The Tragic Early Death Of Jane Austen
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Published 2022-08-05
Who was the real Jane Austen? Lucy Worsley and Dan Snow head inside her former home in Chawton, Hampshire to discuss her extraordinary life and tragic death.
Famous the world over for her wit, social observation and insight into the lives of early 19th century women, Jane Austen remains one of the Britain’s most respected and beloved novelists. She famously lived a ‘life without incident’, but in fact new research reveals a passionate woman who fought for her freedom. A woman who, far from being a lonely spinster, in fact had at least five marriage prospects, but who in the end refused to settle for anything less than Mr Darcy.
Now we lift back the curtain her life, examining some of the spaces and places that mattered to her. It wasn’t all country houses and ballrooms, but a life that was often a painful struggle. As a member of the pseudo gentry, her situation was often precarious and always pushed her towards marrying for financial security. But as a strong, forward thinking woman, Jane was determined to live by her pen and preserve her independence. In this fascinating episode, Lucy Worsley and Dan Snow visit Jane Austen’s house to uncover the truth about how she really lived from day to day, explore little-known alternate paths that her life could have taken, and confront the mystery and tragedy of her early death.
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All Comments (21)
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Lucy could do a documentary on paint drying and it would be absolutely fascinating. Her enthusiasm on history is absolutely contagious. She's a national treasure
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Lucy Worsley never dissapoints. What a gem!
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No history channel is complete without Lucy Worsley
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I love the (very British) fact that Lucy conducts the entire tour with her brolly on her arm.
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Love this. It's like watching two people have a conversation rather than a scripted interview. Very relaxed and informal. And Dan Snow asks all the right questions and really LISTENS to Lucy's answers. Beautifully done.
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Lucy Worsley is simply the best of the best. She is so engaging in her discussions, and makes history unforgettable.
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This woman is fascinating I could listen to her for hours… she makes history absolutely fascinating.
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I visited Jane Austen’s cottage last week and found it very moving. It’s a lovely museum and there is a real sense of the past and Jane’s life there. Jane’s beautiful embroidery and the table at which she wrote were very touching see. Highly recommend visiting this lovely place to anyone interested in this wonderful authors life. Really enjoyed this film, thank you.
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So much passion, energy and independence seems to have been in Jane, quite the opposite of what was expected of a woman of the time. I think she really paved the way for other female writers, like the Bronte sisters. Wonder what she would have made of the impact she ended up creating.
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I've never understood why Jane's brother Edward, who was very comfortably off indeed, couldn't do better for his mother and sisters than Chawton Cottage. Of course it wasn't his responsibility alone of all the brothers, but he was by far the one with the most resources in terms of properties and income and it has always seemed a very mean and grudging bit of accommodation (as lovely as it now is) to provide for the widowed mother and spinster sisters. And the sisters were certainly expected to pay for it, with extended visits to provide childcare and make themselves useful during Edward's wife's many lying-ins, etc, to demonstrate their gratitude, so it certainly wasn't gratis. I adore Jane, and hugely admire what she accomplished in such a short life despite such difficulties.
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I will read everything Lucy Worsley writes. I will listen to and watch every TV show, lecture and presentation that Lucy does. She is fantastic. I can say the same thing about Dan Snow. Amazing writer.
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Sad how cheap her brother was, but no one reveres him. She continues to inspire generations
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Lucy Worsley is, without a doubt, a National Treasure.
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When life is difficult, when the world is in chaos and makes no sense, one of the things that will center me and bring a new perspective is reading Jane Austin. She is smart, funny, practical, and inventive. I love spending time with her and always feel less stressed, more objective, and ready to just get on with it
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No channel can ever have enough Lucy Worsley.
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It was so nice to see Lucy Worsley’s name appear here. She has such a breadth of knowledge and is such a gifted communicator.
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Jane Austen is my favourite author of all time. I adore her. I visited Bath & the Jane Austen centre there when I was in the UK just because I am such a huge fan. Her writing encapsulated her time. She made the plight of women clear without making it too political. The stories were entertaining. A great pioneer of her time.
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Dan has the true art of the interviewer - only ask a question to elicit a sumptuous response from the interviewee, and calibrated precisely to trigger that response precisely on topic. (Who watching this video did not know Jane died in obscurity, but it allowed Lucy to enlarge upon that theme in her own inimitable way). And Lucy? Always fascinating.
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Emma has a character arch. She grows up in the end. She’s willing to be sorry and humble when she accepts her mistakes. For that, we can love her.
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I like when Dan says it makes him angry that this brilliant writer was so stymied during her lifetime simply because she was female. I love that Lucy says Jane Austen’s writing was subversive! ❤
