New Biography claims Jane Austen the author was angry radical.

A new take on Jane Austen’s life categorises her and says a passage about her smile-invoking novels that Jane was “actually a firebrand who was angry about social injustice and critical of the church and aristocracy”.   In “Pride and Prejudice” Jane categorises the aristocracy as “Rude and arrogant” claims Helena Kelly, autor of “Jane Austen. The secret Radical”. Colin Firth as Darcy climbing out of the lake is a memorable take from Pride and Prejudice but going deeper into Jane’s novels, one finds that Jane found some of these people offensive and snobbish.

As for Mansfield Park writer Helena Kelly claims “it hauls the church of England from the dock for benefitting from slavery”.  She also suggests erotic scenes are hidden in innocent passages.  In a section that has little to do with furniture, Kelly addresses the opening of a cabinet – “Her heart fluttered, her knees trembled, and her cheeks grew pale” and says this is doublespeak for a romantic encounter.

Professor Janet Todd says “I enjoyed rreading the book and disagreeing with most of it”, she is Editor of the Cambridge edition of the Works of Jane Austen.  However she does observe, “Any interpretation that sparks debate on Austen is to be welcomed”.