Samidha; समिधा's Reviews > Jane Austen's Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector's Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend

“I’ve learned the confidence to distinguish between the taste of authorities and my own. Look into the past and read whatever resonates with you, not what we’re told are the best authors”

Romney’s writing was the perfect mix of creative and informative—reading this book was so much fun. I had hoped to find out more about the books that Jane Austen read, but instead I read about the lives of eight powerful women writers in the 18th century, who had directly/indirectly influenced Austen but yet were removed from the cannon. Even though Austen primarily wrote “romance novels” (with a very different definition of what romance meant back then), her reading tastes included gothic literature, conduct books, poetry, sonnets, and so much more. And much of this diversity came from the women authors Romney talks about. My favorites, though hard to pick, were Anne Radcliffe and Charlotte Lennox (what queens!).

My literature-loving-heart loved reading about these women and how they were connected with other male literary figures of that time; male writers who went on to become significantly more successful than the female authors because they didn’t have to publish their books anonymously.

I will admit all the talk of antiquarian book selling was the least likeable part of the book. Including how Romney found first and second editions of these books.

Although, except for that, I can only highly recommend this book!