Middle School Monday: Jane Austen: Her Heart Did Whisper by Manuela Santoni
How did Jane Austen’s early life shape her into the kind of woman who would grow up to write First Impressions (aka Pride and Prejudice) and many other classic stories that are still being read today? This graphic-format biography takes us on a journey back to Jane’s early days, when she first learned from her mother that she needed to become a good lady in order to find a husband. We follow her along her journey as she bristles under society’s expectations of women, as she develops a love of reading, as becoming a writer helps her find her voice, and as falling in love helps her create fictional characters with timeless appeal.
This book can be enjoyed by older children, teens, and even adults. The story is engaging enough to intrigue younger readers, and perhaps also inspire enough curiosity to read Austen’s novels in the future. While older readers who have already read Austen’s work will enjoy seeing the real events that inspired those stories.
Stasera tornata a casa dopo l'ufficio mi sono messa a esplorare le offerte degli e-book e per una volta l'algoritmo mi ha suggerito un titolo valido: La lettera perduta, di Manuela Santoni. Letto tutto di filato, mi è piaciuto molto, penso proprio che lo metterò nella lista dei potenziali regali futuri.
La storia è quella di una ragazzina che incontra per caso un fantasma di un soldato italiano della seconda guerra mondiale, che ha perso la memoria: insieme ad un gatto parlante cercano di ricostruire gli ultimi passaggi della sua vita passata ed è sempre molto interessante per me vedere come vengono raccontate e rappresentate l'ansia, la paura e la frustrazione di situazioni di questo genere in una storia per ragazzi. L'autrice qui è molto brava, per i miei gusti, a calibrare le dosi, anche grazie al tratto del disegno che si presta ai toni scuri e alla confusione delle emozioni più forti.
Insomma, considerato anche che si avvicina il giorno della memoria, e che la guerra continua ad essere protagonista delle notizie e spesso non è facile parlarne con i più piccoli, questo mi pare un ottimo libro di riferimento.
Poi c'è anche la trama parallela della protagonista che ha i suoi personali incubi da superare e anche questa è sviluppata in modo semplice e delicato, senza insistenza e lasciando molto spazio alla lettura tra le righe, anzi, tra i disegni. Mi piace quando le difficoltà della vita quotidiana sono rappresentate così, anche quando sono belle grosse come quelle della protagonista (che ha perso da poco il papà), perché si ha modo di vedere che passato il momento del trauma si deve affrontare il seguito e in quel seguito ci sono tutti i momenti che arrivano di soppiatto a buttarti ancora più giù, ma anche a tirarti su, quando meno te lo aspetti.
(Cercando sul tumblr se c'era qualche riferimento ho trovato l'autrice, che però non posta da diversi anni... se leggi ancora le notifiche, @manusan88 complimenti! bellissimo lavoro ^_^)
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a free ebook in exchange for an honest review! this has not affected my review in any way, all opinions are mine.
2.5/5
this was a really interesting look into the lives of three incredibly influential writers, whose lives have always been somewhat of a mystery to me despite having read their work in school. unfortunately, it felt a bit rushed to me, and i even struggled to keep the sisters straight, having to take a screenshot of a page where their names were listed so i could keep track of who was who. additionally, while i really like the inked look of the art, sometimes it felt a little bit too messy and unrefined. it felt like this graphic novel needed a lot more room to breathe because i saw hints of really interesting and complex stories and personalities in it that were never fully realized. i think with some more pages, the book would have been a lot more powerful too in regards to the sisters being women writers during a time when it was highly frowned upon for women to write. i still enjoyed it, but i feel like there were a lot of missed opportunities in this read, which is really disappointing.
ARC REVIEW: “Jane Austen: Her Heart Did Whisper” by Manuela Santoni
Title: Jane Austen: Her Heart Did Whisper
Author: Manuela Santoni (Translated by Matteo Benassi)
Genre: YA Historical Graphic Novel
Publisher: Graphic Universe
Source: Publisher
Publication Date: October 1st, 2018
Format: Paperback
Page count: 96
Plot summary: In a time of formal dances, courtyard courtships, and strict ideas about a woman's role in the world, Jane Austen looked at the England around her and created unforgettable art. Before she was the beloved author of Pride and Prejudice and other classic novels, Jane Austen was a young woman wrestling with society's expectations and challenges of the heart. Her own story involves choices that changed literary history--and perhaps even the choice to walk away from love. This graphic imagining of Jane Austen's youth includes her creative awakening and her much-speculated-upon encounters with Tom Lefroy, a brash law student. Jane Austen: Her Heart Did Whisper is a vision of the thrills and pains of young romance, the bonds of sisterhood, and the decisions that make a person who she is.
Jane Austen: Her Heart Did Whisper on Goodreads | Chapters Indigo | Amazon CA
I received a copy from Thomas Allen & Son in exchange for an honest review.
Jane Austen: Her Heart Did Whisper is a cute graphic novel about Jane Austen's writing life and possible romance.
I am such a huge Jane Austen fan. I adore her books and the film/TV adaptations. I find her history interesting. So when I heard about a graphic novel that's similar to the film about her life, Becoming Jane, I needed to review it for you.
I adore the quirky and cute art style of this graphic novel. It's all in black and white, which is dramatic and suits the genre. The gorgeous panels of Jane reading or writing were my favourite in the book.
The plot itself covers Jane from a young girl to a young woman, straining against expectations for her to become an "accomplished" woman to attract a husband. I really loved her relationship with her sister in this, too.
As others have said, the story is very similar to that of the film Becoming Jane, though Jane begins at a younger age. I love the story, even though in truth there is no way to know if Jane and Tom were romantically linked.
My only two issues with the book is that the pacing is VERY quick, which means the story doesn't go as deep as it could (and should). On the other hand, the short length makes the book accessible to middle grade readers too. Also, I noticed the language was at times too modern for Jane's time period. I'm not sure if that's just down to the translation of it, though.
Overall, I enjoyed Jane Austen: Her Heart Did Whisper. The art is so lovely, and the story itself is interesting. I just found that the short page count hindered the story a bit, and sometimes the language was too modern.
