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Tuesday, July 14, 2015

Book Review: Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer by Lisa Pliscou

jane austen becoming a writer

Young Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer by Lisa Pliscou
Paperback, 188 pages
Wyatt-MacKenzie Publishing
April 20, 2015
★★★★☆

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Genre: Speculative Biography, Young Adult

Source: Received from Author for Review

What was Jane Austen like as a child? What were her formative influences and experiences, her challenges and obstacles, that together set her on the path toward becoming a writer?
Drawing upon a wide array of sources, including Austen’s own books and correspondence, Lisa Pliscou has created a “speculative biography” that, along with 20 charming black-and-white illustrations, offers a fascinating glimpse into the world of young Jane Austen. Also included is a richly detailed, annotated version of the narrative and an overview of Austen’s life, legacy, and the era in which she lived, as well as a timeline of her key childhood events.

YOUNG JANE AUSTEN is sure to intrigue anyone interested in Jane Austen, in writing and the creative process, and in the triumph of the artistic spirit.

I should start this review by saying…I’m not a Jane Austen fan! SHOCKER!!! I’m never interested in the Austen spinoffs, sequels, prequels, what-have-you that have come out in recent years. However, something about Young Jane Austen: Becoming a Writer stood out to me. I think it was more of a stylistic thing rather than the content that lead to me picking it up.

There are 2 “versions” of the book included here: the illustrated version at the front and the annotated version at the back. They both tell the same basic narrative, except that the annotated version contains expanded information. In the illustrated section, each chapter is 4 pages comprised of a beautifully scripted title page, 2 pages of narrative, and 1 page of illustration. The annotated version includes the same narrative as well as other helpful information to expand the understanding. When I read this book, I bounced back and forth alternating between reading the illustrated chapter and then the corresponding annotated chapter; I think this made for the most fulfilling reading experience as I could apply the notes right to the story being told. Despite the actual text length only being about 80 pages (each version) I felt like I actually learned a lot in that short time.

While the book is definitely designed for the younger YA set, I found it a very enjoyable read. The illustrations are a nice touch to the overall approach to the book. If you or a young reader like Jane Austen, then you will enjoy this book for sure. Even if you are not a Jane Austen fan, you will likely enjoy this book too, I did.

If you would like to preview the story before reading it, why not check out this visual sneak peek?

Reviews of this book by other bloggers:

Buy the Book: Amazon | Barnes & Noble

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Copyright © 2015 by The Maiden’s Court

3 comments:

  1. Surprised that you are not a Jane Austin fan. The book sounds interesting because Jane Austin is my favorite classic author and I read all her works.

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    1. I think it is partly a time period thing - I don't like the way books were written back them, I'm not a fan of the Brontes, or Dickens or any of those. It's a writing style thing. Also, I think the market was totally over saturated with spinoffs etc a few years ago, and I just don't grab on to trends like that - I tend to steer away from them.

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  2. Thanks. I understand.There are some classic authors that I don't like because of there writing style for instance, I don't like Charles Dickens. His Tale of Two Cities and Great Expectations took me forever to get through, and I wouldn't re-read them unless I had to.

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