A Jane Austen Education by William Deresiewicz

Title: A Jane Austen Education: How Six Novels Taught Me About Love, Friendship, and the Things That Really Matter

Author: William Deresiewicz

Publisher: Penguin Books 2012

Genre: Nonfiction

Pages: 288

Rating: 4/5 stars

Reading Challenges: Modern Mrs. Darcy Summer Reading Guide; Seasonal TBR

Before Jane Austen, William Deresiewicz was a very different young man. A sullen and arrogant graduate student, he never thought Austen would have anything to offer him. Then he read Emma—and everything changed.

In this unique and lyrical book, Deresiewicz weaves the misadventures of Austen’s characters with his own youthful follies, demonstrating the power of the great novelist’s teachings—and how, for Austen, growing up and making mistakes are one and the same. Honest, erudite, and deeply moving, A Jane Austen Education is the story of one man’s discovery of the world outside himself.

I wasn’t quite sure what to expect from this book, but ended up really enjoying it. We follow William along as he discovers both life lessons and the works of Jane Austen. The book is part self-reflection, part literary analysis, and part fan letter. I enjoyed how each chapter focused on the writer’s big lesson from a novel and included what was happening in his life at the same time. My favorite chapter was about Northanger Abbey. I loved the discussion of the Thorpes and the Tilneys. A few of the pages do drag a bit, but overall it’s a joy for the fan of Jane Austen.

Next up on the TBR pile: