Jane Austen in 41 Objects

More than 200 years after Jane Austen's death at the age of just forty-one, we are still looking for clues about this extraordinary writer's life. What might we learn if we take a glimpse inside the biographies of objects that crossed her path in life and afterwards things that she cherished or cast aside, or that furnished the world in which she moved, or that have themselves been inspired by her legacy?

Among objects described in this book are a teenage notebook, a muslin shawl, a wallpaper fragment, a tea caddy, the theatrical poster for a play she attended and the dining-room grate at Chawton Cottage where she lived. Poignantly, the last manuscript page of her unfinished novel and a lock of hair kept by her devoted sister, Cassandra, are also featured. Objects contributing to Jane Austen's rich cultural legacy include a dinner plate decorated by Bloomsbury artists Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant, Grayson Perry's commemorative pot from 2009 and Mr Darcy's wet shirt, worn by Colin Firth in the 1995 BBC adaptation.

This is a different kind of biography, in which objects with their own histories offer shifting entry points into Jane Austen's life. Each object illustrated in colour invites us to meet Jane Austen at a particular moment when her life intersects with theirs, speaking eloquently of past lives and shedding new light on one of our best-loved authors.

A stunning, sophisticated and thought-provoking journey through Austen's life, written by a world expert.  This book is small but so, so beautiful, and utterly perfectly formed.

Objects are witnesses to our lives. It’s wonderful to see the dancing slippers belonging to one of Jane Austen’s nieces, a scrap of wallpaper, a recipe book from Chawton.  Taken all together they form a rich and lively picture of a life cut off too soon.  Yes, we have the legacy of her novels, but it’s fascinating to experience more of the wider context of her life.  Is there room in the world for another book about Jane Austen?  Definitely – this one!

Kathryn Sutherland is Senior Research Fellow, St Anne's College, Oxford.

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