Review: readable and engaging
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 08 23, 2012
"And at that moment, she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!" - Elizabeth Bennet (Pride and Prejudice)author Jennifer Forest invites the reader to step back in time and explore the interior of an imaginary Regency home. as its occupants' guest and friend, one begins the social call at the Entrance Hall. this is followed by a visit to the Drawing Room, then the Dining Room and Breakfast Room. later, one is allowed to enter the Dressing Room and the Bedroom. a glimpse inside the Kitchen wraps up the tour.through these rooms, Ms. Forest acquaints the contemporary reader with how Jane Austen and the men and women of her time socialized, worked and lived. along with an explanation of each room's purpose, she quotes passages from Austen's major works and from letters Jane wrote to her sister Cassandra.i am already fascinated by Austen's writing and reading this book has placed my regard for her novels in a higher, wider and better perspective. my appreciation for her stories has also deepened because of it. now i know for certain that Austen did not write just because she had nothing better to do to while away her time. she wrote each word with a purpose. everything had a reason and a place. her reflections on the times in which she lived and on the people around her have surfaced in her characters and stories.Behind Jane Austen's Dooor may be  a short read but its informative contents more than make up for with what it lacks in length. it is very readable, engaging, and packed with detailed historical material that any Austenite or someone new to Jane Austen's fiction (like me) would find valuable.