Article contributed by Zoë Leonarczyk
Jane Austen is one of those authors that lives in many hearts. Even if you have never read one of her books, you’ve most likely heard her name or even seen a movie inspired by one of her novels. There is just something about a Jane Austen character that lives on through the ages. Be it Elizabeth Bennet and her refusal to marry for anything but love or Emma and her matchmaking tricks. No matter what, there is always one of her characters that will touch you and leave a sense of fondness. Given the love that Jane Austen continues to receive to this day, The Jane Austen Society will be a favourite for her fans.
While The Jane Austen Society will be well received by Jane Austen fans, it might also create some new fans. Even though this isn’t a retelling of a Jane Austen book, it still brings to light the joy that her works carry. It is definitely a book that draws on the power that being a fan has on ensuring the enduring appreciation of literary works through the ages. The Jane Austen Society is also reminiscent of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society. They both have similar settings and overarching “feel” to them. Each of these stories have that certain charm that comes with a group of characters joining up to discuss other literary characters and works.
This book contains one of those stories that isn’t overly filled with action scenes, but is more of a cosy story for you to curl up under a blanket with it. It revolves around a group of characters and as you are reading it you will feel as if you are also a part of their group. As you can tell, this is a character focused book. It explores the nuances of the different types of relationships obtained throughout life.
Each of these characters come together because of one person: Jane Austen. They each share a love for her books and join together to not only discuss her writing, but to also preserve it and the town in which she called home. While there are a lot of characters in this book, it’s fitting as Jane Austen always filled her books with a lot of characters. Even with a large cast of characters, they were still all very well developed and had enjoyable storylines. The interactions between the characters was also very Austen-esque throughout, which made the connection between this story and author feel even more authentic. However, the connections between the characters in this book to Jane Austen’s characters was perhaps my favourite part. We all see ourselves in characters, so I found it really clever to be able to do it amongst a group of characters.
The Jane Austen Society takes place following the second World War. Jenner does an excellent job at depicting the chaos that comes with trying to piece together your life after such a devastating event. Even through all of this chaos, the people of Chawton decide to group together to save Jane Austen’s family’s estate and turn it into a haven honouring the late author.
This book contains everything from a Hollywood actress to a grieving doctor to a young and feisty 16-year old girl. It is a book for both Jane Austen fanatics as well as those who may be new to the author. And above everything, it is just a really enjoyable read. Given the current global climate, this will be a perfect book to set aside some time with and take your mind off of everything going. It will transport you into the midst of a group of individuals joined together through Austen and at the same time reignite your own passion of all things Austen.
The Jane Austen Society is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers as of May 26th 2020.
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Synopsis | Goodreads
Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable.
One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen, one of England’s finest novelists. Now it’s home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen’s legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve both Jane Austen’s home and her legacy. These people—a laborer, a young widow, the local doctor, and a movie star, among others—could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.
