Award-winning biographer Claire Harman traces the growth of Jane Austen’s fame, the changing status of her work and what it has stood for - or has been made to stand for in English culture - in a wide-ranging study aimed at the general reader.
This is a story of personal struggle, family intrigue, accident, advocacy and sometimes surprising neglect as well as a history of changing public tastes and critical practices. Starting with Austen’s own experience as a beginning author (and addressing her difficulties getting published and her determination to succeed), Harman unfolds the history of how her estate was handled by her brother, sister, nieces and nephews, and goes on to explore the eruption of public interest in Austen in the last two decades of the nineteenth century, the making of her into a classic English author in the twentieth century, the critical wars that erupted as a result and, lastly, her powerful influence on contemporary phenomena such as chick-lit, romantic comedy, the heritage industry and film.
Part biography and part cultural history, this book does not just tell a fascinating story - it is essential reading for anyone interested in Austen’s life, works and remarkably potent fame.
Jane's Fame is a spankingly good read on what might seem a specialized subject, covering it with wit, good humour and a racy understanding of it cultural importance.
Harman's narrative is brisk and incisive, and her emphases distinctive and provocative.
A witty examination of [Austen's] rise to world domination . . . Harman unpicks the cultural and sexual fantasies at the heart of Austen fandom with great skill and lively appreciation.
Francis Wilson, Daily TelegraphBeautifully researched, fascinating.
The ScotsmanA happy blend of critical insight and narrative bounce.
Kathryn Hughes, GuardianWritten with wit and linguistic control worthy of her subject.
Graham Allen, Sunday Business PostHarman's book contains research pleasingly reported to an informed Janeite audience.
Frank Kermode, London Review of BooksA brilliant addition to the Austen canon.
Janina Pogorzelski, The Lady MagazineA wonderful book . . . A shrewd but unstuffy critic, Harman's prose rings with good sense, affection and humour, and she articulates very well indeed what's good about Austen without descending into the camp either of drooling Janeites or literary-theoretical pseudery . . . [Jane's Fame] manages to be not only scholarly, but indecently entertaining.
Sam Leith, Daily MailA wonderfully informative read.
Sarah O'Meara, Edinburgh Evening NewsAn extraordinary book, crammed with scholarship and glittering with trivia . . . Harman's book offers so many delight . . . This is a fantastic compendium of absolutely everything relating to Austen, the tone calm and impartial despite severe provocation.
Elspeth Barker, Independent on SundayA witty examination of [Austen's] rise to world domination . . . Harman unpicks the cultural and sexual fantasies at the heart of Jane fandom with great skill . . . Jane's Fame is threaded through with 150 years of opinions [of Austen], but there is not a dull sentence among them.
Frances Wilson, Daily TelgraphSplendid . . . there is no doubt that Harman is the first to treat this fascinating subject in an accessible, lively manner unshackled by academic jargon. There is much to enjoy in this book . . . it's the quality of the insights and the interpretations that make this book such a good read.
Paula Byrne, Sunday TelegraphAn intelligent addition to the Austen industry...Harman has taken a subject that in a previous generation would have been restricted to academia, and given it the treatment necessary to catch the attention of modern Austen fans...Jane's Fame is a valuable and illuminating addition to the ranks of Austen mania.
Rosmary Goring, Sunday HeraldAn exhilarating look at the rise of Divine Jane's worldwide influence. Harman charts its course with wit and style, as well as scholarly precision, making this a book that no Austen addict will want to resist.
Mark Bostridge, Literary ReviewA deft, elegant exploration of the cult of all thing Austen . . . a happy blend of critical insight and narrative bounce, making Jane's Fame a fine addition to the current trend for analysing posthumous lives.
Kathryn Hughes, GuardianHarman is particularly good on how writing became the centre of [Jane's] life . . . this fascinating and sophisticated take on Jane Mania is a sparkling addition to the canon.
Christopher Hudson, Evening Standard
