romantic. Thankfully, she did neither.

The plot of the book seemed to closely follow the events from Jane's life that we know of based on some of her personal writings which have been previously published. Yes, that did at times make Jane seem slightly aloof to the reader---I wanted to know what she REALLY thought---but I appreciated that the author did not presume to know for sure, and therefore let some things just be vague. Even in the spots that were clearly out of the author's imagination, she stuck with the "Jane" she'd been presenting all along. There really was no melodrama. For this reason, I wouldn't call the book a page-turner. It was something more to savor at a slow pace, to flip back several pages now and again to recall what had already happened and refresh my memory about who was who in Jane's world.

The real proof of the excellence of this book comes at the end. When the story ended and I read the note about how and when Jane had died, I had tears streaming down my face. After having gotten to know her "in her own words" (so to speak, since the book was written in first-person narrative), I was just struck with sadness to think that she is really gone. I mean, OF COURSE we all know that Jane Austen died. But "Just Jane" made her life seem so much more REAL than the little blurbs about her that we can always read in the fronts of her few published novels. It was like reading "The Diary of Anne Frank," quite honestly. Like Anne, Jane had become a friend; it's terrible when a friend dies.

For Jane Austen fans who'd like to learn about Jane's life and aren't expecting a bunch of predictable and exaggerated drama, this book is perfect.

The life of Jane Austen reads like one of her novels - in most ways. There are balls, flirtations, close friends, tiresome family members, adverse financial situations which make marriage an apparent necessity and choices which hold out for love despite adverse financial situations. In one major aspect, however, the biography and the novels of Austen diverge: a happy romantic ending. Austen died at the age of 41, having never married.

Nancy Moser, author of Just Jane, a fictionalized account of Austen's life, postulates - quite correctly - that when Austen was "unable to find her own Mr. Darcy, she created him." Poser's book swells the basic facts of Austen's life into a first-person, 350-page narrative which dwells on Austen's evolution as a writer and points out the many obvious connections between the biographical facts of Austen's life and her fiction.

In utilizing first-person narration, Moser allows the reader into Jane's head, which is both illuminating and, in this particular case, often very disappointing. While the reader does get a cinematic view of the events of Austen's life as they unfold, the avid Jane Austen fan would expect something more - Jane Austen's sparkling voice which, sadly, is not apparent in Moser's book. Moser herself admits at the book's end that she "did not attempt to match the unique `voice' of Jane Austen, only to hint at it." This makes Moser's choice of first-person narrative quite puzzling; if she wasn't going to try and approximate Austen's voice, why in the name of the Regency period did she have Austen narrate the entire book?

As much as a true Jane Austen fan cannot conceive of being bored while reading one of her novels, so one cannot possibly imagine being bored while residing inside of Austen's head. Unfortunately, while inhabiting the one Moser's book creates, I often was. There isn't much here that even remotely sounds like the wonderfully witty writer who was frequently observed to laugh out loud, set aside her needlework and rush across the room for a sheet of paper with which to immortalize whatever clever line had just popped into her head. It strains literary credulity to believe that the same person who was able to write lines such as: "From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do" would, in her private moments, be thinking such dull stuff as "I am free to . . . be Jane. Day to day, day after day, just Jane."

Moser has spent considerable time researching her biographical facts, however, and anyone wanting to read a play-by-play account of the plot points of Austen's life will find plenty of illumination on that score (especially the chapter which contains a riveting account of Austen's reaction to her marriage proposal from Harris Biggs-Wither). But in order to hear that inimitable voice, you'll have to go back to those inimitable novels. Which is always a good idea.

What if Jane Austen had kept a diary of what inspired her to write her novels, her relationships, her hopes, her worries, her life? This book recreates that very question with an inside look at what Jane Austen's life would have been like. Told from first person narrative, Nancy Moser imagines what Jane Austen would have told only her diary her innermost feelings as she struggles to become a writer and hopefully discover love along the way. Fans of Jane Austen will enjoy this fictional autobiographical tale of one of the world's most beloved authors.

I love all things Jane Austen. I love all the movie versions that have come out of her books. Right now it's very "in" to be an Austen fan especially with the two recent movies that have come out about Jane Austen. I kept forgetting at times while reading that this was a fiction novel and not really Jane Austen's memoirs! The first person narrative is done extremely well that will make the reader think they have discovered the lost diaries of the author. I felt like I was literally dropped into the time period because the rich narrative made the story come alive. I liked how Jane would get the inspirations for her characters. She and her sister Cassandra were very much like Elizabeth and Jane Bennett from P&P while you could also seem resemblances from the people she would meet. Her reasons for never getting married are portrayed here as her reaction to societies' expectations on the role of women. I loved the authenticity with the way the book was written, right down to the "olde English". The only fault I found with the book is that you are dropped right into the middle of the story but are not given that much background info. There are a lot of characters mentioned as well, and it is easy to get quickly confused. Other than that, I found this book a joy to read. This book is highly recommended for historical fiction fans and those Austen fanatics who get enough of that 6 hour version of Pride and Prejudice.

Though I am neither a reader of historical fiction or a Jane Austen afficionado, I was captivated by this novel. The writer drew me into the mind of Jane Austen from the first page, and never loosened her grip on my imagination. Wonderful insights, and so well blended with Jane's own style that I found it seamless. It made me laugh, and it made me tear up as this warm and fascinating writer in history sacrificed for her passion. As an avid reader, I find there are few books that engross me with such power. This is definitely one of them.

Nancy Moser has truly captured the essence of Jane Austen in this charming bio-novel. She helps us to empathize with Jane's thoughts and reactions to the events of her life. We feel her need to fulfil her God-given talent which was to write, and her frustration of having to be obedient to her families' wishes. We come to understand the constraints of being a woman author living in the 18th and early 19th century and grieve for the narrow opportunities for women at this time.
Many of the themes of Jane Austen's books actually occured in the life of Jane Austen. Ms. Moser helps us to understand the need for women to marry for financial support and the desperation so many women must have felt to accept any proposal and raise a family. We almost cheer Jane on that she insisted on marrying for 'love', but we also grieve at her losses. We are enchanted by her loyalty to her sister, Cassandra as well as a few chosen friends. We are charmed by the thought processes which Jane must have experienced to compile her characters and we read actual exerts from Jane's books.
In a time of much decorum, we relish the human side of Jane with her doubts and feelings of guilt that she cannot contribute more to the family. Jane said "I am but a spinster who dabbles with writing when life affords her the time, inclination, and inspiration."
We know that this description doesn't do her justice, and we root for her success. We are grateful to see her growth and self-confidence as her novels get published. Ms. Moser's careful research into Jane's life has given us a glimpse of what this special author's days must have been like.
This would be a perfect discussion book for book clubs as the author even provides discussion questions in the back. I highly recommend 'Just Jane" as one of the best 'reads' I have had in a long time.

An absolutely wonderful book! it contained everything I wanted to know about my beloved author, Jane Austen, her relationship to God, how her novels were related to real facts of her life. I also learned a lot about her era. It was well-written, down-to-earth and truly, truly beautiful.
i found out why she never married, how real people and members of her family inspired the exciting characters of her books. i feel i really know her after this book. Really excellent.

It is universally known and accepted that when the men that when the men in her life failed to reach her expectations, Jane Austen created her own knight in shining armor known as "Mr. Darcy." "Just Jane" is a fictional narrative about the life of Jane Austen, beginning when she is in her early twenties, when she started to write on "First Impressions," which would later become her masterpiece "Pride and Prejudice." Jane is the younger daughter of a rector, whose expectation is to marry and have her own family, but her dream is to write. Her sister and closest confidant, Cassandra, offers her encouragement and moral support. The story follows Jane as she journeys through life, being thwarted in love by Tom Lefroy to moving to Bath, to rejecting the only marriage proposal offered to her, to losing her father and finally to being published. The story comes to a close after Jane's death and includes a historical note on Austen's own life. "Just Jane" wasn't what I originally expected. I was prepared for an Austen that was bitter, irreligious and feministic. Instead I found a brave woman who charted her own course in a male dominated world. Moser handled Jane's faith delicately; Austen was the daughter of an Anglican clergyman and didn't have much evangelical leanings, although she both admired and laughed at the evangelicals of her day. However, in this book, she was a Christian and trusted in God to guide her path.
Any Austen fan would enjoy this book and not be annoyed at the religious content. Those who enjoy this novel might also be interested to note that in June of 2009, another book by Moser will be published on Elizabeth Barret Browning, titled, "How Do I Love Thee?"
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Written in the first person, Jane begins telling us her story as an adult. This choice of narrative provides a deeply personal feel to the story. Readers who have been been reluctant to read formal biographies of Jane Austen by imagining dry, impersonal recitations of dates and details have nothing to fear here. Very little is described of her childhood (which would have made for fascinating reading), allowing the focus to dwell upon the details of her adult years.

Austen is already in the habit of writing for her own delight and that of her family as a young woman though her work will not be published until much later in her life. The reader is introduced to the large Austen clan fairly promptly, much like some of Jane's own works where many of the characters are related in some way. Thankfully a cast of characters, their spouses and number of children, is provided at the beginning of the book in the case of confusion. I utilized this ready resource on several occasions to sort out all of the relations while I was coming to know the family characters. A similar epilogue is provided, detailing the historically accurate fates of other characters that we have become familiar with over the course of the novel.

As I began reading of Jane's years as a young woman I felt that I was entering familiar waters. Though Moser has not aimed to emulate Austen's distinct writing voice there is a shade of her style to be found in the text. Moser chooses to use some of the now obsolete spellings that Jane was familiar with, as well as words no longer commonly in use that Austen deftly employed in her own work. Moser manages to keep this historical writing style firmly in place throughout the book. I do wonder though, if the word "wannabe" was in use during the nineteenth century. This one word is the only instance I can point to and wonder if it is out of time, I commend Moser on maintaining this level of consistency.

Further enhancing the authenticity of this bio-novel, Moser incorporates excerpts from Jane's novels and personal correspondence throughout Just Jane. They appear as she is editing her work, reading letters of great import from relatives and quoting humorously the words of her own characters. The importance of her writing is made clear as she totes it with her on her many journeys across the countryside. Her family's relocation from Steventon to Bath however, throws her into a long period where she no longer writes.

This period is the most difficult section of the book to read. Jane becomes bitingly cynical, judgmental and centered upon herself. With few letters existing from this time period (Jane's sister Cassandra burned her most revealing letters) Moser is left to fill in the blanks as to how Jane must have felt during this period when she refused to write. Jane struggles with the lack of control she feels in her own life and does not deal with the changes she is forced to make gracefully. Her reactions, not at all idealized, present a very human and imperfect response to her trials.

Though Moser has included notes at the end of the book to provide readers with some sense of what is historically recorded and what she has inferred, it does remain unclear which emotions are verifiable by Jane's own letters (whether from this period or not), and which are only fictional. As Jane was an author who dealt largely with the emotional currents of women, her own emotional state and opinions is of great interest to her readers, so some further elaboration would be a great help. One example is Jane's disdain of large families and childbearing, was this her true opinion as expressed in any of her letters, or was it created? As the seventh of eight children, large numbers of nieces and nephews and being born into a family of faith I was very surprised to see this attitude arise repeatedly. I would love to learn more about the authenticity of this, and other opinions presented by Jane's character. This uncertainty may drive readers to seek out Austen's published letters to read more from her own hand.

The extended time of emotional trial comes to a conclusion upon Jane's relocation to Chawton Cottage in Hampshire, not far from her native Steventon, along with her mother, sister and family friend. This re-settling seems to spark the creative flame; she once again begins writing, and comes in time to be published at long last. I believe that many readers would enjoy a more detailed analysis of this period of Jane's life, more emphasis on the years leading to, and following her publication than on the times of emotional turmoil she experienced. In this telling of her life's story, Jane comes into a stronger sense of who she is, and finds contentment in being Just Jane.

Printed by the Christian book publisher Bethany House, and written by a woman of faith, I was eager to see how Jane's faith was portrayed. I was familiar with her status as the daughter of a pastor, but was entirely unfamiliar with how her faith played out in her life - God rarely makes an appearance in her own novels. Moser incorporates Jane's belief in God throughout the story most naturally. Jane questions God, pleads with Him and at times must be content to rest in Him. Her faith-filled musings and references to God's power are not at all stilted or obviously inserted; they blend beautifully into the text and never appear overtly "preachy" or moralizing. Due to the natural incorporation of Jane's faith this title will be enjoyable for all Austen lovers regardless of their spiritual beliefs.

Just Jane is character-driven; the life of a single 19th-century woman of strong moral character does not make for an action-packed page-turner. It is most enjoyable when read slowly - savouring the development of relationships and emotional drama. A cup of tea, an open fireplace, or bathtub seem to be ideal locations to indulge in reading this title. As an Austen lover I felt that I was sitting down with a friend to learn more about her, to ask her questions - receiving both expected and surprising answers. Simply put - no devotee of Austen's work will be able to resist this fresh, historically based foray into her life.

This was part of a book club selection, but I probably would have been intrigued by it being a Jane Austen fan. I have to admit, this is my first non-Austen written work that had to do with her life, and I did not come away disappointed.
I felt the author did a good job of capturing the essence of Austen's writing style which added to the enjoyment of the book. It was a much faster read because while the author caught the essence, she still added a modern touch to the writing.
The part I liked the best was how the author showed periods of Jane's life corresponding to what she was writing about. In other words, how instances in Jane's life might have been an influence on the characters and stories she developed. No one knows if this is for sure, but I could see certain similiarities from reading Austen's works.
Also, included in the back is a section on what is fact and fiction in the book. The author does a great job explaining why she wrote certain things, and how she was able to come up with parts to "fill in."
I would recommend this book to fellow Austen fans, and to those who are interested in learning more about the life of Jane Austen.

Moser's book is an interesting look into the life of Jane Austen. From the beginning, I was hooked. I literally could not put it down for the first 250 pages or so. I was very intrigued by the emotions that Austen could have encountered and endured as she faced the trial of desiring to marry for love in a time when she was expected to marry so that she would not be a burden to her family. However, I found that as Jane aged and the book progressed, the author's depiction of Jane's feelings began to dwindle until it was mainly simply an account of the facts of Austen's life, rather than a continued portrayal of her heart-wrenching thoughts and emotions. While not much is known about Austen's true opinions and feelings on matters, and much of this book is based on speculation about those opinions, I truly enjoyed that speculation, and was disappointed when the book took a different turn. However, I do appreciate the author's attempt to portray Jane as she truly was, and feel that she did a good job, given the limited information we have about Jane's life. After getting through the accounts of the last years of her life, I can say that, overall, I enjoyed the book and would recommend it to a friend.