Jane and Dorothy : a true tale of sense and sensibility : the lives of Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth

An intimate portrait of Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth--two women torn betweenrevolutionary ideas and fierce conservatism, artistic creativity and emotional upheaval. "Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth were born just four years apart, in a world torn between heady revolutionary ideas and fierce conservatism, but their lives have never been examined together before. They both lived in Georgian England, navigated strict social conventions and new ideals, and they were both influenced by Dorothy's brother, the Romantic poet William Wordsworth, and his coterie. They were both supremely talented writers yet often lacked the necessary peace of mind in their search for self-expression. Neither ever married. [This book] uses each life to illuminate the other. For both women, financial security was paramount and whereas Jane Austen hoped to achieve this through her writing, rather than being dependent on her family, Dorothy made the opposite choice and put her creative powers to the use of her brilliant brother, with whom she lived all her adult life. Though neither path would bring lasting fulfillment and independence, both women's mark on literary culture is undeniable. In this probing book, Marian Veevers discovers a crucial missing piece to the puzzle of Dorothy and William's relationship and addresses enduring myths surrounding the one man who seems to have stolen Jane's heart, only to break it."--Dust jacket Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth were born just four years apart, in a world torn between heady revolutionary ideas and fierce conservatism, but their lives have never been examined together before. They both lived in Georgian England, navigated strict social conventions and new ideals, and they were both influenced by Dorothys brother, the Romantic poet William Wordsworth, and his coterie. They were both supremely talented writers yet often lacked the necessary peace of mind in their search for self-expression. Neither ever married. Jane and Dorothy uses each life to illuminate the other. For both women, financial security was paramount and whereas Jane Austen hoped to achieve this through her writing, rather than being dependent on her family, Dorothy made the opposite choice and put her creative powers to the use of her brilliant brother, with whom she lived all her adult life. Though neither path would bring lasting fulfillment and independence, both womens mark on literary culture is undeniable. In this probing book, Marian Veevers discovers a crucial missing piece to the puzzle of Dorothy and Williams relationship and addresses enduring myths surrounding the one man who seems to have stolen Janes heart, only to break it . . . An intimate portrait of Jane Austen, Dorothy Wordsworth, and their world—two women torn between revolutionary ideas and fierce conservatism, artistic creativity and emotional upheavals. Highly original women, the lives of Dorothy Wordsworth and Jane Austen have never been examined together before. Born just four years apart, they came from the same class of landed gentry with clergymen for fathers (who both died young); with friends, family and many interests in common. They lived in Georgian England, navigated strict social conventions and new ideals, and they were both influenced by Dorothy's brother, the Romantic poet William Wordsworth, and his coterie. They were both supremely talented writers yet often lacked the necessary peace of mind in their search for self-expression. Neither ever married. Jane and Dorothy uses each life to illuminate the other. For both women, financial security was paramount and whereas Jane Austen hoped to achieve this through... The inward secrets of our hearts Gentlemen's daughters Little prattlers among men Original sin Fashionably educated and left without a fortune Love and friendship Ladies of the rectory A happy command of language Considering the future Falling in love Betrayal Journeys, brothers, freedom and confinement A house of my own An experiment in liberty My own darling child A small revolution Poetry and prose A maid whom there were none to praise Homecoming and exile Exercised to constraint Our affections do rebel Very capable of loving Marriage: the settlement we should aim at Writing and publication My father cannot provide for us Another exile, another homecoming Beyond 1809 A natural sequel to an unnatural beginning? Jane Austen and Dorothy Wordsworth were born just four years apart, in the 1770s, in a world torn between heady revolutionary ideas and fierce conservatism, and both were influenced by the Romantic ideals of Dorothy's brother, William Wordsworth, and his friends. This book compares their upbringing and education, home lives and loves and, above all, their emotional and creative worlds. Original insights include a new discovery of serious depression suffered by Dorothy Wordsworth, a new and crucial discovery about Dorothy and William's relationship, and a critical look at the myths surrounding the man who stole Jane's heart An intimate portrait of Jane Austen, Dorothy Wordsworth, and their world--two women torn between revolutionary ideas and fierce conservatism, artistic creativity and emotional upheavals.--Jane and Dorothy Though neither path would bring lasting fulfillment and independence, both women's mark on literary culture is undeniable. In this probing book, Marian Veevers discovers a crucial missing piece to the puzzle of Dorothy and William's relationship and addresses enduring myths surrounding the one man who seems to have stolen Jane's heart, only to break it ..