Jane

Author:

Alberta Constance Chapman was a lady of many names and many talents. She was born in Rhode Island in 1925 and somehow served in the Canadian Army before she married Al Wells in Paris, they moved to Myanmar (then Burma), had a daughter, and ended their marriage. She met Freddie Ayer in 1956 while she was a books editor for the Daily Express and married him four years later. She spent the 60s appearing on a TV program called Three After Six with Benny Green and Alan Brien and publishing her work in The Sun newspaper. Later, she and Freddie divorced but remarried again in 1989 shortly before his death.

She published this book Jane in 1973 and it went on to sell two million copies. Chapman died in 2003 and was survived by her daughter and son.

Learn more about the author below:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dee_Wells

Three words to describe this read:

Outdated- Considering the fact that the book was published in 1973, you can imagine that it isn’t what most today would consider politically correct. Even the now universally-accepted concept that pregnant women shouldn’t drink wasn’t even mentioned in this book that follows an expecting mother who indulges in drinks the same way she would have prior to pregnancy. My advice is to put this book in its historic perspective before attempting to read.

Unexpected- The main conflict of the story was mostly on the back burner for the duration of the book which left the resolution a mystery. The ending surprised me but I do think it was the best direction for the author to go simply for the purpose of keeping the book exciting and Jane’s fate open to interpretation.

Sentimental- I felt that the ending didn’t match the rest of the story in regards to the emotions it stirred. While the majority of the book is looked through a lens of humor and mischief, the ending suddenly changes the tone to something more serious and heartfelt.

Quote:

“It seems extraordinary too the way everything important happens by accident. Not little things. Little things you can control. You can find the right pink sandals to go with the pink dress. You can test-dye a bit of your hair before you shove your head in a bucketful. You can phone for a weather report before you go out sailing. You can even wait for a better invitation before saying yes to the Creep-Bores’ dinner party.

But with big things you don’t get a chance or even a choice. It was only because he’d missed a train to Cambridge that Franklin was at that party where I met him. And I hadn’t even been invited; I’d just gone with somebody who had. I still don’t know whose party it was or what it was for, or anything, and yet those people and their party changed my whole life. If it hadn’t been for them, I wouldn’t be lying here on the floor now getting drunk and thinking about going to live in Dayton. Jesus. And some people believe in free will.”

This quote ended up being my favorite mostly for the message it communicates, but also because it mentions phoning for a weather report. Yet again, the era of this story must be taken into consideration while reading. I also feel that this is a great representation of Dee Wells' (AKA: Alberta Chapman's) humor. I loved that she was able to keep the reader laughing while also continuing the plot of the story and bringing up these wonderful ideas about life.