01-07-2020, 03:30 PM
This is literary criticism mixed with biography, with a chapter on each of Austen's novels. The bio part covers his grad school years and Austen was a focus of his dissertation. He tells us life lessons learned from the novels, and while it makes a good frame for discussion, I'm a bit skeptical that he had all these realizations at the time, and may be inserting later insights. But it is cleverly done, and has some good insights into the novels, with some of Austen's biography and letters mixed in as well. Reads easily, but I think I'm the only DOOM member with any interest.
HP note: Filch's cat gets its name from the very unpleasant and disapproving Mrs. Norris in Mansfield Park, who despises the heroine, reminding her at one point that she must remember that she is always last and least. I remember Rowling saying at one point that it seemed like the cat looked at them disapprovingly, which might be a very subtle reference to her source.
HP note: Filch's cat gets its name from the very unpleasant and disapproving Mrs. Norris in Mansfield Park, who despises the heroine, reminding her at one point that she must remember that she is always last and least. I remember Rowling saying at one point that it seemed like the cat looked at them disapprovingly, which might be a very subtle reference to her source.
the hands that guide me are invisible