Internet Archive: Free Download: Memoir of Jane Austen

Librivox recording of Memoir of Jane Austen by James Edward Austen-Leigh.

"The Memoir of my Aunt, Jane Austen, has been received with more favour than I had ventured to expect. The notices taken of it in the periodical press, as well as letters addressed to me by many with whom I am not personally acquainted, show that an unabated interest is still taken in every particular that can be told about her. I am thus encouraged not only to offer a Second Edition of the Memoir, but also to enlarge it with some additional matter which I might have scrupled to intrude on the public if they had not thus seemed to call for it. In the present Edition, the narrative is somewhat enlarged, and a few more letters are added; with a short specimen of her childish stories. The cancelled chapter of ‘Persuasion’ is given, in compliance with wishes both publicly and privately expressed. A fragment of a story entitled ‘The Watsons’ is printed; p. iii and extracts are given from a novel which she had begun a few months before her death; but the chief addition is a short tale never before published, called ‘Lady Susan.’ {0a} I regret that the little which I have been able to add could not appear in my First Edition; as much of it was either unknown to me, or not at my command, when I first published; and I hope that I may claim some indulgent allowance for the difficulty of recovering little facts and feelings which had been merged half a century deep in oblivion." - James Edward Austen-Leigh in the Preface to Memoir of Jane Austen

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This audio is part of the collection: LibriVox

Artist/Composer: James Edward Austen-Leigh (1798-1874)
Date: 2008-05-22
Source: Librivox recording of a public-domain text
Keywords: librivox; audiobooks; Jane Austen; biography

Reviewer: katknit -

- August 11, 2009
Subject: The original
Jane Austen (as is so cogently noted in this volume) gained little notice or fame during her regrettably short life. Likewise, other than her six novels and some letters, little primary evidence exists to enlighten her admirers. Alas, it was common in the 19th century for families to burn all materials believed to be too personal or too revealing.

In undertaking to write this "memoir" about the life of his brilliant aunt, J.E.Austen-Leigh undoubtedly followed the mores of the times in protecting her privacy. But the little he tells his readers about his memories of Jane Austen are worth a careful perusal, if only because he knew her. Those who know from her books about the sharpness of her sense of humor and satire will take with a grain of salt her portrayal here as always genteel and decorous. But he does manage to convey a sense of her playfulness, creativity, and inventiveness, and he is justified in referring to her as a genius.

Written in a now antiquated style, portions of this slim memoir can be hard going, but it is worth the effort.

Whole Item	Format	Size
memoir_jane_austen_0805_librivox_128kb.m3u	128kbps M3U	Stream
memoir_jane_austen_0805_librivox_64kb.m3u	64Kbps M3U	Stream
memoir_jane_austen_0805_librivox_64kb_mp3.zip	64Kbps MP3 ZIP	137 MB

Audio Files	128Kbps MP3	Ogg Vorbis	64Kbps MP3
01 - Preface and Chapter 1: Introductory Remarks--Birth of Jane Austen--Her Family	22 MB	12 MB	11 MB
02 - Description of Steventon--Life at Steventon--Changes of Habits and Customs in the last Century	30 MB	17 MB	15 MB
03 - Early Compositions--Friends at Ashe--A very Old Letter--Lines on the Death of Mrs. Lefroy--Observations on Jane Austen's Letter-writing--Letters	34 MB	18 MB	17 MB
04 - Removal from Steventon--Residence at Bath and at Southampton--Settling at Chawton	21 MB	17 MB	11 MB
05 - Description of Jane Austen's person, character, and tastes	17 MB	14 MB	8.62 MB
06 - Habits of Composition resumed after a long interval--First publication--The interest taken by the Author in the success of her Works	17 MB	8.91 MB	8.39 MB
07 - Seclusion from the literary world--Notice from the Prince Regent--Correspondence with Mr. Clarke--Suggestions to alter her style of writing	29 MB	17 MB	15 MB
08 - Slow growth of her fame--Ill success of first attempts at publication--Two Reviews of her works contrasted	12 MB	6.55 MB	6.00 MB
09 - Opinions expressed by eminent persons--Opinions of others of less eminence--Opinion of American readers	13 MB	7.05 MB	6.25 MB
10 - Observations on the Novels	8.30 MB	6.53 MB	4.15 MB
11 - Declining health of Jane Austen--Elasticity of her spirits--Her resignation and humility--Her death	25 MB	14 MB	12 MB
12 - The Cancelled Chapter of 'Persuasion.'	21 MB	12 MB	11 MB
13 - The Last Work	19 MB	15 MB	9.47 MB
14 - Chapter 14: Postscript	6.57 MB	3.72 MB	3.28 MB

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memoir_jane_austen_0805_librivox_meta.xml	Metadata	2.86 KB
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James Edward Austen-Leigh (1798-1874)Memoir of Jane Austen (May 22, 2008)

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