In this chapter Harman writes about the Austen families response to Austen’s growing popularity (as Caroline wrote to James Edward ‘this vexed question between the Austens and the public’)and the demand for more information. Catherine-Anne Hubback (Frank’s daughter) wrote a novel (which was essentially a continuation of The Watsons – not that the public knew) [...]
Monthly Archive for July, 2009
Jane Austen died in July 1817 – she was 41. Her death notice in the Courier was the first public acknowledgement of her authorship. However, no mention appeared on the memorial inscription on her grave stone. Both James and James Edward wrote poems to commemorate the occasion. Both mention how she put her domestic duties [...]
Jane’s Fame – Praise and Pewter (Chapter Two)
Posted in Biography, Criticism, Recommended on Jul 16th, 2009
When I set myself the task of reading two chapters a week of Jane’s Fame, I thought it would be easy. However, I have found myself at the end of a chapter without any real idea what I was reading. I haven’t been able to focus. This is in part because the book is such [...]
This post is a bit delayed because I’ve been away (for school holidays) anyway … Chapter One of Claire Harman’s Jane’s Fame provides some biographical detail, but more interestingly focuses on the writers in her family and amongst her acquaintance. We read about her brothers James and Henry who produced The Loiterer (every Saturday from [...]
Jane’s Fame – Part One
Posted in Miscellaneous on Jul 1st, 2009
I’ve read the Preface in which Ms Harman states her goal for this book This book charts the growth of Austen’s fame, the changing status of her work and what it has stood for, or been made to stand for, in English culture over the past two hundred years. In her own lifetime Austen’s books [...]