"A Walk With Jane Austen" by Lori Smith at Title Trakk

Hi all:

I have a new review up over at Title Trakk of Lori Smith's autobiographical travelogue, A Walk with Jane Austen.

Here's how my review begins:

I am perhaps not the best one to review a book on Jane Austen since I have not yet read all of her books (a shame, I know, since there are only 6 complete novels - I'm working on it!). On the other hand, perhaps the best compliment I can give Lori Smith's A Walk with Jane Austen is that it has induced me to embark on the unread novels this spring. Smith's raw account of her personal pilgrimage through Jane Austen's England, while not a traditional biography, is surprisingly informative about Jane Austen's life and death. It is also surprisingly, and sometimes uncomfortably so, informative about Smith's own life and thoughts of death.

I'm not sure if die-hard Austen fans will find any new biographical tidbits in Smith's account (are there any left to be found about this much-researched author?), but for the generalist like myself, Smith provides a fact-filled education on this enduring writer. Traditional biographical material includes a bibliography and extensive chapter endnotes. Personal biographic touches include "Lori's Walk with Jane," which comprises a 2-page annotated map of England that outlines Austen points of interest followed by a detailed textual listing of each area, its various Austen-related houses, museums, gardens, and filming sites as well as websites for more information ...

Click here to read the rest of my thoughts.

Enjoy!

hrh