Sofa Shelf - Regency comes to the Shelf

This week I have added a new book to the shelf:


The Real Jane Austen - Paula Byrne 

I'm worried that there might be fake Jane Austens in the world. But apparently that isn't what this book is about - I was a little bit disappointed at no fake Jane Austens but having read some of it I don't mind too much. Biographies are not my normal reading material but I thought it was about time that I learnt something about Jane Austen.

So far I am a prologue and two chapters in. The prologue worried me, I thought it might turn out to be a boring book. Byrne introduces her biography as one that will portray Jane Austen differently to how biographies have portrayed her in the past. Hence the title.

The first two chapters have eased my mind about it being dull. They are far from it! The first chapter (The Family Profile) is about the sort of household that she grew up in. The chapter title sort of gave that away. I had no idea that she had a brother who was adopted by a wealthy family. It will be my lack of knowledge about Austen that will make me excited to read this book, and from what I've read so far, Byrne's style will not slow me down.

I know I haven't read much, so now might not be the time to be deciding on a favourite chapter, but chapter two (The East Indian Shawl) has been my favourite so far. It isn't directly about Austen, but about her Aunt, who went to India to look for a husband, and her cousin Eliza. Eliza provides a connection between Austen and the French revolution and the whole chapter shows what was influencing Austen's writing.

Good stuff so far.