The Novel Life of Jane Austen

I was so excited when I heard about this book. I love Jane Austen. I love biographies. I love graphic novels. It was a perfect trifecta!

The Novel Life of Jane Austen, written by Janine Barchas and illustrated by Isabel Greenberg, is 144 pages of non-infodumping narrative excellence. Told in a narrative structure, this book is split into three parts: Part One: 1796-1797 Budding Writer; Part Two: 1801-1809 Struggling Artist; and Part Three: 1809-1817 Published Author.

The first part details the dreamer and the inspiration of a 21-year-old Jane Austen; her dreams of wanting to see her books on shelves, and her decision to publish under the pen name A Lady. The second part goes over her family’s move to Bath, England, the publishing debacle of Susan, which never actually saw publication in her lifetime, and the need to ruthlessly cut expenses. The last part reveals her life’s work and her splendid mind, which carries us to the end of her life.

The color choices help to tell the story. The day-to-day events of Jane Austen’s life are told in shades of yellow and blue, but her inner mind is depicted in vivid reds and pinks. This was a very effective method to relay her imaginative nature and set it apart from the mundane. There is also a section that offers more detail and context for the graphic novel, chapter by chapter.

This hardback book is a solid 5/5 stars!