HELENA KELLY grew up in North Kent. She has taught classics and English Literature at the University of Oxford. She lives in Oxford with her husband and son.
Excitement about Helena Kelly's
JANE AUSTEN, THE SECRET RADICAL "Do we read Jane Austen's novels as
she intended? In this riveting literary-biographical study, the
answer is a resounding no . . . An interpretive coup that is
dazzling and dizzying . . . You won't read Austen the same way
again."
--The New Yorker "A fresh take on the life and work of the beloved
writer Jane Austen . . . Reveals the subversive rebel soul behind
such towering classics as Sense and Sensibility, Pride and
Prejudice, and Mansfield Park."
--Lisa Shea, Elle "Jane Austen: the Secret Radical is wonderful; a
revelation. It's difficult to stand out from the crowd when writing
about such an influential figure, but Helena Kelly has certainly
achieved that with this smart, knowing, perceptive book."
--Amanda Foreman, author of A World on Fire "Helena Kelly makes the
case for Austen as an author steeped in the fear of war and
revolution who wrote about the burning political issues of the time
. . . Meticulously researched . . . Through a combination of
beautifully precise close readings alongside Austen's biographical,
literary and historical context, Kelly shows us that the novels
were about nothing more or less than the burning political
questions of the day . . . A deeply welcome book . . . A sublime
piece of literary detective work that shows us once and for all how
to be precisely the sort of reader that Austen deserves."
--Caroline Criado-Perez, The Guardian "A thoroughly impressive and
convincing re-reading of Jane Austen's works . . . Austen expert
Helena Kelly takes the author's catalogue of works, much adapted,
much loved, and turns them upside down, shaking out the petticoats
and love stories to find a dark, politically motivated underbelly .
. . Kelly points us toward Austen's carefully woven-in ideas and
opinions on, among others, the deadliness of marriage and
motherhood, corruption in the church, and the debilitating poverty
caused by enclosure of common lands . . . You'll definitely see
Austen's work differently from now on."
--Ella Walker, Eastern Daily Press "Uncovering a radical, spirited
and politically engaged Austen, Jane Austen, The Secret Radical
will encourage you to read Jane, all over again."
--Yorkshire Post "Kelly amply shows her deep research into some of
the lesser-known elements of Austen's life and work . . . She
exposes a depth beyond what at first may seem to be silly
characters. A fine-grained study that shows us how to read between
the lines to discover the remarkable woman who helped transform the
novel from trash to an absolute art form."
--Kirkus Reviews "Ambitious . . . illuminating, provocative . . .
Kelly offers a salutary argument for reading Austen's novels with
the serious attentiveness they invite and deserve."
--Bharat Tandon, The Spectator "A thoroughly engaging read."
--Devoney Looser, The Times Literary Supplement "A thoroughly
impressive and convincing re-reading of Jane Austen's work . . .
Kelly takes the author's catalogue of works, much adapted, much
loved, and turns them upside down, shaking out the petticoats and
love stories to find a dark, politically motivated underbelly.
Beneath the drawing room chatter and matchmaking, Kelly points us
toward Austen's carefully woven-in ideas and opinions on, among
others, the deadliness of marriage and motherhood, corruption in
the church, and the debilitating poverty caused by enclosure of
common lands . . . You'll definitely see Austen's works differently
from now on."
--Ella Walker, The Press and Journal "A bodice-burstingly brilliant
book . . . Essential . . . What this radical re-reading of the
novels does so brilliantly is to exhort us all to chuck out the
chintz, and the teacups, and all the traditional romantic notions
about Austen's work that have been fed to us for so long . . .
However well you think you know the novels, you'll be raring to
read them again once you've read this."
--Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller (Book of the Month)
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