I agree that this is a book for all Jane Austen’s readers by one of the very best of those readers. You need to grab it and read it and share it to your friend.

I really enjoyed reading this book, it had that element that I was wanting and enjoyed the overall feel of this book and how the Jane Austen element worked. Janet Todd wrote this well and left me wanting to read this from the first page till the end.

In this fascinating and immersive new book about Jane Austen, Janet Todd explores how Austen challenged and inspired her in different phases of her life. A combination of a memoir and an analysis of Austen’s personal papers and novels, Todd celebrates Austen’s work, what she means to Todd, and what Austen can mean to others. Considering the lessons and stories that Austen has to offer, this is a deeply personal yet relatable read that Austenites will resonate with in the leadup to Austen’s 250th birthday. The mix of genres and the open dialogue with Todd and Austen makes this book incredibly unique and engages readers with every page. The length and tone are perfect for all readers, and the book is incredibly well-written -- straightforward, engaging, and open. Offering unique insights into Austen’s books and papers, Todd cleverly engages with the primary materials and draws readers into conversation with the documents. Fun, entertaining, and absolutely worth a read, Austenites have to pick up this book to relate with Todd’s experiences and connect their own with this interpretation of her works. Fun, interesting, and a fascinating insight into an author’s relationship with Jane Austen, this is a great new book perfect for Austenites.

An interesting book for Austen fans who want a deeper dive into her works and the text around them.
This is a bit more academic so be sure aren't going into it expecting a light, fluffy read.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGally for an arc. All opinions expressed are my own.

Over on my booktube channel (Hannah's Books), I shared this book in my description of exciting books forthcoming in late March. Link to the particular discussion: https://youtu.be/2N50TsBGu7g?si=1NstdJsq8O3QMloM&t=637

The premise of this book intrigued me -- examining texts and characters by Jane Austen while placing it in context of different topics of her time. The author is clearly knowledgeable about Jane Austen which made it interesting. In terms of extracting these excerpts and musing on topics, this was less interesting to me and a bit too confusing to me as a reader.

Thank you to Netgalley and Cambridge University Press for an ARC and I voluntarily left this review.

Enjoy a close reading of this book and pair it with your favorite Jane Austen novel. You won’t be disappointed. While reading this book, it became clear that the author is a dedicated reader herself, a true lover of books. I get the feeling that the author enjoyed writing this particular book and I enjoyed reading it.

This delightful book is for Jane Austen fans. Whether you are a novice tourist or an oft returning and welcomed guest, you will find the writing and subject matter so very enjoyable. The author takes us on a guided, insightful tour of everything that is important to and created by Jane Austen.

The author contemplates the value of proprieties and properties while considering the relationships between the masters and mistresses of each novel. I learned from and enjoyed the author’s insights and commentary about Jane’s life and her writings of social comedy.

I found it fascinating to read about which authors, books and social norms had most influenced and shaped Jane’s writing, her outlook and her life choices. I loved that Jane participated in and promoted the joys and therapeutics of simple walking, especially when done outdoors.

Now that I have finished this book, it is time for some buttered toast and tea. Oh, and cheers to all the witty, clever and impertinent women out there!

I received copies of this book from Cambridge University Press through AustenProse and NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All thoughts expressed in this review are mine.

A wonderful read!
Highly recommend!
Many thanks to NetGalley, the author, and the publisher for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book got off to a slow start, but I started to enjoy it a lot after that. The author had some very interesting thoughts to share about Jane Austen!

Part memoir and part scholarly exploration, Janet Todd has invited us to take a closer look at what made up Jane Austen's world. She covered subjects relating to health such as headaches and nerves. She includes numerous quotes from Jane's letters. She even takes Darcy down a couple of notches! There were also comparisons and contrasts between Mary Wollstonecraft and Jane Austen’s lives and works.

I was intrigued by Todd's points of view and delightful insights into the life of Austen that were refreshing and new. Who would have thought of dedicating a whole section to toast?

If you are an Austen fan, you'll appreciate all the research Janet Todd has put into this book as well as the connections she's personally made.

I was intrigued by the title of this book which truly resonated with me as I have been living with Jane Austen since January. That is when I embarked on a semester long course on the author. It has been marvelous. So far, I've read or reread Austen's earliest writings, Sense & Sensibility, Pride & Prejudice, Mansfield Park and Emma. I've just embarked on Persuasion with Northanger Abbey to follow. The course has provided both enjoyment and a deeper look at characters, women's roles, the marriage plot, the importance of money and more.

In Todd's book, she explores the role that Austen has had in her life. She also offers much insight and opinion on Austen's life and novels. This title makes an excellent companion for anyone who has enjoyed Austen's work. It will provoke thought as readers decide if they agree or disagree with Todd.

This title comes out just in time to celebrate the 250th birth of Jane. Austen folk should give it a look.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Cambridge University Press for this title All opinions are my own.

In her introduction Janet Todd tells us that her aim is to show ‘why and how’ Austen’s novels have continued to inspire and challenge us with an ‘approachable and intimate work’ that is ‘part personal memoir, part expert interaction with all the letters, manuscripts and published novels.’

At the end, in her acknowledgements, she explains that she wrote this ‘book hastily to catch the moment’ and accepts that ‘not everyone will approve my desultory sort of writing.’ Unfortunately I was one of those. I kept reading on waiting for a purpose or plan to present itself. It never did. Every now and again a little gem of insight would pop up, but most of the time, Todd rambled from one idea to the next as her fancy took her.

Obviously there are many other readers who got more out of this than I did, but I simply did not got on with the rambling style that jumped from one idea to the next without really fleshing anything out. Todd obviously knows her Austen, but this reader needs a more structured format.

It’s been an amazing year reading books celebrating Jane Austen’s 250th birthday. This beloved author continues to inspire & intrigue. In the fascinating novel Living With Jane Austen by renowned author Janet Todd, the author explores Jane Austen’s life & writings juxtaposed with reflections from her own experiences.

It was interesting dissecting Jane’s writings & life from an academic POV. Sharing everything from the “Brightness of Pemberley” to the “Unruly Body,” the author finds commiseration & solace in experiences from her own life through Jane Austen’s writings. While I bristled a bit at my beloved Darcy being portrayed as anything but wonderful, I did appreciate her thoughts on his darker side. Brief sketches of Jane Austen’s life are shared including stories with siblings, nieces, & nephews leading up to her final years. When describing Jane Austen’s death, I was touched as the author shared all the sorrowful details along with her feelings on her own father’s death.

All in all, an interesting, thought provoking read that lends new insights into all things Jane Austen. I enjoyed the witty writing style & the author’s ability to weave vignettes from her own personal life into a fascinating discussion of the characters, writings, & life experiences of Jane Austen. Recommend this book to those who would enjoy a scholarly, feminist approach to Jane Austen & her writings. I received a copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own & voluntarily provided. I was not obligated to provide a review.

This was a very enjoyable and insightful read, and a lovely study of the incomparable Jane Austen.

I think it’s a great book for Austen enthusiasts, and those who are looking for an academic approach and literary analysis of Jane Austen and her life and writing.

It also includes a nice personal touch as the author inserts some personal experiences into the book, which I appreciated.

I received a copy from the publisher and Austenprose PR via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

What author would you like to learn more about? I always love learning more about Jane Austen.
Living with Jane Austen is Janet Todd’s journey through Austen. It was written to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen’s birth this year. It is Todd’s relationship with Austen throughout her life as well as a deep dive into different topics in Austen’s life and in her novels.
My thoughts on this book:
• I thought this was interesting and it gave me a lot to ponder about Austen. For example, it made me want to read Sir Charles Grandison by Samuel Richardson. Austen enjoyed the novel and apparently the estate in it has similarities to Pemberley. It is one of the longest novels in the English language which sounds daunting.
• This was a literary analysis mixed with memoir.
• Todd compared and contrasted Mary Wollstonecraft and Jane Austen’s lives and works. I thought that was interesting. Their lives were so very different but were around the same time period.
• The book is arranged by themes such as: The Brightness of Pemberly, the Darkness of Darcy, Poor Nerves, Into Nature, How to Die, etc. I liked this arrangement and learning more about these topics.
• This was a slower read for me, but it was thought provoking and fascinating.
Overall, Living with Jane Austen by Janet Todd is part scholarly literary analysis part memoir, but 100 % intriguing. It’s a great book for anyone that is interested in Jane Austen and her works.
Book Source: Review copy from Cambridge University Press as part of the Austenprose PR Book Tour. Thank-you! Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I enjoyed new book ahead of Austen's 250th birthday that does give some new insights to Austen's life. A great addition to any Austen's lovers book collection.

Living with Jane Austen was such a fun read! Intriguing, with just the right amount of history but not bland, it flows well and keeps the reader engaged. Great read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Cambridge University Press for my copy in exchange for my unbiased opinion.

I love Janet Todd. She is one of my favorite literary people and I've used some of her books for my own research so I was excited and pleasantly surprised when I saw this come across my NetGalley dash. A memoir mixed with Jane Austen? Yes, absolutely yes.

This book is for the Austenites. It's an academic and slightly personal way of literary analysis but I really enjoyed it. Now, I am a PhD literature graduate student and one of my research specialities does involve Austen, so I may be a tad biased. However, I think this was a rather accessible piece of literary analysis. Although some people struggled with the memoir aspect in that it wasn't as reflective and personal, I think Todd had just the right amount.

Overall, I felt very seen as a literary scholar and academic. I also felt seen as someone who grew up in the world of Austen (read the books and watched as many adaptations as I could when I was growing up). I would recommend this for the more academically minded of the Austenites, otherwise this may be a little too much academia for you.

This is a poignant and well written memoir meets academic paper. The connections and opinions about Austen and her novels were plentiful and specific. Janet obviously knows her Austen and that knowledge shines throughout the work. This book screams Austen and I loved that.

At times a bit heavy and a bit boring. But I enjoyed the many quotes from Austen's works and the descriptions of her characters. I would have liked more connections to the author's own experiences. Sometimes, it got heavy on this history of Austen's time.

Overall, a worthwhile read especially this year in celebration of Austen's 250th birthday.

There is some interesting commentary in this book, and some interesting literary analysis. It didn’t have as personal or memoir-ish feel to it as the description suggested.