The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things, is a new Austen biography published in January 2013. The author, Paula Byrne, has written several acclaimed biographies, including Mad World: Evelyn Waugh and the Secrets of Brideshead (2011).
The book has received several good reviews, including this one by Maureen Corrigan, available on the NPR Books web site at http://www.npr.org/2013/01/28/170158889/jane-austens-pride-and-prejudice-at-200. On this page, you can also read an excerpt from the book.
This biography is a little different from other, more traditional Austen biographies. The portrait is organized thematically and explores the lives of Austen's extended family, friends, and acquaintances to piece together different, wider perspectives of Austen and her life.
The book has received several good reviews, including this one by Maureen Corrigan, available on the NPR Books web site at http://www.npr.org/2013/01/28/170158889/jane-austens-pride-and-prejudice-at-200. On this page, you can also read an excerpt from the book.
This biography is a little different from other, more traditional Austen biographies. The portrait is organized thematically and explores the lives of Austen's extended family, friends, and acquaintances to piece together different, wider perspectives of Austen and her life.