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- Title: Memoir of Jane Austen
- Author: James Edward Austen-Leigh
- Narrator: LibriVox Volunteers
- Length: 05:00:18
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 01/01/2017
- Publisher: LibriVox
- Genre: Biography & Memoir, Literary
- ISBN13: SABLIB9786368
As I settled into my favorite armchair with a cup of Earl Grey, the opening lines of James Edward Austen-Leigh’s ‘Memoir of Jane Austen’ transported me back to my graduate seminar at Harvard where we first deconstructed the Victorian construction of female authorship. This LibriVox audiobook edition offers a fascinating auditory portal into the carefully curated image of one of literature’s most enigmatic figures, narrated with earnest charm by volunteer voices that feel appropriately domestic – much like the portrait Austen-Leigh paints of his aunt.
The memoir’s value lies precisely in what it reveals about Victorian biographical conventions. Through a cultural lens, we see how Austen-Leigh’s account – written fifty years after Jane’s death – reflects more about 1860s England than Regency-era reality. The narration’s multiple volunteer voices create an intriguing polyphony that mirrors the memoir’s own layered truthfulness. While some recordings show uneven audio quality (to be expected from volunteer work), the collective effort embodies the communal spirit of Austen’s own family storytelling traditions.
What fascines me most is how this audiobook experience highlights the tension between Austen’s sharp wit and the memoir’s genteel framing. Listening to descriptions of Jane quietly writing at her small table, I recalled teaching ‘Lady Susan’ in Tokyo and watching Japanese students react with shock at Austen’s proto-feminist undertones – so different from the demure portrait presented here. The included fragments of Austen’s childhood writings and unpublished works are particularly precious in audio form, letting us hear the author’s voice through the cracks of her nephew’s decorous narrative.
The LibriVox narration’s earnestness perfectly suits this primary document of literary reception history. While professional narrators might polish the delivery, these volunteer readers capture the authentic amateur spirit in which Austen herself first shared her work with family. Certain passages about Jane’s religious devotion gain new resonance when read aloud, revealing how Victorian values shaped this biography. Yet the audiobook format also makes conspicuous what’s omitted – the absence of any discussion about Austen’s possible romantic disappointments or financial anxieties speaks volumes about Victorian propriety.
Compared to modern biographies like Claire Tomalin’s excellent work, this memoir shows its age yet remains invaluable as the foundational text of Austen studies. The audio edition makes accessible this crucial piece of literary history, though I’d recommend pairing it with more contemporary scholarship for balance. For devoted Austenites, hearing her nephew’s firsthand accounts – complete with charming mispronunciations by volunteer readers – creates an intimate connection to the author’s world that print alone cannot match.
With scholarly appreciation and a raised eyebrow at Victorian propriety,
Prof. Emily Chen
