Jane Austen's Cults and Cultures

Although Johnson (English, Princeton Univ.; Jane Austen: Women, Politics, and the Novel) never refers to herself as a "Janeite"—a person possessed of and inspired by a madness for Jane Austen—certainly she would not deny the label. In her new book she contends that "no other author…has inspired such widespread and intense devotion that is itself worthy of study," explaining her intention to examine how readers have understood and appreciated Jane Austen from the 19th century to the present and how Austen's reputation continues to grow. She describes various monuments to Austen including the large, impressive gravestone at Winchester Cathedral as well as the controversies surrounding the few known images of her. She analyzes four periods in particular—the Victorian age, World War I, World War II, and the establishment of Jane Austen's House Museum in 1949—to support her contention that as diverse readers have recorded their "enjoyments, consolations, and pleasures" in Austen's novels their commentary allows us to "re-read Austen in surprising and stunning ways." Johnson's writing style is a lively mix of scholarly and colorful vocabulary concisely presenting complex ideas.