by Devoney Looser
Read by Marisa Calin
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Or listen at Libro.fm
Content: It’s a bit scholarly, but for the most part, it’s pretty accessible. It’s in the Literary Reference section of the bookstore.

Looser’s thesis is simple: the wider reading world has spent too long defining Austen as “tame” and “safe”, when – according to Looser- she isn’t. Her books (and her life) are not quiet and demure, and instead should be considered “wild” (subversive, maybe? Especially for the time they were written), and Looser sets out to explain why.

On the one hand, I think Looser’s thesis is a bit unnecessary: who considers Austen to be tame? Those who haven’t read it? Maybe. That said, I was fascinated by the way Looser broke down the books, pointing out the ways in which Austen was subverting, poking fun at, and exposing parts of the society she was writing about. After looking at all of Austen’s books (including Lady Susan and her juvenilia), Looser delves into Austen’s life, and then the way her books have continued to be relevant. I’m not sure how much someone who isn’t really familiar with Austen’s works will like this one, but I found it fascinating.

The narrator was excellent as well; she kept the book from being overly scholarly (not sure how much I’d have liked it if I’d read it), and was engaging to listen to.

Definitely recommended.