Review: Miss Austen

Miss Austen by Gill Hornby
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

A sweet novel that I really enjoyed, despite the mysterious contents of Jane's letters being rather underwhelming.

The story follows Cassy, sister to Jane Austen - yes, THAT Jane Austen. It's a couple decades after Jane's death, and Cassy is on the hunt for letters written by her sister. We get a glimpse at some of these, which takes us back into the past and allows us a look at the lives of the sisters.

Firstly, I wasn't actually aware of 'the great mystery' of Cassandra burning a bunch of Jane's letters. But this novel talks about Cassy's fear of the letters causing a scandal and besmirching Jane's name, so I was very keen to hear more.

Present day Cassy is a bit of an old fuddy-duddy, to be honest. She's still obsessed with honour and good name and doesn't like dogs (!!!) so I actually didn't like her all that much. But I really enjoyed seeing her soften as the novel progressed, and I really felt for her as I learned about her past. Was also severely frustrated.

Jane is such a delightful character, and so very much like Lizzy Bennet (of Pride and Prejudice fame). She fights convention and resists all things men and marriage to the point that I suspect she was perhaps in the closet at a time when being out of the closet no doubt would have caused all kinds of drama. But that's pure speculation on my part. On the whole, I just loved her rebellious spirit and I'm even more curious about the REAL contents of the letters.

I suppose there wasn't a huge driver for the action, which is where it lost stars for me. So much is built up about how scandalous the letters are but there's really not all that much in them to get excited about. I enjoyed the way the letters led the way into scenes from the past but the past wasn't all that dramatic.

On the whole, though, it was still a really enjoyable read. Nothing too demanding, and the setting feels very realistic and well done for the era. I loved sinking back into this 'English Countryside' vibe that Austen's novels have. I thought it was done really well.

Plus, bonus marks for the gorgeous cover art!

A lovely, low-key story that will warm the heart of anyone who has enjoyed Jane Austen's work. Don't look to solve any grand mystery, but instead soak up the atmosphere and enjoy your time with it.

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