Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World

Written by Claire Harman

Narrated by Wanda McCaddon

Mention Jane Austen and you'll likely incite a slew of fervent opinions from anyone within earshot. Regarded as a brilliant social satirist by scholars, Austen also enjoys the sort of popular affection usually reserved for girl-next-door movie stars, leading to the paradox of an academically revered author who has served as the inspiration for chick lit (The Jane Austen Book Club) and modern blockbusters (Becoming Jane). Almost two hundred years after her death, Austen remains a hot topic, and the current flare in the cultural zeitgeist echoes the continuous revival of her works, from the time of original publication through the twentieth century.

In Jane's Fame, Claire Harman gives us the complete biography of the author and analyzes her lasting cultural influence, making this essential listening for anyone interested in Austen's life, works, and remarkably potent fame.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Tantor Media, Inc
• Release date: Apr 19, 2010
• ISBN: 9781400186938

Claire Harman

Claire Harman's first book, a biography of the writer Sylvia Townsend Warner, won the Mail on Sunday/John Llewellyn Rhys prize in 1990, and her second, Fanny Burney: A Biography was shortlisted for the Whitbread Award. Since 2003 she has been teaching a course in biography at Columbia University and lives in New York City and Oxford.

Reviews for Jane's Fame

[juva_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The fascinating story of Jane Austen's life and work which has risen in recent years to the level of popular mania. Not particularly recognized or appreciated in her time, Austen's novels have expanded in readership and inspired devotion year after year. Just how did this come about? And why are her predictable plots so enduring?

[ecataldi-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not for the faint of heart, this literary chronicle of Jane's ascent into the world verges on the point of being a heavy read. From Jane's earliest writing, the publication of four of her novels in her lifetime, to all of her books being out of print, to her popularity resurgence with the release of her biography, up to the twentieth century; this book covers her meteoric rise as one of the greatest female writers ever born. I'm not a true Janite, just a casual admirer so I didn't know a lot of what was in this book. I do know that she wasn't very popular in her lifetime (her books were all published anonymously) but I didn't know all the circumstances surrounding that. Claire does a good job bringing readers along through the decades as the cult of the "Divine Jane" grew and spread across the globe. Not a light read, but very enlightening!

[edwinbcn · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Claire Harman's Jane's fame. How Jane Austen conquered the world isn't a biography about Jane Austen but reading it will help you a long way. Instead, it is a description of Jane Austen's road to fame. Readers who already know a lot about Jane Austen will not likely learn much new, and yet Jane's fame. How Jane Austen conquered the world is just the kind of book that Jane Austen fans would most like to read.There is a lot of biographical detail about Jane Austen in the book but that is not the main focus. It could even be said that Jane Austen is not the main topic of the book, although her name appears on every page. Actually, the title says it all, very accurately. This is a non-fiction book that tells us how Jane Austen has become one of the most famous writers in the world, today.Writing a book is no longer a way of achieving lasting fame. In fact, many novelists are forgotten, soon after they have published their last book, which is often a few years before their death, and most novelists are forgotten within two decades after their death. However, contemporary novelists are all aware of the fame they could achieve, and are generally careful about their manuscripts and correspondance. However, it hasn't always been like that.The novel as a genre has only existed for about 300 years, and initially, most writers were men. When women started writing, they often published their novels under a pseudonym, hiding the fact of female authorship. Jane Austen wrote her novels well over 200 years ago. At that time there were professional writers, but few writers who could live of their pen, and writers earnings were based on selling stories to newspapers and publishers. It would still take a hundred years for proper laws and the protection of copyright to develop, and American publishers belonged to the fiercest rogue publishers.To her family members, Jane Austen was their eccentric aunt, scribbling away and publishing a few novels in her lifetime. The family did not think highly of her writings and after Jane's death they threw most of her personal papers away, keeping only a few as memorabilia. They did not believe anyone would be interested in Jane Austen after she had passed away. Thus, a lot of material, especially letters were lost, and initially little was undertaken to record life details. The idea that any novelist, let alone Jane Austen could reach world renown was almost unthinkable at that time. However, the Nineteenth century saw a boom in the production of literary writing and is described as the age of the birth of the leisurely reader. Prior, reading was a pastime for the wealthy, but through serialized novels in newspapers, a much wider audience gained access to literature, and throughout the 19th century interest in Austen's books, her collected works and eventually her authorship increased.Jane Austen had perhaps a most unfortunate start with a family so disdainful and so neglectful, but eventually, as biographical interest in her person grew, short biographies were recorded and compiled, and attempts were made to collect, and preserve her manuscripts. Harman's book describes all angles of the gradually developing, and increasingly intense interest in Jane Austen. The book traces the preservation of all remaining manuscripts and memorabilia, such as objects and furniture from the household of the Austens. It describes the publication history of all works of Jane Austen, and all biographies and related works written on Jane Austen. Finally, it admits to the Jane Austen mania, of which the book itself is a manifestation, as interest in Jane Austen and her work is now to great, that Jane Austen has fans all over the world.Jane's fame. How Jane Austen conquered the world is very well written, but it's subject matter is still rather specialized and academic.

[jbd1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very well-done look at the evolution of Jane Austen's reputation with readers and critics over time.

[gayla.bassham · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Nothing startlingly new here but interesting all the same. If you know a lot about Jane Austen, you probably won't learn a ton. I was happy to see that the author enjoyed "Miss Austen Regrets" as much as I did.

[kell1732 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Not sure I've mentioned on this blog before, but I am a huge fan of Jane Austen. I think that her work is brilliant and will always be able to find a place in the minds and hearts of her readers. This is the first biography I have read on Jane Austen and while it wasn't a bad book, it did not live up to my expectations. Granted, I came out knowing a little more about one of my favorite authors, but nothing more enlightening than that.From the back cover, I was expecting more insight into the mind and life of Austen, but in reality, Harman just wrote down many of the things that people have already written on or that I have already heard. There didn't seem to be any knew information and the sections in which she "delved" into the impact Jane Austen has on modern audiences, it really just came down to her saying, "We still really like her." Well, I know that.I feel that Harman may have done more with the book if she kept to a straight biography instead of trying to examine multiple aspects of her fame. By doing this she was only able to touch on why Jane matters to readers today which led to her only saying what we already know. While reading I found that I wanted more facts about that time period and her life after I realized that she only dipped her toe in the shallow end with everything else. Unfortunately this just made the whole book one big shallow end. Sure, I learned some interesting things about a woman I have grown to admire, but nothing spectacular or particularly enlightening.I suggest reading William Deresiewicz's, A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things that Really Matter, if you want a look at why it is Jane Austen affects readers still and what she has to teach us despite the fact that society has changed so much. As it turns out, people haven't really changed at all. Deresiewicz's book does what Harman wanted to do in her last couple of chapters. Possibly, Harman didn't realize that it takes an entire book to really examine how Jane Austen is relevant today and the reasons for her continued success.

[mickyfine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An exploration of Jane Austen's literary, critical, and popular reputation from during her lifetime until the 21st century, Harman takes an intriguing approach to Jane Austen's life and works. The book is fascinating for its depth and breadth and deals with everything from the various biographical approaches to Jane's life from the 19th century on to the widely varying approaches to her novels from the critical perspective during the same time period. Harman also frequently makes reference to the particular brand of fanaticism that Austen's novels tend to bring out in her readers and explores its different shapes from the Janeites who formed the Jane Austen Society to fanvids on YouTube (she makes specific mention of one of my favourites). While the tone is a bit academic this will be an excellent read for both those with more scholarly interests as well as the Janeite.

[victorialouisehill · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which combined scholarship with readability. I found it very interesting to read a book on Jane Austen which explored her changing influence after her death, as opposed to focussing simply on her life. Harman's ideas on why Austen's novels have stood the test of time seem very probable to me. Harman writes with humour and clarity, enabling the general reader to digest a large amount of factual information; at the same time she provides more detailed references for the student in the footnotes. If I had one criticism, it would be that the book ends rather abruptly - I was expecting some kind of summing up, conclusion or looking forward to the future...However, I would highly recommend this book for anyone who loves Jane Austen. And, if like me, you have often puzzled over the scene in 'What Katy Did Next' where Katy visits Austen's grave in Winchester and the verger asks her what Austen did that made so many people visit her grave... well, lets just say the key to that puzzle is between the covers of this book!

[murphy4jacobs · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This isn't a biography, at least not in the traditional sense -- it's the history of her fame, really. It's about how her audience(s) has thought about, reacted to, derived from, understood and misunderstood both her and her writing.

That's quite an unusual subject for a book.

What made me give it four stars? I wish I could write an intelligent, well thought out explanation for that, discussing the various strengths and weaknesses of the books, the accuracy of the research, the validity of the arguments and conclusions, but I admit I cannot. I have no idea how accurate the research is, although it is copious and well documented (at least, the last 50 or so pages of the book are endnotes, bibliography, acknowledgments, and index). I'm not sure what the stated argument was -- that Jane Austen is now known far beyond what she would or could have ever expected when she was alive? That she would be confused and amused, shocked and delighted by the forms her fame has taken? That she is rarely -- if ever -- portrayed as she was, but more often as various people wanted her to be? That the reactions to her life and her writings are a unique phenomenon? That her place in the Western Literary Canon is deserved because the surface simplicity (that, apparently, disgusts, disarms, misleads, and outright blinds many readers and critics) is a shell over depth and breadth? That she really was a writer of small things? That it is impossible for a reading audience to ever really know an author, and all readers create for themselves a Jane Austen of their own?

Those are just a few of the questions pinning down the pages of this book. Answers are less prevalent although, from the tenor of the questions, it isn't hard to imagine what Harman's opinion is.

This is, of course, a book intended for those already positively disposed, in some degree, toward the works of Jane Austen, or any of the works derived from those original novels. In fact, in some ways it is more about those derivative works and the feelings, responses, and opinions that lead to those secondary works. Why is it that Jane Austen is so important that, although there are only the 6 complete novels and some fragments, we continue to create more in the way of movies and books attempting to continue, copy, or imitate her work?

Jane's Fame really doesn't dig in to that particular question, although it certainly works hard to state it clearly and at length. Perhaps there isn't a single answer, or Harman is not willing or feels it worthwhile to proclaim a single answer. This is a book to prompt more discussion. It brings together many opinion (quoted excerpts range from those of her own siblings to somewhat snarky discussions on current Internet forums). As a collection of the varying opinions and an assessment of the current state of the "Janeites" or "Austenarians", it's very engaging, interesting, and slightly provoking. It's also worth, I think, purchasing for myself (this is a library loan) and examining more closely at some point hence.

[whitreidtan · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Jane Austen is my favorite author. She and Charlotte Bronte remain the two authors whose works I have read and re-read the most. (And if you know anything at all about English literature, you'll know just how entertaining it is that I regularly lump these two authors together in my head on my own personal "best of" lists.) And I am certainly not alone in my love for Jane Austen by any means as the plethora of movies based on her books, sequels, and adaptations these days show. A quick skimming search of websites like etsy or ebay will yield scads of products marketed by their connection to Austen and her world. But how did Austen, who, after all, only wrote 6 novels and about whose life little is truly known become so universally beloved? Claire Harman's Jane's Fame seeks to answer that question.As most Austen fans know, it took many years for any of Austen's works to be published and they were not the instant sort of success that one might expect of works that have been so enduring. Starting with the little known of Austen's life and her road to publication, Harman traces not Austen's life but the life of her novels as they grew into the cultural phenomenon that they are today. From the initial public reception of the novels to the publication of Austen's biography by her nephew which established her as a saintly hobbyist writer to the current craze for all things Austen, Harman has researched the changing feeling about Austen's works and in fact the re-writing of who she was as an author through numerous sources which back up her conclusions. Occasionally the tone of the book veers toward the academic but for the most part it stays less ponderous so that a more casual reader can appreciate the evolution of Austen's reputation and the critical reception of her works. It's a worthwhile read for Austen fans and an intriguing look at the way in which books can take on a life of their own but perhaps a bit too detailed for all but the most ardent admirers.

[kaethe_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If one was only going to read one book about Jane Austen, this is the one I'd recommend. Harman covers Austen's life, literary influences, work habits, as well as the public and critical reception her books have received in the years since their first drafts. Few regular readers are interested (I think) in critical analysis as practiced by professors of English literature, but Harman gives concise and fairly entertaining overviews of the many theories, as well as an idea of how well they've been received or not.

And for the most ardent fan, she not only discusses the scriptwriting involved in making films from the texts, she also address the whole Darcy-in-a-wet-shirt phenomena.

[nicole_a_davis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A very fascinating look at the rise of Jane Austen's reputation over time. The book is very well researched and full of references, yet the writing is very engaging and does not have an overly academic tone. I must-read for any Austen lover.

[souloftherose · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As well as a brief biography of Miss Austen, this book examines how she came to be so incredibly popular when other authors of her time are only read by a few. I'd recommend this book to people who aren't massive fans of JA as well as those who are, because Claire Harman includes criticisms from those who hated JA's books as well as those who loved them (and there are some fantastic quotes from writers like Charlotte Bronte and Mark Twain who really disliked her books).Harman ends the book by giving her theories as to why JA is so popular. The first is that she is popular because her books are neither trash nor works of blinding greatness but somewhere in between:"The middle-aged, the middle class and those who consider themselves slightly above the middlebrow are Austen's natural constituency. They (we!) love Austen - the idea as much as the books - because she comes from our own ranks and rocks no boats. With Austen, we know that we are never going to be taken to extremes."Her other theory relates to the delay between Austen writing S&S, P&P and NA and those books being published. Harman posits that JA would have had to update these books to remove now obsolete references to events and include references to current events. She theorises that because of this exercise, JA included far fewer references to current events in her novels, simply to save herself work if the novels were published at a later date. Although this is often a criticism levelled at JA by some (why does she not mention the slave trade in detail or the Napoleonic war or politics etc?) the absence of these period-specific references give her books a timeless feel that make it a lot easier for a 20th or 21st century reader to understand her work compared to her contemporaries'.Fascinating stuff.

[katiekrug · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

An engaging study of Jane Austen’s life and works, and their reception and appreciation (or lack thereof) at different times in history. This is not a weighty academic tome, but it is filled with interesting tidbits about Austen’s relationships with various family members; Harman makes a convincing argument for Austen’s acerbity and ambition, two traits that were papered over by her family after her death in favor of a “Saint Jane” hagiography. Not being a scholar, and not having read much in the way of Austen’s biography, I found this book to be both entertaining and informative. I especially enjoyed the section towards the end on various film and TV adaptations of the novels, as well as treatments of Austen’s life, from Becoming Jane to Miss Austen Regrets. Overall, a good survey of some primary questions about Jane Austen for the casual reader or curious fan.

[theoclarke · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It must take a certain chutzpah to write anything other than a hagiography of the Divine Jane and in this witty history of the writer's life and the reception of her works Claire Harman peels away layers of revisionism without diminishing our appreciation of the works. Harman's convincing theory is that Austen was a far more ambitious and abrasive woman than her family described after her death. She then explores the social dynamics of the development of her posthumous reputation and the adaptations of her work. Harman looks at the various forms of modern Austen fandom and identifies the past supporters and denigrators of her work. This fascinating cultural history will interest readers who already have extensive knowledge of Austen's life as much as it will those who are more interested in her work.

[samsattler · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I have been no great admirer of Jane Austen, having long considered her the mother of the romance and chick-lit genres, but still an author whose reputation demands that her work be sampled. I have, in fact, read only four of her six novels. My opinion of her work falls between that of Mark Twain who said, “Every time I read ‘Pride and Prejudice’ I want to dig her up and hit her over the skull with her own shin-bone” and that of the most ardent Janeites who read little other than Jane Austen novels. I have, however, often wondered how Miss Austen became the literary icon she is today. In "Jane’s Fame," Claire Harman explains exactly how that happened.As Harman points out, despite the great fame she enjoys today, very little is known about the “real” Jane Austen. No proper image of her was left behind and, with the help of her sister Cassandra, the bulk of her private correspondence and papers was destroyed after Jane’s death. Jane Austen died in 1817, at age 41, living to see the publication of just four of her six novels and only some local success as an author. Even this came to her only after almost twenty years of work as an unpublished author – and for most of the 1820s, the decade immediately following her death, none of her books would be in print. Jane Austen would, in fact, be almost forgotten by the reading public for most of the next forty years.All that would finally change when Jane’s nephew, one James Edward Austen-Leigh, published his "Memoir of Jane Austen" in 1870, beginning a steady rise in his aunt’s reputation. The book, written fifty-three years after Jane’s death, is based upon the reluctant memoirist’s impressions about his aunt and it offers, at best, a misleading view of her life and her attitudes toward her writing. By World War I, a British soldier seeking mental escape from the horrors of war was likely to lose himself inside the pages of a Jane Austen novel, buried in the calmer, saner England he would find there. But the best for Jane Austen’s reputation was yet to come.In 1995, the BBC had a huge success with its production of Austen’s "Pride and Prejudice" and a new industry was born – a steady flow of adaptations of Jane Austen novels for the cinema and television. "Pride and Prejudice" would be followed by other BBC adaptations and big-screen versions of several other Austen works, including "Emma" and the highly regarded "Sense and Sensibility," starring Emma Thompson. Suddenly, Jane Austen was mainstream – and the rest is history."Jane’s Fame" is a well written explanation of how such an unlikely rise to fame for Jane Austen could happen despite her near disappearance from the literary landscape in the several decades following her early death. She is now a cultural icon (one of those people instantly recognized by just her first name) even to those who might never read one of her six novels, but serious fans of the woman who wrote about “three or four families in a Country Village” will almost certainly want to add "Jane’s Fame" to their Austen collection.