---
product_id: 30587196
title: "The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things"
price: "$1012"
currency: MXN
in_stock: false
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.mx/products/30587196-the-real-jane-austen-a-life-in-small-things
store_origin: MX
region: Mexico
---

# The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things

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desertcart.com: The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things: 9780061999109: Byrne, Paula: Books

Review: This book offers a unique and intimate portrait of Jane Austin - Paula Byrne’s *The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things* offers a unique and intimate portrait of one of literature’s most beloved figures. Instead of presenting a traditional chronological biography, Byrne employs a creative narrative technique, exploring Jane Austen’s life through a series of evocative objects and artifacts. This approach provides fresh insights into Austen’s character, environment, and influences, making the biography both accessible and deeply engaging. Byrne’s central thesis is that the details, or “small things,” of Austen’s world — from her writing desk to personal letters, from her clothing to her family’s possessions — unlock the mysteries of the author’s personality and creative genius. This method allows readers to appreciate Austen not just as a distant literary figure, but as a real woman living through social expectations, financial challenges, and personal trials in late 18th and early 19th century England. One of the book’s strengths is its meticulous research. Byrne dives into archival material, presenting compelling evidence about Austen’s daily life and relationships. For example, Byrne sheds light on Austen’s close bond with her sister Cassandra, whose shadowy presence has often left scholars guessing about the author’s private feelings. The biography also captures the subtle tensions in Austen’s social world, including her family’s fluctuating fortunes and Jane’s own struggles with health and the prospect of marriage. Stylistically, Byrne’s writing is graceful and vivid. She has a clear respect and affection for Austen, yet she resists hagiography. Instead, she humanizes Austen, presenting her with all her complexities, contradictions, and occasional insecurities. The choice to focus on objects allows Byrne to weave together personal anecdotes, historical context, and literary analysis in a seamless and enjoyable narrative. Some readers might find the structure somewhat unconventional, as the object-based chapters can feel episodic rather than linear. However, this very structure echoes Austen’s own attention to detail and social nuance. It invites readers to piece together a fuller understanding of Austen’s world much like a detective assembling clues. In conclusion, *The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things* is a richly detailed and thoughtfully crafted biography that will appeal to Jane Austen enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Paula Byrne successfully melds biography with cultural history, demonstrating how even the smallest objects can illuminate the life and legacy of a literary icon. This book is a valuable contribution to Austen scholarship and a delightful read for anyone curious about the life behind the novels.
Review: life and times presented - It's been fun learning about life in general in Jane Austen's time, and the influences that came to her when she lived. I enjoyed this book for the information and point of view. It wasn't a page-turner for me - the same information in the hands of a different writer might have made it more personable. Some writers of non-fiction have a writing style that makes me feel like we've sat by a hearth, sipping at something, and enjoying a good conversation. Byrne isn't that writer. But the writing is good enough for the purposes and I recommend the book for anyone wanting a fuller view of Austen's life and times.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | #961,883 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #329 in British & Irish Literary Criticism (Books) #522 in Author Biographies #1,798 in Women's Biographies |
| Customer Reviews | 4.5 out of 5 stars 447 Reviews |

## Images

![The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/91fpEbzl7AL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book offers a unique and intimate portrait of Jane Austin
*by C***S on September 23, 2025*

Paula Byrne’s *The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things* offers a unique and intimate portrait of one of literature’s most beloved figures. Instead of presenting a traditional chronological biography, Byrne employs a creative narrative technique, exploring Jane Austen’s life through a series of evocative objects and artifacts. This approach provides fresh insights into Austen’s character, environment, and influences, making the biography both accessible and deeply engaging. Byrne’s central thesis is that the details, or “small things,” of Austen’s world — from her writing desk to personal letters, from her clothing to her family’s possessions — unlock the mysteries of the author’s personality and creative genius. This method allows readers to appreciate Austen not just as a distant literary figure, but as a real woman living through social expectations, financial challenges, and personal trials in late 18th and early 19th century England. One of the book’s strengths is its meticulous research. Byrne dives into archival material, presenting compelling evidence about Austen’s daily life and relationships. For example, Byrne sheds light on Austen’s close bond with her sister Cassandra, whose shadowy presence has often left scholars guessing about the author’s private feelings. The biography also captures the subtle tensions in Austen’s social world, including her family’s fluctuating fortunes and Jane’s own struggles with health and the prospect of marriage. Stylistically, Byrne’s writing is graceful and vivid. She has a clear respect and affection for Austen, yet she resists hagiography. Instead, she humanizes Austen, presenting her with all her complexities, contradictions, and occasional insecurities. The choice to focus on objects allows Byrne to weave together personal anecdotes, historical context, and literary analysis in a seamless and enjoyable narrative. Some readers might find the structure somewhat unconventional, as the object-based chapters can feel episodic rather than linear. However, this very structure echoes Austen’s own attention to detail and social nuance. It invites readers to piece together a fuller understanding of Austen’s world much like a detective assembling clues. In conclusion, *The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things* is a richly detailed and thoughtfully crafted biography that will appeal to Jane Austen enthusiasts and newcomers alike. Paula Byrne successfully melds biography with cultural history, demonstrating how even the smallest objects can illuminate the life and legacy of a literary icon. This book is a valuable contribution to Austen scholarship and a delightful read for anyone curious about the life behind the novels.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ life and times presented
*by A***A on July 3, 2016*

It's been fun learning about life in general in Jane Austen's time, and the influences that came to her when she lived. I enjoyed this book for the information and point of view. It wasn't a page-turner for me - the same information in the hands of a different writer might have made it more personable. Some writers of non-fiction have a writing style that makes me feel like we've sat by a hearth, sipping at something, and enjoying a good conversation. Byrne isn't that writer. But the writing is good enough for the purposes and I recommend the book for anyone wanting a fuller view of Austen's life and times.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A fresh approach...
*by H***E on March 29, 2013*

Just when it seems that biographies of Romance novelist Jane Austen have exhausted all the narrative possibilities, along comes a fresh approach. Paula Byrne's "The Real Jane Austen" conjures up insights into the beloved author through physical objects (clothing items, jewelry, even carriages) that played a direct or indirect role in her life. This proves to be a surprisingly creative entrance into Miss Jane Austen's life and times. Thanks to the weeding of Cassandra Austen, who burned most of her sister's personal correspondence at her premature death in 1817, Jane Austen left a discouragingly small pile of material for future biographers. Her six completed novels, her youthful writings, unfinished drafts, and her surviving letters have offered only an incomplete view of the masterful writer behind the carefully cherished family image of a dutiful spinster aunt. The objects that Byrne describes allow the reader to glimpse Austen's life from a perspective somewhat over her shoulder. There is a family portrait in profile of one of her brothers being adopted by a relative. An East Indian shawl introduces some of Austen's more exotic relatives. Her vellum notebooks containing her youthful writings reveal a writer with a subversive wit, nurtured by her family. A cocked hat provides insights on Jane's brother Henry, who pursued many occupations and who was her literary agent. Perhaps most intriguing of all, Brynes argues for the authenticity of a recently discovered period painting as a portrait of Jane Austen herself. if there are few new facts in this book, Brynes does engage in some fascinating and informed interpretation of Austen's life, including her intense drive to be a successful writer, her decision(s) to remain unmarried, and her feelings about the world in which she lived. "The Real Jane Austen" is likely to be an interesting read for her fans, and is highly recommended.

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things
- Jane Austen at Home: A Biography
- Jane Austen: A Life

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*Product available on Desertcart Mexico*
*Store origin: MX*
*Last updated: 2026-02-07*