Christian Encounters: Jane Austen
by Peter Leithart
Peter Leithart set out to give an accurate portrayal of beloved author Jane Austen. Using Austen’s own writings and stories from friends and family (as well as other historic documentation), Leithart begins to piece together the true story of Jane (or Jenny as he calls her) Austen.
Since I do not know that much about Jane Austen, I can only say that this book appears to give readers a balanced view of who Jane Austen really was. It does not paint her as overly Christian, nor does it remove her faith from the picture. It gives some insight into who she really was besides just a great author.
Leithart feels that in order to truly understand someone you need to get to know their family, friends, and environment. I tend to agree that having the background knowledge for the individual allows one gain a better understanding of the whole person.
I liked that this book reads more like a novel than a biography. Having the quotes woven throughout the book adds interest and gives readers a better glimpse into Austen’s world.
About the Author:
Dr. Peter Leithart has taught Theology & Literature at New St. Andrews College since 1998, and has served as pastor of Trinity Reformed Church in Moscow, Idaho, since 2003. He received his Ph.D. at Cambridge in England. Dr. Leithart and his wife, Noel, have 10 children and 3 grandchildren.
Book Details:
- Paperback: 192 pages
- Publisher: Thomas Nelson; Original edition (March 2, 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 1595553029
- ISBN-13: 978-1595553027
- List price: $12.00
Book Description:
Some may know Jane Austen simply as the English novelist whose books are required reading in high school and college. Perhaps it wasn’t until the BBC’s extremely successful TV miniseries of Pride and Prejudice or Emma Thompson’s film Sense and Sensibility that many became entranced. Now younger readers are flocking to Austen with a unique twist in the bestselling Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance, by Seth Grahame-Smith. In this Christian Encounters biography, fans of Jane Austen will discover the Christian faith that was in the weft and weave of her character and how it influenced her writing and her life.
I received a copy of Christian Encounters: Jane Austen from Thomas Nelson as part of BookSneeze. No other compensation was received. All opinions are my own. This post contains Amazon Affiliate links.
