Godmersham Park: The Sunday Times top ten bestseller by the acclaimed author of Miss Austen

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It is with the authorial equivalent of a theatrical wink that Hornby suggests “this had already caused her some conflict and drama”, and this meta-literary quality pervades the book. Con respecto a la posible atracción homosexual o bisexual, esta parte es algo problemática para mí, porque Anne admite querer a los dos, pero en esa época, ni siquiera reflexiona si sus sentimientos por Jane son "naturales" o no, algo que debería haberse desarrollado, pero todo es muy rápido y acaba pronto, con una Jane que ni siquiera percibe esto en su amiga, y que sólo la puede corresponder con amistad, y para mí queda algo confuso.

But Anne is keenly aware that her new role is an awkward one: she is neither one of the servants nor one of the family, and to balance a position between the ‘upstairs’ and ‘downstairs’ members of the household is a diplomatic chess game. He is egotistical, charming to the point of insincerity, and quick to use others, including Anne, for his own amusement – not exactly a knight in shining armor. That novel also opens with the marriage of the former Miss Taylor, Emma's ex-governess, to the wealthy Mr. Furthermore, this is not the first time that I have read a version which suggests she is drawn to her brother-in-law Henry.Hornby seamlessly blends history with imagination to tell the story of Anne’s time at Godmersham Park. I understand it’s based on a true story so the author can only go so far with this, but I’ll be honest there wasn’t much of a story. She served as a governess for Fanny Austen Knight for only two years, and was befriended by our dear Jane Austen and bequeathed items upon her death. This seems quite unfair given how little evidence there seems to be about her personality either way. The book has a steady pace while keeping the reader engaged (due to the trials and tribulations of Anne’s life) throughout, yet Hornby manages to keeps a light atmosphere.

Godmersham Park is an authentic feeling Regency read based on the real-life character Anne Sharpe and how her life intertwined with Jane Austen, the Austen extended family, for a brief yet life-altering period.This novel owes more in spirit to the character of Jane Eyre, probably the most famous governess in literature who suffers many deprivations an If you are interested in expanding your view of Jane Austen's family and friends, or of Regency social history, this book is for you. While she finds twelve year old Fanny engaging and enjoyable, she figuratively walks a tightrope, not quite fitting in with the servants, but not equal to the family.

Jane Austen’s wealthy brother Edward (who owned and inherited two estates but not from the Austens) and his prodigious family employ Anne after she is inexplicably turned out of her father’s home following her mother’s death. Things begin to look up when she becomes with Henry and Jane Austen, 'within the walls of that splendid, unforgettable park - her heart had been captured by both. Anne está rodeada de drama propio, y aunque refugiada en los Austen, también ahí, sin saber realmente cuáles son sus emociones y sentimientos hace ellos, empieza a sufrir, pues aunque no es un personaje convencional, le cuesta entender la bondad sin ningún pago, y ella misma, no parecía controlar muy bien sus propias emociones.

Meanwhile Jane's brother, Henry, begins to take an unusually strong interest in the lovely young governess . Using Anne’s life events as a plot-basis, the story flows with an Austen-like feel that was neither forced nor poor imitation. But Anne is keenly aware that her new role is an awkward one: she is neither one of the servants nor one of the family, and to balance a position between the 'upstairs' and 'downstairs' members of the household is a diplomatic chess game. The author has done a really good job of bringing the time and society of that time to life as to the worry that women, whatever their station, worried about and had to face. A refined and intelligent woman, educating Fanny poses no real difficulties for Anne but finding her place within the household proves to be more of a challenge.

The passionate inner life of a woman on the edge of society through circumstances beyond her control; the peep into the workings of the extended Austen family; the themes common to much of Austen's life and work: the limited options available for intelligent, educated women without wealth; the subtle and less subtle distinctions of class etc. She also does not shy away from voicing her opinion, including as it relates to topics deemed unseemly by her contemporaries. Anne’s life at Godmersham is rich and full with the Austen ladies visiting- amateur theatricals, fishing by the river, volunteering at the village school, visits at the vicarage, odd petty thefts of her few personal items and barely edible food from a frosty cook and surly serving staff, abominable sick headaches that make her fear she’ll lose her place, and rambles in the park talking writing with dear Jane.Her arrival at the park shows us all of the confusion that would have been felt by a young woman who has been flung into a totally different life to the one that she expected. I was caught up in the novel immediately, as Anne was informed of her loss of income and change in status by a shady lawyer, but that part of the story was not really explored to its fullest. Gill Hornby has used Fanny Austen’s journals to create a wholly believable novel of life in the family of Jane’s elder brother Edward over that two years. Es una descripción curiosa, realista y lineal comparada con la anterior novela austenita de la autora, que tiene una pluma inteligente, calmada y detallista con el personaje.