Jane Austen was a great novelist and one of the central figures of English literature, but she herself lived a quiet and uneventful life, mostly in the two Hampshire villages of Steventon and Chawton. Jon Spence’s new biography focuses its attention away from the wider literary and intellectual currents that informed her writing and instead concentrates on the immediate influences on her life and work. Becoming Jane Austen shows how Jane Austen’s own personal experiences resonated throughout her work, from her juvenilia to Sanditon.

Suggested Book Club Questions for Becoming Jane Austen (Fiction)

The following book club questions provide a starting point for creating a reading group discussion on Becoming Jane Austen:

• Did Jon Spence emphasize any specific themes throughout Becoming Jane Austen? What do you think Jon Spence is trying to explain with this theme?
• What was unique about the setting of Becoming Jane Austen and how did it affect the storyline?
• Could you relate to any of the characters? If so, which ones and why?
• How do characters change or learn throughout Becoming Jane Austen? What events caused these changes? Have you or someone you know experienced the same thing?
• How does Becoming Jane Austen reveal Jon Spence's own perspectives about people and the world? For a lively discussion, describe why you think Jon Spence is liberal or conservative.
• Did certain parts of Becoming Jane Austen affect you emotionally? Why did it evoke those emotions?
• Did Jon Spence's point of view on things lend new perspective to your own view of the world?

Suggested Book Club Questions for Becoming Jane Austen (Non-fiction)

The following book club questions provide a starting point for creating a reading group discussion on Becoming Jane Austen:

• Did Jon Spence make persuasive arguments in Becoming Jane Austen? Did Becoming Jane Austen change or reinforce your opinion on the subject?
• What did you learn from Becoming Jane Austen?
• How does Jon Spence present the information and did you enjoy it?
• How is Jon Spence biased within Becoming Jane Austen? Is there a political slant to what is being discussed and how does it impact the book?
• What, if anything, does Becoming Jane Austen make you want to read next? Why?