Rating: 3.5 stars

I’m a huge Jane Austen fan and so, when presented with the opportunity to review any retellings or anything related to her live, I always say yes. The Jane Austen Society is the story of a group of Jane Austen fans coming together to form a foundation to preserve her legacy. And this one will definitely make you smile.

The characters in The Jane Austen Society were definitely interesting and, ultimately, were the reason why I kept reading. They all felt so realistic and I actually had to take a moment to double-check that they weren’t real people. I originally wasn’t quite sure how the disparate stories would all come together but I loved how everyone was brought together by a love of Austen. However, the resolution of the plot was incredibly rushed, especially when compared to the beginning of the book, where the author gave the characters and events the time needed to fully develop them.

The Jane Austen Society was an enjoyable book that will appeal to fans of Jane Austen. This one would make a great summer read!

A delightful read, especially for fans of Jane Austen. I loved all of the characters and was cheering for them each to find their happily ever after. Very well written, especially for a first time author.

Thank you for the eARC of The Jane Austen Society! First, I did enjoy this book - however, the beginning was a bit slow and took me awhile to feel invested in the characters. On the offset, it almost appears there is little plot, as we don't get the Society until almost halfway through the book. (However, I also recognize my preference to plot-driven novels, rather than character-driven novels.)

Once it did pick up, I finished quickly, as I was eager to find out the conclusions of everyone's individual stories, as well as whether or not the Society accomplished their goals.

However, I also did really enjoy all the references to different Jane Austen novels and characters; it helped bring the conversations alive - although, I imagine it might be difficult for a non-Jane Austen reader to follow!

A great summer read, especially in a world that's gone a bit crazy. A rag-tag group comes together with a wild dream to honor Jane Austen in the village of Chawton where she spent the last years of her life. A bit confusing in the beginning; the reader needs to pay close attention to the timeline of the early chapters, but once the characters are introduced, they bring all of the joy and drama of small village life to their quest. Definitely recommended for Austen fans as well as those who want an enjoyable, comforting read with a feel-good ending, just like one of Jane's novels.

I loved this book!

I cannot believe that this novel is a debut. It was brilliant! I simply am addicted to this book and Natalie Jenner's phenomenal writing.

Is it the name of the book where anything Jane Austen I must love and gravitate too? Is it the amazing book cover that just brings me back to simpler times? Is it the motley crew of characters that are so different they make up the perfect society? Well, it is everything! I love every bit of this from the historical background, and the characters' solidarity in rallying together as they endure their own difficulties and creating something absolutely remarkable.

I also did read this and listen to the @librofm narration by Richard Armitage which was absolutely phenomenal. It really did give so much more to the story hearing Armitage read to me. It added so much more to my reading experience.

I am a huge fan of Austen's work and loved the quotes and the incorporation of Pride and Prejudice, Emma and Sense and Sensibility throughout the story. This was a great escape read, that was also charming and beautiful. It is a story about people with hurt, suffering from loss and are real people with real struggles. I loved that I was able to relate with the characters.

The writing was beautifully researched and was rich in detail that I really enjoyed. I am a fan of Jenner's writing and look forward to her future novels. I cannot stop talking about this fantastic historical fiction novel.

I can’t remember the last time I was captivated by a book so quickly. Natalie Jenner created a characters who come together to preserve Jane Austen’s home and while doing so conquer grief, love and hope. As an Austen lover, I could not have wanted more. This was a fantastic book and just what my heart needed.

I received an advanced reader copy from #netgalley in exchange for my honest review. #arc #advancedreadercopy #advancedreader

I adored this look at a group of people celebrating the beautiful collection of books by Jane Austen. I loved being transported back into history and I could vividly see her home (as I've also done in real life!). Jane Austen fans rejoice! A must read for Austen lovers. The audiobook is also well-done!

For many Jane Austen fans, travelling to England and visiting her home in Chawton is a dream and a privilege if they are able to do so. In this house where she lived for the last eight years of her life, she wrote novels that have become beloved around the world. It is currently the location of the Jane Austen Museum, frequented by tens of thousands of visitors every year. However, in 1947 this was not yet the case. The home was put up for sale. It would not be unreasonable to assume a different possibility: to imagine the deed of ownership transferring to an individual or corporation which held no love or concern for Austen or her legacy. If fate had taken a different turn, the Chawton house could instead be condominiums or a golf course in the present day. One shudders at the proposition.

In The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner, this debut author poses that very possibility. In a fictionalized imagining of the 20th century history of the Village of Chawton, she presents a colorful cast of characters at the center of village life, spanning the years of 1932 to 1947. Dr. Benjamin Gray is the town physician, caring for the residents’ medical needs as he mourns the loss of his wife Jennie and battles his inner demons. Frances Knight, a somewhat forlorn soul, is a descendant of Edward Austen Knight, the brother of Jane who was adopted into the Knight family in about 1783. Adam Berwick is a member of a multi-generational farming family, a self-taught reader and a sweet soul at heart. Adeline Lewis, also living in the area for many years, was a former school teacher, a widow, also was mourning the loss of her child. Andrew Forrester is the family solicitor (lawyer) for the Knight family, primarily for Frances’ elderly, ailing patriarchal father. Assisting in the Knight home is Evie Stone, young house girl and former student of Adeline’s. Mimi Harrison is an American Hollywood starlet, a Janeite in her mid-30’s for most of the story, beginning to feel the pull of age on her career. Her love interest is Jack Leonard, shrewd businessman and aspiring Hollywood producer. Yardley Sinclair is assistant director of estate sales for Sotheby’s, is also a lover of Austen and a man who appreciates the importance of Austen artifacts.

Amongst these and other characters emerges a story that is compelling, page-turning and heartfelt. As mentioned, a number of the players are forlorn and/or dealing with their own types of heartbreak. The Jane Austen Society is not a somber piece by any means, but I was struck at Jenner’s ability to enunciate some of the feelings that come into play when one is struggling with depression, disappointment and/or loss. I don’t know what pains our author has been through, although she alluded to some type of experience in her concluding acknowledgments, but her inner knowledge of emotional turmoil was very touching, without casting the story into a gloomy state.

Of course Jane Austen is frequently mentioned throughout the narrative. One not need be familiar with her work to enjoy the story, but it does make understanding certain aspects of dialogue easier. As such, I primarily recommend this those who have at least a cursory knowledge of the plots and characters of her major works, Pride and Prejudice and Emma in particular. Even if your exposure is just cinematic productions of these stories, that will do just fine. A superficial understanding will still enhance your enjoyment, as the references to Jane and her novels pop up frequently throughout The Jane Austen Society.

As is the case with Miss Austen’s tales, this one has multiple story lines, with several of them being romantic. I loved how Natalie Jenner brought her characters together, but I also enjoyed the tension she employed throughout the chapters. Even if some expected pairings occurred, she was still able to make their journeys interesting, and she kept me guessing. The choices made in the amount of romantic content were appreciated as well. Everything is really quite sweet and PG-rated, if not G-rated. For my conservative readers, I will say that there is a gay relationship that develops within two members of the group, but it is not in the forefront and there are very, very minimal details.

Due to the somewhat large number of players in this story, I found that having a “cast” from modern movies and television helped me remember each individual. For Mimi Harrison, if the story had been filmed in the 1940’s, I would certainly have cast Vivien Leigh (with an American accent), but my mind ended up defaulting to Megan Fox as the gorgeous and successful Hollywood actress. For her caddish beaux I imagined Leonardo DiCaprio. The Sotheby’s representative with whom they often worked was Rupert Everett in my mind, albeit younger than he is today. Frances Knight would be played by Claudie Blakley, also known as Charlotte Lucas in the 2005 adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, although she is now old enough to play the forty-something Frances. English actor Hugh Dancy would play the earnest solicitor Andrew, and James Corden (a few years older than he is now) would play Adam the farmer. Sophie McShera of Downton Abbey would play Evie Stone, with Sophie at age sixteen. Laurence Fox of Sanditon would take on the role of a distant Knight relative I have not mentioned yet, but who makes a few brief but important appearances. Emily Blunt of Mary Poppins Returns would be our schoolteacher Adeline, and Richard Armitage would embody the role of Dr. Benjamin Gray.

In addition to enjoying Natalie Jenner’s novel very much, I also loved the audio book performance of The Jane Austen Society by the aforementioned Richard Armitage. His English voice was a perfect choice for this title, and he did well handling so many characters, many of whom I have not mentioned here. As he has a very deep tone, sometimes his vocalizations made it a bit tricky to accept the females’ dialogue, but in general it went very well. Listening to him as I washed dishes or folded laundry was a lovely pastime.

The purpose of the Jane Austen Society in the novel is “the preservation, promotion and study of the life and works of Miss Jane Austen.” This included the effort to acquire Miss Austen’s home in Chawton to use as a museum. The journey that this group of Janeites take in their quest to make this happen is intriguing, entertaining and earnest. I am so grateful that the house in Chawton is indeed a museum in the present day. As a matter of fact, just yesterday I was alerted to the fact that Chawton House is in danger as a museum. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the museum’s tourism income, which provides most of its funds, has virtually disappeared. They are in danger of closing, as they are unable to have visitors. The very items mentioned in The Jane Austen Society, such as Jane’s jewelry and priceless first editions of books could be lost as they might have to be dispersed in liquidation. After reading Jenner’s novel, the thought of this treasure of a site being lost was heartbreaking. I immediately went to their donations page and sent in a contribution. Not only do I highly recommend The Jane Austen Society to you, but I also encourage you to support the very thing that is heralded in Natalie Jenner’s book: the preservation, promotion and study of the life and works of Miss Jane Austen.

I found this alternate history of the founding of the Jane Austen society to be delightful. A group of strangers united in their love for Austen find community with each other and fight to preserve her legacy.

This is a sweet, beautifully written story for Jane Austen fans. I do think the heart of the novel would be lost on anyone who isn't familiar with her works. The characters are charming. The first part of the story is character-driven and slower-paced, but it picks up in the final third of the book, and the ending was perfect!

This was a fun and enjoyable read. I don’t consider myself a Jane Austen fan and I haven’t read most of her works but I do enjoy stories that shed light on things that I don’t have knowledge of. For me this was an opportunity to learn about Jane Austen, about her books, about England in the 1940’s… I walked away with a desire to read more of Jane Austen.

#TheJaneAustenSociety #NetGalley

Oh what a magical read. Any bibliophile and lover of Jane Austen would devour this read. The setting was described beautifully, and the sprinkle of Jane Austen history as well as references to her literature was such a special touch. If you’re a lover of historical fiction, Jane Austen, or a sucker for a quaint, heart-warning setting, read this book!!

If you are a Jane Austen aficionado then you will enjoy the references to her books and characters peppered through this book about The Jane Austen Society that was formed in the 1940s in her hometown of Chawton.  While all of the characters are fictional and the events leading up to the formation of this group may not be how it really happened, it was eye opening to see so many who cared about an author and her works and be invested in her writings.  I was intrigued by how many times these characters read her books and commenting on the new nuances they discovered and debating Austen's thoughts while writing the book.

But this book is about more than Jane Austen.  It is about finding new friends, relationships, misunderstandings, and perhaps renewed faith and interest in life.  The cast of characters ranges in age but there is a connection between all of them, which is not surprising for this small village in England.  I enjoyed most of the characters but there were a few that were despicable but that is to be expected because not everyone can be nice.  However, those characters gave the story a little more depth and gave you someone to root against as events unfolded.

There are parts of the book that I'm disappointed by some actions of several of the characters.  While some I sort of understood in the grand scheme of life, a different choice would have resulted in a different outcome for the society.  While reading the book, I felt like I knew some of the characters better than others.  There were some that I wanted to know more about, such as Mimi.  I felt like the surface was just scratched in her case and there was more to understand about her character.

I will admit that I haven't read any Jane Austen books that I recall but now I am intrigued and maybe one day I'll pick up one of her books to see if I can unearth the same sort of observations as others have over time.

We give this book 3 1/2 paws.

I thought I would like this book more than I did. Just could not engage with any of the characters. The choices they made did not resonate with me. Jane Austen is one of my favorite authors, and this book did include much discussion of her, her books, characters in her books, and opinions about each of these. But that was not enough to make me love this book.

I read the ARC of The Jane Austen Society, the debut novel by Natalie Jenner, courtesy of NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press in exchange for an honest review. This book is funny and sad, touching and triumphant; and is subtly powerful in the way it explores human foibles and frailties.

Chawton, England, the final home of Jane Austen, is often besieged with tourists wanting to see her home and other artifacts. Some of the residents welcome them, and some do not. Ms. Jenner has created very Austen-like characters who make some of the same mistakes made by Austen’s characters.

It is shortly after World War II, and a few of Austen’s more distant relatives still live in Chawton. A handful of them want to form a charity and foundation to preserve her home and as many remaining books and artifacts as they can. The problem? A cantankerous old man has left his daughter nothing, and willed the property to the closest living male relative who plans to sell everything to a developer. Another problem? The Jane Austen Society needs money to buy the cottage and what other items they can locate.

The small group forming the society are about as unlikely a group as can be found, yet they share a love of Austen’s work and legacy. Each has had his or her own share of tragedy and disappointment, and continues to struggle with loss. Perhaps that is why they relate so well, not only to Austen’s characters, but to each other.

I was amazed at the way Ms. Jenner used the personalities of Austen’s characters to for her characters. This book reveals how Ms. Austen used her books to deal with her own travails, and in doing so, pays homage to a beloved author. I thoroughly enjoyed this charming book. It makes me want to pull out Jane’s books. You won’t be sorry you took the time to read it.

What made The Grumpy Book Reviewer grumpy?

• Incorrect verb tense: was vs. were; went vs. came;
• A lot of split infinitives;
• A lot of missing commas;
• Excessive and unnecessary use of the word “that”.

Review will be posted on 6/15/2020

Jane Austen lived in the small town of Chawton, England for the last eight years of her life and while there, she wrote many of her memorable novels. Fast forward many years, the quaint village of Chawton is still buzzing with life and attracting Janeites far and wide. Readers meet many of the village inhabitants including Adeline, the village schoolteacher, who likes to challenge convention by teaching "female" novels. Then there's the village physician, Dr. Gray, who is a sad widower, but still a pillar of the community. Then there's Adam, a farmer and secret Austen fan, and Mimi, a Hollywood actress and Jane Austen fan, who visits from America. Lastly, there's Evie, a housemaid for the Knights. The Knights own Jane Austen's cottage and the gorgeous manor house in Chawton. James Knight is dying and instead of leaving the estate to his only child, Frances, he decides to give it to the next male heir, which has a major ripple effect on the community. Each member of the Chawton community is struggling with something after the war and the power of books as well as a love of Jane Austen bring them together. Natalie Jenner's The Jane Austen Society is a heartwarming tale that Janeites will love to get lost in.

Even though there are many characters in The Jane Austen Society, I enjoyed each and everyone. All the characters had something they were struggling with and their appreciation of books (as well as Jane) truly made me smile. Adeline is the character whom I felt most connected with and my heart really went out for her as the story progressed. Things were not easy for her, especially when her husband goes off to war. Dr. Gray was also a complex character. I loved his sophistication, the fact that he truly cared about each member of the community, and his love for books; however, he is still trying to get over the untimely death of his wife. There is a dark cloud that follows him around and combining this with something tragic that happens when he takes care of Adeline really impacts his life. I also really enjoyed the character of Evie. I felt badly that she had to leave school despite her potential in order to make money for her family. She works for the Knights and finds herself cataloging each book in their extensive library. While doing this, she finds some amazing Austen artifacts. Adam comes up with a great idea to preserve Jane Austen's old cottage and shares his enthusiasm with Dr. Gray. Despite their different backgrounds, all the characters work together towards a common goal and in turn, heal some old wounds.

The setting of Chawton was really special in The Jane Austen Society. I had the pleasure of visiting Chawton a few years ago and I really loved it. Jenner brought it to life beautifully; I felt like I was back enjoying the gorgeous English countryside. The quaint village, the quiet pace of life, and the caring community were all so memorable. It had me dreaming of spending a quiet afternoon in Chawton and visiting The Jane Austen's House Museum.

Obviously, if you are a Jane Austen fan, you will appreciate The Jane Austen Society tremendously. Even if you aren't a hardcore Janeite, you will enjoy this heartwarming read about a cast of characters you will end up caring about long after the story ends. Reading The Jane Austen Society was like watching my favorite show on Masterpiece PBS and to me that is a huge compliment.

What a beautiful, lyrical book. I did not know what to expect but I was struck by the sweetness and its kindness of the characters and the story. The author sets up a simple story of people dealing with grief and unrequited love and how the stories of Jane Austen get through hard times and loneliness. Its beautifully and sensitively done and each character and narrator is fully realized. I'm not usually a fan of multi narratives because so often the thru line of the plot gets lost among the jumbled voices but I found the narratives well put together so they made sense for the story. The one that sticks out the most is Adam and the Doctor and the young girl, whose name escapes me spending every night cataloging the books (!) - but honestly I enjoyed all the characters. I enjoyed the subtle use of Jane Austen tropes as the story moved on and the lit crit arguments the characters had over their favorite Austen books. So many scenes are stuck in my brain and just thinking about them has endorphins releasing. And the end is such a roller coaster - I knew that Austen's legacy was ultimately preserved but was it such a nail biter as in the book? I would give people this book and tell them to get ready for unexpected, chocolate box of book. You'll laugh, you'll cry and you'll need copious amounts of tea as you sit in your coziest chair reading. I wonder if non Jane Austen fans would read this and have a new appreciation for her? Will Austen fans start planning their trip to Chawton and wondering about the lives of its inhabitants? I can't wait to put this into the hands of readers at my library. As a side note I did listen to the audio book which was intoxicatingly good!

The Jane Austen Society is a book for any and all Austen fans. Set right after World War II, the book is about a small handful of people who live in the village where Austen lived out her last years who want to preserve Austen's memory by purchasing a cottage to turn it into a museum.

Natalie Jenner's novel revolves around eight main characters, all who love Jane Austen's books and who are all dealing with grief and trauma of some sort. We see how their desire to form the Jane Austen Society helps them bond with each other, and that more than anything is the point of the society.

Fans of Austen will love all the allusions to the books, and the best parts are when characters talk to each other about their favorite parts of Emma or Pride and Prejudice. Jenner attempts to create the same sense of tone as Austen does in reflecting the mores of small-town life, and it is ultimately a romance between a few couples that drives the plot.

I enjoyed the book overall, and my only criticism is that the end of the book felt a bit rushed compared to the pacing of the rest of the book. It starts slow, picks up the pace a bit in the middle, and then zooms to the end. Overall, though, I liked the book and it made me want to go reread Austen right away.

This is a charming fictional story about a group of people from various walks of life who are brought together by their shared love of Jane Austen. Taking place in the village of Chawton, England, immediately after World War II, the story shows how one common interest can unite some of the most unlikely of people and how a love of reading can bring joy to ones life.

This was an easy read, and I found I enjoyed it very much. Would definitely recommend this book to others.

I want to preface this with the fact that I am not a fan of Jane Austen. Therefore many of the references in this story to her characters and books went over my head. However, I still enjoyed this reading experience. There are quite a few characters to track with but most of them were endearing and wanting to find out what happened in their personal stories kept me engaged. Plus the narration for the audiobook was so good.


*Also got from Libro.fm as an ALC