Book description
Jane Austen is the celebrated biography by bestselling author
Claire Tomalin
'A perfect biography: detailed, witty, warm. Tomalin involves us so
deeply that Austen's final illness and death come almost as a personal
tragedy to the reader' Dirk Bogarde, Daily Telegraph, Books of
the Year
'Truly marvellous. I cannot think that a better life of Jane Austen
then Claire Tomalin's will be written for many years. Her readings of
the novels are full of brilliant insights. She often seems to be
standing behind Austen's desk, observing her writing' Philip Hensher,
Mail on Sunday
'As near perfect a Life of Austen as we are likely to get:
intelligent, feeling, suggestive. Tomalin presents Austen as
remarkably clever; sensitive, but sentimental; tough, yet observant;
guarded; and a woman with the devil of a genius in her' Carmen Callil,
Daily Telegraph
'Tomalin has written a biography that reflects Austen's own exacting
standards, a book that radiates intelligence, wit and insight' Michiko
Kakutani, The New York Times
'Of all the Austen biographies, this is the best ... leaves the
reader with a much deeper appreciation of the circumstances and
motivation behind the creation of those six perfect novels' Harpers
& Queen
From the acclaimed author of Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled
Self, Charles Dickens: A Life and The Invisible Woman,
this virtuoso biography is invaluable reading for lovers of Jane
Austen everywhere.
Claire Tomalin is the award-winning author of eight highly acclaimed
biographies, including: The Life and Death of Mary
Wollstonecraft; Shelley and His World; Katherine
Mansfield: A Secret Life; The Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly
Ternan and Charles Dickens; Mrs Jordan's Profession; Jane Austen: A
Life; Samuel Pepys: The Unequalled Self; Thomas Hardy: The Time-Torn
Man and, most recently, Charles Dickens: A Life. A former
literary editor of the New Statesman and the Sunday
Times, she is married to the playwright and novelist Michael Frayn.
Claire Tomalin was literary editor of the NEW STATESMAN and SUNDAY
TIMES. Her two previous books (both in Penguin) were the highly
acclaimed and award-winning THE INVISIBLE WOMAN (about Dickens'
mistress) and MRS JORDAN'S PROFESSION. She is married to Michael Frayn
and lives in Camden Town, north London.
