Reviews for Jane's Fame
Choice
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Affiliated with universities on both sides of the Atlantic, Harmon (Columbia Univ.; Universities of Manchester and Oxford, UK) traces Austen's cultural impact from its slow beginnings to the present, marked by Austen's popularity worldwide. Arguing that Austen's only real period of obscurity was the generation after her death (in 1817), the author examines both the publication history of the novels and the role of Austen's family in contributing to her reputation. Harmon sees Austen as "a half-forgotten niche writer" for the Victorians, especially when compared to mass-market bestsellers like Charles Dickens. But the publication of A Memoir of Jane Austen (1869) by James Edward Austen-Leigh (Austen's nephew) generated a sudden demand for information about Austen and for reprints of her work. Harmon goes on to discuss Austen's burgeoning fame. Her survey of strong reactions makes for particularly engaging reading and seems to cover it all: responses of famous writers, other biographies, film treatments (early/late, Hollywood/international), books of quotations, articles in popular magazines, the rising market for Austen manuscripts and other memorabilia, translations, Austen literary societies, the evolution of serious scholarship, and even Austen's influence on 1990s chick lit, romances, and Internet resources. Both scholarly and entertaining--and a Janeite's delight. Summing Up: Recommended. Lower-division undergraduates through faculty; general readers. T. Loe SUNY Oswego
Kirkus
Copyright © Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
An elegant exploration into the curious journey of literary celebrity, as exhibited by Jane Austen. Austen's rise within the literary canon is reflected in modern culture by the many film versions and derivations of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility and others, and in the ubiquitous inclusion of her works in academic curricula. Royal Society of Literature fellow Harman (Myself and the Other Fellow: A Life of Robert Louis Stevenson, 2006, etc.) delineates the growth of Austen's fame as both a study of the process of getting published and acclaim as a writer, as well as the actual features of Austen's work that make it both popular and divisive. The author declares Austen to be as difficult a biographical subject as Shakespeare, in that both left behind few details of their personal lives, making their mythologies all the more of a touchstone for adulation. Harman efficiently sketches the confined circumstances within which Austen, a financially dependent spinster, wrote and revised her novels over many years before they were published. The author ably captures the imperturbable belief that Austen must have had in her talentshe continued to write new novels, even though the first one, Sense and Sensibility, was not published until a few years before her death. Although Austen had a few admirers, the initial circulation of her work was limited. It was not until a biography written by her nephew, James Austen-Leigh, was published in 1870 that interest was revived in her work on a larger scale. Harman points out the key feature of Austen's writing that finally resulted in her canonization within English literatureher ironic artistry as a keen observation tool of the truth of human nature. Detractors, ranging from Charlotte Bront" to Mark Twain, have decried the small-scale nature of her work, the focus on ordinary life and the lack of poetry. For Harman, it is this very accessibility that has resulted in her rise to global fame. A must for Austen bibliophiles. Copyright Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Library Journal
(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
This most recent addition to Austen biography takes an interesting tack, covering not only the life of the author but the life of her work. Harman-affiliated with Manchester, Oxford, and Columbia universities and having had a distinguished history of critically acclaimed writings on literary figures (including Sylvia Townsend Warner, Fanny Burney, and Robert Louis Stevenson)-presents Austen in all her contradictory glory: at once the dutifully domestic daughter who also pursued the "oddish" feminist career of "authoress" and the author of modest success during her lifetime who fuels a multimillion-dollar "Austenmania" industry generations after her death. Fast paced and engaging, Jane's Fame illuminates Austen's writing and publishing history and traces the rise and fall (and rise again) of her popularity over the years. From being damned with faint praise from male critics to helping inspire the recent chick-lit craze, Austen's books have moved into Bollywood and beyond, becoming a worldwide phenomenon. Verdict Continuing interest in Austen's works, ignited by films and other derivative works, will create a popular audience for this accessible volume, which should also please the scholarly crowd.-Alison M. Lewis, formerly with Drexel Univ. Lib., Philadelphia (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Publishers Weekly
(c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Diverting anecdotes pepper award-winning British biographer Harman's (Myself and the Other Fellow: A Life of Robert Louis Stevenson) sharp and scholarly analysis of Jane Austen's life and the posthumous exploitation of her as a "global brand" having "everything to do with recognition and little to do with reading." Tracing the rise and fall and rise of Austen's reputation against a larger historical backdrop, Harman chronicles the WWI-era worshipping "Janeites"; assessments of Austen that minimized her as an "accidental artist"; and modern post-feminist criticism that, in exploring her politics, sexual and otherwise, has placed Austen "in several mutually exclusive spheres at once." Harman notes that film versions have taken liberties with and overshadowed Austen's books, concluding that "[o]ne of the horrible ironies of Austen's currency in contemporary popular culture is that she is referenced so freely . in discussions of 'empowerment,' 'girl power,' and all the other travesties of womanly self-fashioning that stand in for feminism" today. Yet "it is impossible to imagine a time when she or her works could have delighted us long enough." Harman herself delights with this comprehensive catalogue of Austen-mania. Illus. (Mar.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved
Book list
From Booklist, Copyright © American Library Association. Used with permission.
How did Jane Austen get to be such a hot commodity? Harman delves into this question by examining Austen's literary reputation and appeal over the years. Although Austen has been presented (mostly by her family members) as wanting little to do with the fate of her books beyond her own inner circle, she did in fact take a keen interest in their publication and reception. Upon her death in 1817, her work sank into obscurity; even the dedication copy of Emma presented to the Prince Regent while she was alive was relegated to the royal servants' library. All that changed when Memoir of Jane Austen, written by her nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh, was published in 1869. Although his portaryal of dear Aunt Jane was misleading, the biography marked the beginning of a steady upward climb in scholarly and popular appreciation, culminating in the avid fandom of today. Engagingly written and full of fascinating bits of information as well as valuable insights, this is a must for any serious Austen reader.--Quinn, Mary Ellen Copyright 2010 Booklist
