June 1, 2025

706 Living with Jane Austen (with Janet Todd) | A Listener Changes His Life | Bored Parents

706 Living with Jane Austen (with Janet Todd) | A Listener Changes His Life | Bored Parents

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that Jane Austen's novels make us wish she was our friend. She wouldn't be just any old friend: she'd be the sharpest and wisest, the one we turn to in a crisis, the one who understands our flaws and helps us see our blind spots. As we navigate the perils of love and life, she'd be the friend who gently points us in the right direction. Well, that's a funny thing to say about someone who lived more than two hundred years ago, but it's how we feel. And so, we turn to her novels as the next best thing. In this episode, Jacke talks to author Janet Todd ( Living with Jane Austen ) about what it's been like to rely on Jane Austen as an advice-giver for more than fifty years. PLUS Jacke reads an email from a listener who's made a dramatic change in his approach to literature and life. AND a new survey about parenting and reading arouses some of Jacke's deepest passions.

Additional listening:

The music in this episode is by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal. Learn more at gabrielruizbernal.com . "Two Butterflies" performed by Gabriel Ruiz-Bernal and Allison Hughes.

Help support the show at patreon.com/literature or historyofliterature.com/donate . The History of Literature Podcast is a member of Lit Hub Radio and the Podglomerate Network. Learn more at thepodglomerate.com/historyofliterature .

 

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