Jane Austen - The Secret Radical: A Book Review

This was an interesting read. I picked it up on the recommendation of a Pride & Prejudice fanfic (specifically, the author's footnote). I found the structure interesting. The 'truthful fiction' of starting each chapter with an imagined perspective of Jane Austen herself, the chapters themselves being tied to each of Austen's books, the footnotes (I love a good footnote). I liked the historical context that Kelly provided for Austen's works, the unravelling of potential symbolism and metaphor. I especially enjoyed the Pride & Prejudice, Persuasion, and Mansfield Park chapters. (Impressive because I did not enjoy Mansfield Park [the novel] at all.)

I struggled with the Sense & Sensibility, Emma, and Northanger Abbey chapters. The former two because I feel I need to reread the books and also study more of the history and of Austen herself to discover if Kelly's conclusions are as probable as they're presented (and I freely admit, because it challenges the notions I have about the characters and their happiness therein); the latter because I think that some conclusions regarding Northanger Abbey are a little far-fetched (the entire key and lock metaphor...).

I also began to mistrust the accuracy or...foundational accuracy, I suppose is a better way to put it...of Kelly's analyses and conclusions when she mentioned Darcy disliking Wickham's mother. I do not know of any edition of P&P that makes any reference to her, and I think Kelly may have confused the quote with one of Darcy's mother. I will dive into P&P again and find out.

Also, the confident tone of it all sort of grated on me. For someone baldly stating that everyone has approached Austen wrongly, she is very confident in her assertions; as confident as all the Austen readers have been over the years. That seems hypocritical, but I also understand that she's writing a thesis: she has to write her argument with certainty and convince the reader. Kelly also gave the impression of having decided opinions on Austen's family that didn't seem all that well founded (to me, and again: more research is required) which made me leery of some of her conclusions, especially at the end.

All of which is to say, Kelly did not convince me wholescale of her view. Still, overall, it got me thinking and made me feel as though I understand some of Austen's works better, or at least their historical context better, and gave me new perspectives with which to enjoy the books.