Welcome to our final day of the Noontime Chat that J.Kaye from J.Kaye’s Book Blog and I have been having this week on Cassandra & Jane by Jill Pitkeathley.
I’m unfortunately not done but almost-only about 40 pages to go and I have to say that this book has been a pleasant surprise. I’ve really enjoyed it. At first I was expecting a sequel type of book to Pride & Prejudice and I was looking forward to that. It isn’t but what it turned out to be was a great fictional account of what Jane Austen’s life might have been surrounding the little known facts about her that are known.
It is told through her sister Cassandra’s voice and being the only two girls in the family, they were very close. The author has completely drawn us into this 1800’s lifestyle and you really aren’t sure what is fact or fiction in this novel as it is so well portrayed. I can absolutely see the story of Jane’s life unfolding like it has in this novel.
I’ve really enjoyed seeing how Jane Austen’s novels came about and even though fictional, maybe the events surrounding the publications. The little tidbits of the novels and certain events from them have been fun to read also. Reading this book has thrown me into wanting to know more about Jane Austen. I’ve got one biography reserved at the library and can’t wait to read it to see more of what is fact and fiction within this novel.
I would recommend this novel for Austen fans and others. You don’t need to know anything of Jane Austen’s novels to read this book. The author does have a gift for weaving a great story around facts and that I appreciate a great deal. Many thanks to Jeremy at Harper Collins for sending me this book.
If you’ve missed any of our noontime chats so far, check out these links:
Day 1 over at J.Kaye’s Book Blog here
Day 2 here at Peeking Between the Pages
Day 3 at J.Kaye’s Book Blog here
Day 4 here at Peeking Between the Pages
Day 5 Wrap Up at J.Kaye’s Book Blog here and above at Peeking Between the Pages
Tune in tomorrow for my full review of this novel and sometime in the near future I’ll be having a giveaway for my copy. Thanks J.Kaye for a another fun time-I always love discussing a book with you!
Dar ~ I'd even recommend it for readers who aren't interested in P & P, but who are interested in the development of a writer. The author really capture that part, didn't she?
Absolutely J.Kaye, you don't have to read P&P to read this book at all. If you have I think it adds a bit in the way that you recognize the names but that's about it. I liked too how we could see how Jane's life as a writer may have developed. I liked too how supportive her family was especially back in that time.
It sort of goes back to the question Cassandra asked early in the book. Would Jane have been the person she was if not for a supportive family? After reading the book, I think not. I think she’d have done like her mother and stuck with writing letters.
That’s right J.Kaye. I remember now Cassandra telling of their mother’s interest in writing but that she had instead ended up married with children. Even her mother encouraged Jane in her writing even though it seemed she was envious of her.
this sounds really good, I need to read it. P&P is one of my all time favorites.
http://thebookworm07.blogspot.com/
Naida, I really enjoyed P&P too. I'm going to reread it this year. I ordered a set of three books by her today-Sense & Sensibility, P&P and Persuasion. I'm getting geared up for the classics challenge this year.