The Novel Life of Jane Austen: A Graphic Biography

A brilliant collaboration between internationally acclaimed Jane Austen expert, Janine Barchas, and New York Times bestselling graphic novelist, Isabel Greenberg.

The Novel Life of Jane Austen is a one-of-a-kind, impeccably researched, ecstatically drawn graphic biography of one of the world’s most beloved literary icons. Combining deep scholarship and serious whimsy, The Novel Life of Jane Austen presents this literary icon as the starring character in her own graphic novel. Told in three parts (Budding Writer 1796-1797); Struggling Artist 1801-1809; Published Author 1811-1817), the gritty circumstances of Austen’s own genteel poverty and the small daily injustices so often borne by creative women at this time, are told against the backdrop of Georgian England and reflect, down to the smallest detail, many of the plots and characters woven into Austen’s greatest works. All the settings and scenarios presented here are based upon the historical record, including the clothing, architecture, decor, and Regency locations. Sprinkled throughout, the Easter eggs and clever references to popular film adaptations of Austen’s novels will satisfy the casual and avid Austen fan alike.

Janine Barchas, Ph.D. is an internationally recognized Jane Austen scholar. She holds the Chancellor’s Council Centennial Chair in Book Arts at the University of Texas at Austin. She is the acclaimed author of Matters of Fact in Jane Austen: History, Location, and Celebrity, The Lost Books of Jane Austen, and creator behind the digital project What Jane Saw (www.whatjanesaw.org). She lives in Austin, Texas

Isabel Greenberg is the author of three graphic novels, including the New York Times bestsellers The Encyclopedia of Early Earth and The One Hundred Nights of Hero, as well as the Bronte siblings graphic memoir Glass Town. She lives in England.