Maggie Lane (1) (1947–)

This book is perfect on so many levels! On every page, I learned something and was entertained at the same time. The pacing, structure, depth, and breadth were all spot on. The best part is it will be so easy to return to this book over and over again every time I just want to remember something or take a quick trip down memory lane.
The book is divided into a few major sections: Jane Austen's life & family, her world, the world at large, and her books & legacy. I learned all about meals, games, traveling, and her aunt who was almost beheaded! Every page brought something new, and I never once fell asleep! Sometimes, I struggle to stay awake when reading nonfiction, but that didn't happen at all with this book!
This is a great book to dip one's toes into learning about Austen. Even if you're an avid Janeite like myself, there are still things to learn and amuse. I recommend everyone read this because everyone could gain something!… (more)

A crash-course in Jane Austen, particularly suitable for those who have some familiarity with the period and love the books. Lane summarizes the trends in food, fashion, architecture, vacationing, leisure activities, poetry, prose, and politics of Jane Austen's lifetime. She walks us through what is known about Austen's life, what the sources are, and the probable biases/blinders of those sources. I found it a valuable resource, very useful for clearing up misunderstandings or areas of ignorance on my part. My only criticisms are that I found it a bit truncated (I would have loved far more detail) and that there were rather too many photos from recent film adaptations of Austen's films.… (more)