Jane Austen’s Bookshelf: A Rare Book Collector’s Quest to Find the Women Writers Who Shaped a Legend, is both entertaining and enlightening. Those readers who come to this study with an insatiable desire to learn more about Jane Austen’s inspiration will not be disappointed. In fact, they are likely to want to read everything Austen has written.
Romney’s book speaks to Austen’s abiding work and her literary influences. Each of the women who preceded her has a fascinating story. Their lives reflect as much about cultural evolution as they do about literary history.
As a highly respected rare book dealer, Romney weaves in the art and culture of collecting, imparting a glimpse into the unique skills of her unusual profession.
The author begins with an introduction to the shaping of her personal collection. The title refers to her bookshelves featuring the lives and works of eight authors who influenced Austen. In order of their appearance in the book, they are Frances Burney, Ann Radcliffe, Charlotte Lennox, Hannah More, Charlotte Smith, Elizabeth Inchbald, Hester Lynch Thrale Piozzi, and Maria Edgeworth.
From the mid-18th to mid-19th centuries, the novel as a literary form – many of which were written by women – was disparaged in erudite circles. Since it was a time when much of society regarded women as inferior to men, their work was often viewed with similar disdain. Samuel Johnson makes several intriguing appearances in Romney’s narrative.
Austen is an enduring figure in the canon of English literature, but not one of the women who influenced her writing achieved her level of prominence and acclaim.
Jane Austen’s Bookshelf is a very captivating read. Rebecca Romney delivers unique insight into the literary and social climate of Austen’s time and legacy.
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