The writings in this book were so amazing that I bought it after checking it out from the library. Who says essays on literature are dull? They put some of their most engaging, descriptive language into describing the impact of Jane Austen. I learned a lot about her life and society, the progress of her characters, and the story of how the works got published and what happened to the manuscripts. It felt like a whole semester course on Jane Austen. I'm hovering between a 3 and a 4 here. 3 because the essays in themselves were not all amazing (although many were very good) and the title of the book is misleading (it's not about why we read). 4 because the book as a whole opened up Austen in a new way for me and showed me that I was not nearly as big a Janeite as I thought. I have a lot of work to do. I am now planning on re-reading all the novels, as well as finally reading the letters and the juvenilia.
Interesting to read different authors thoughts on Jane Austen books and why we love them so much.
—Shaynerz
You have to really be a fan. As much as I love Jane Austen, half the book was enough.
—bul
Didn't finish this one but I had to return it. To be continued...
—Amy
