Product Description
From the editor of the popular Annotated Pride and Prejudice comes an annotated edition of Jane Austen’s Persuasion that makes the beloved novel an even more satisfying and fulfilling read. Here is the complete text of Persuasion with hundreds of annotations on facing pages, including:
 
● Explanations of historical context
● Citations from Austen’s life, letters, and other writings
● Definitions and clarifications
● Literary comments and analysis
● Plentiful maps and illustrations
● An introduction, a bibliography, and a detailed chronology of events
 
Packed with all kinds of illuminating information—from what Bath and Lyme looked like at the time to how “bathing machines” at seaside resorts were used to how Wentworth could have made a fortune from the Napoleonic Wars—David M. Shapard’s delightfully entertaining edition brings Austen’s novel of second chances vividly to life. 
  ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

If you enjoyed the Annotated Pride and Prejudice, or if Persuasion is your favorite Austen novel, read this
David Shapard, who was responsible for the wonderful Annotated Pride and Prejudice in 2007, has now turned his thoughtful scholarly talents to Persuasion, Jane Austen last complete novel.Lesser known, probably lesser-read than Pride and Prejudice, and generally considered to be less polished due to Austen's illness and death during its composition, it is nevertheless the favorite Austen novel of many an English professor and Austenite.

Persuasion is not as brilliant, sparkling, and perfect as Pride and Prejudice, but it is more subtle.It is the most interior (by which I mean, so much of the action occurs in the thoughts and emotions of the main characters) of Austen's novels, and has most intensely emotional climax of any of her works.Yet the same heroine, Anne Elliot, who has "the power of loving, when all hope is gone" is also one of Austen's most self-controlled heroines.

While Pride and Prejudice will always remain my personal favorite (I am biased; II fall for Lizzy's wit and spirit every time), Persuasion offers a different display of Austen's skills as a mature novelist, and my re-reading of it was greatly enriched by Shapard's annotations.Highly recommended! ... Read more

Product Description
Georgianna Darcy has a flattering array of suitors in this charming continuation of Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice.As the sister ofFitzwilliam Darcy, Georgianna is assured of a large dowry. It's up to her to weed out the fortune hunters amongst her beaus. But can she further determine who loves her for all that she represents in the way of beauty and innocence and who loves her for all of herself? And once she has given her word to one man, can she train her heart to obey?Undertones of choices, convictions and life's ironies feed this engaging romp that introduces the captivating Jacob Markwood and other new characters as well as continuing the lives of favorites Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth, Jane and Mr. Bingley, Kitty, Wickham and Caroline. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (33)

One of the best sequels
This is one of the best sequels to P&P.Original, with good characterization.I like these characters.

It was OK
I read this book years ago.Prior to purchasing it, I'd been re-reading Austen's novels periodically for over 20 years until I discovered that writers had started penning books inspired by her great works.I'd had some initial success with Austenian themed stories (Stephanie Barron's JA mysteries and Joan Aiken's "Jane Fairfax") and was pleased to note that there were more stories available to feed my need for anything related to Jane Austen.Unfortunately, I ordered this book along with Julia Barrett's "Presumption" which was horrible.It turned me off the genre for several years; thus, I admit that this book is tainted for me by simply being purchased around the same time as "Presumption".I'm willing to give "Conviction" 3 stars just to be fair. I'm pleased to report that Pamela Aidan brought me back to my JA fan-fiction addiction.Try her "Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman" trilogy if you're looking for something spectacular.I haven't yet found any published work that tops the Aidan series.

Conviction
I had hoped to find a good read, and since P & P was excellent, I picked this sequel up, hoping it could be nearly as well written, and it was. It lacked a bit of the staid formalities of the first, but was exceptionally well written, without the usual annoying language and slang I have found in too many novels written in the past few decades. Good story, well written.

Georgiana continued
A good version of a continuation of the Darcy's story.Although this is more about Mr. Dary's sister and new characters, this story was a good read. Conviction: a sequel to Jane Austen's Pride & Prejudice

Don'tjudge a book by it's cover.Really.
Another sequel to Pride and Prejudice.I liked this sequel more than others, but I let the cover scare me away for a long time.I thought it would be pretty amature, so I read a lot of others first. Some of the literary stylings in this book seemed strange to me, but they don't show up too often.I thought the story line was logical and compelling.If you love this genre, this book will not disapoint. ... Read more

Product Description
The revival in Jane Austen and her world continues apace, and Maria Hubert's book will delight and amuse anyone interested in the writer or the fascinating social era in which she was writing. Capturing the sheer delight of the Christmas period, it is a fascinating and captivating collection of everything from descriptions of Christmas celebrations in Georgian England, to memoirs, recipes, songs and stories. Essential reading for anyone interested in this period, or simply curious as to how Christmas was celebrated in the past, this is a wonderful piece of indulgent nostalgia. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Interesting Look at Christmas in Georgian Times
Jane Austen's Christmas provides detailed insight into the Christmas celebrations of Austen's day. Passages from her books, diaries and letters from her own family, and journals and pieces from other writers arecompiled together to give the reader a historical (rather than literary)perspective of the Christmas holiday. My one disappointment with the bookwas that all the pieces by Austen herself were excerpts from her novels,all of which I'd read already; but overall, it's a good book for Austenenthusiasts wanting to know more about the traditions of her day. ... Read more

Product Description

One of the greatest writers of all time, Jane Austen drew upon her domestic culture to color her works. Included in this book are more than 200 recipes for the many, many meals she alludes to throughout her writings. Recipes appear in modernized form, along with quotations from Austen's writings and excerpts from cookbooks of her era. Sure to entertain her numerous fans, the volume provides readers with recipes for such dishes as fried beef steaks, broiled mutton chops, roast pork loin, buttered crab or lobster, Stilton cheese, syrup of mulberries, almond pudding, French bread, mushroom ketchup, and many others.

The book begins with some introductory chapters on cooking and eating in Austen's world. It then presents chapters on broad categories of food, such as beef and veal, seafood, pastries and sweets, and beverages. Each chapter includes extracts from Austen's works and from cookbooks of her period, accompanied by easy-to-follow modernized recipes. The volume closes with some sample menus; glossaries of ingredients, sources, and special tools; and a bibliography of period cookbooks and modern studies.

Customer Reviews (1)

Historical Cooking Buffs
I love history, I love Jane Austen, and I love to cook.This is one of my favorite books to read before I bed...yes I like to read cookbooks as a past time.There's is so much information behind the discovery of each recipe.The author presents the historical context, the availability of ingredients and even relates it to Austen's novels....This book is a real jewel. ... Read more

Product Description
In 1999, two amateur Jane Austen scholars staying at an English estate stumbled upon a hidden cache of manuscript pages and made the literary discovery of the century -- the lost sex scenes from Jane Austen's novels. Published here for the first time, the lost pages display Emma taking self-satisfaction to a whole new level, and reveal Henry Crawford's thorough exploration of "brotherly love" at Mansfield Park. If you've ever wondered what really happened in the drawing rooms of Austen's beloved characters, Pride and Promiscuity will satisfy your curiosity...and a whole lot more. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (39)

Pride and Promiscuity misses the mark...
This week's review is Pride and Promiscuity, The Lost Sex Scenes of Jane Austen by David Auburn (pen name of Dennis Ashton) and Arielle Eckstut.

The book is set up as a conglomeration of papers found by the author and verified by an Austen scholar.Complete with introduction, the `scholar' lets us know her feelings on Austen addicts.Something the book makes an effort at poking fun of.

`These people who made them were usually non-professional, and sometimes rather deranged, Austen fanatics who after spending years rereading Pride and Prejudice (or more likely watching the BBC miniseries version) had decided the novel was, in fact, a disguised allegory of the Life of Christ or that Jane Austen was actually a homosexual man writing under a pseudonym, or some other outré interpretation.'

When you pick this book up, realize that you are not going to be coddled with love-making and courtship.Auburn and Eckstut wanted to have fun with the idea that Austen was writing sex scenes.As ludicrous as that sounds, it does get a few chuckles in a few places, falls completely flat in some and in others, the read becomes horrifically uncomfortable.

An interesting aspect of the book is the fact that it takes on a few of Austen's issues head on.Mansfield Park is sometimes criticized for being incestuous. (Did I write `sometimes?'I meant to write `all the time.')The author seems to take the bull by the horns by creating a love scene between the Crawfords while having them discourse over Fanny and Edmund.By no means is the author drawing any great literary comparisons.It is simply fairly amusing she chose this approach.

Her treatment of Mr. and Mrs. Collins is perhaps the book's saving grace.This would be a favorite, if forced to choose.Charlotte is given a riding crop and works out some frustrations on Mr. Collins.The icing on the cake is who gave her the crop.Oh raptures!

The author does a well enough job tying Austen's voice into the `newly found pages.'I found it humorous that a riddle was used in Mr. Churchill's scene with Mr. Knightley.Riddle's being such a favorite pastime in Austen's Emma.However that was the only thing I found amusing about the scene.

Part of the book's failing is the author's attempt at trying every sexual proclivity in each of Austen's novels.Variety is the spice of life, but perhaps using it to overshadow a subpar writing style is not the way to go.I found myself wondering what form of sexual deviancy I would find when I next turned the page, but was not looking forward to whether or not any witty or inventive writing would get me there.This was a failing.

The book is not believable, but the author does not even make the merest attempt at this endeavor.It is truly a lark, a silly one in some places and naughty one in almost all of it.Jane Austen would definitely NOT approve.This is NOT for purists.

I give it a 2 out of 5 stars.

You can read more of my reviews and interviews with authors by searching for my column... Jane Austen Sequel Examiner.

Nice effort... but not good enough to tempt me.
Let me start off by saying how much I really really really wanted to like this book. It was a great idea, but falls short of the mark.Not only were the characters incestuous in some cases but I also couldn't enjoy it because of the unbelievability of the situations (Jane sick at Netherfield park because Mrs Hurst and Miss Bingly coerce her into lesbian sex???)

If you are at all interested in the more intimate side of Elizabeth and Darcy I recommend the Pemberley series by Abigail Reynolds.Otherwise, save your money.

Terrible waste of money
This book was a huge disappointment.The story lines made no sense whatsoever and it truly detracted from the original stories.

Tripe.
I bought this under the mistaken impression that it was factual. Yes, I read the introduction and faux authentication by "Elfrida Drummond" who it turns out is the author's husband. Nowhere before the commencement of the book did it say that this was a farce. That's what upset me. Once I found out the truth there was no reason to continue reading it. If it wasn't written by Ms. Austen, why continue? If Ms. Eckstut had been forthright about how she billed the book, I think many of us would have been more forgiving.

Not worth my time.
I was hoping to find this book amusing, and, well, I didn't. I pride myself on a fairly decent sense of humor, and I guess that if you're going to "go there" (as in, write up "lost sex scenes" from Jane Austen's novels) you might as well go all the way, and this book simply did not do so. ... Read more

Product Description
Jane Austen in Bath: Walking Tours of the Writer’s City is a beautifully illustrated book organized into four walking tours around the city of Bath–where she set both Northanger Abbey and Persuasion–two novels that mirrored her own experience: that of an impressionable, optimistic young girl hoping to meet the man she would marry and later, that of a mature woman disappointed in love. It was in Bath that many of Austen’s own romantic adventures and misadventures occurred, and this book artfully weaves together the story of Austen’s life there with those of her beloved characters.

This guidebook describes the places frequented by Austen and her characters. Readers can stroll along the shady, tree-lined walk where Anne Elliot met Captain Wentworth after he returned from seven years at sea, and visit the galleries that hosted the glittering balls where the impressionable young Catherine Moreland made her debut.

Bath is an exquisite, perfectly preserved Georgian town located in the stunning countryside just an hour and a half from London. It was a spa town in Austen’s day and still is. The streets, crescents, gardens, and buildings look almost exactly the same as they did then. Many of the places that she frequented are still there–visitors can still buy the traditional Sally Lunn rolls at the same bakery/caf? that Austen frequented; enter the famous Pump Rooms and Assembly Rooms where she drank the waters, gossiped, and danced; stroll the unique Georgian crescents and pleasure gardens where she enjoyed fireworks and lavish public breakfasts; and see the homes Austen and her family lived in, some of which are now open to the public.

Jane Austen in Bath is the perfect companion to discovering the vibrant and fashionable social scene of Bath during both Austen’s time and today. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

fast service - excellent condition
This book was everything and more than we expected! Thank you! Super fast service and book came in excellent condition, I highly recommend buying from this seller.

Essential for lovers of Austen and/or Bath
Bath is a wonderful town to visit, and the town was very important in Austen's life and novels, especially in Northanger Abbey (Barnes & Noble Classics) and Persuasion (Penguin Classics).

Austen was 24 when her family moved from the countryside to the city, then at the very height of its glory. Reeve traces four "Walks" through the parks and beautiful buildings of Bath, and describes Austen's connection with each of the sights. The text is enhanced by period maps and illustrations, and enlivened by photographs of Austen's manuscripts.

Reeve argues that the transition was not easy for Austen, whose family suffered financial reverses and who had psychological difficulties of her own. She describes Austen's distress as follows:

"Martha accompanied Jane back to Steventon in early December, just before Jane's twenty-fifth birthday, on December 16. As their luggage was being taken upstairs by the servants Jane received a shock. Her niece, Caroline Austen, recalled her mother's version of events: 'My Aunts [Jane and Martha] had been away a little while, and were met in the Hall on their return by their mother who told them that it was all settled, and they were going to live at Bath. My Mother who was present said my Aunt Jane was greatly distressed--All things were done in a hurry by Mr Austen & of course this is not a fact to be written and printed -- but you have authority for saying that she did mind it.'"

Nigel Nicholson argued in "The Guardian" (December 13, 2003) that in fact Austen's stay in Bath was essential for her development as an author, and that she was not unhappy there. Because none of her six completed novels was even begun there, critics assume she was a country girl who hated towns; she could write fiction only in the country.

Nicholson reviews the 16 letters written by Austen during her Bath period. "The early letters record her dismay at her parents' decision to leave Steventon, where she was born, and settle in Bath." After an interval, she wrote 'I get more and more reconciled to the idea' ... 'We have lived long enough in this neighbourhood.'"

"So they made the move, selling all their furniture except their beds, and, inexplicably, George Austen's library of 500 books. After searching Bath for a suitable house, they settled on 4 Sydney Place, at the far end of Great Pulteney Street.... They could afford three servants and an annual holiday by the sea. This does not suggest a life of penury and exile. They expected to enjoy themselves, and so, in my reading of the evidence, they did."

"After her father's death in January 1805, Mrs Austen and her two daughters remained in Bath for several more months, living in straitened circumstances, and then moved to Clifton, a suburb of Bristol, and to Southampton where they remained until 1809, the year when they settled at Chawton. It was there that Jane Austen revised her earlier three novels and wrote Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion, all in the space of the eight years before she died. It has therefore been tempting to draw the conclusion that country living revived her latent genius. But never, in all her many letters written at this period, is there any hint that she felt hampered by city life or craved a return to the country."

It is great fun to read Reeve's take on these events, compare her analysis with the contrary analysis by Nicholson, and re-read the novels to make up one's own mind. The Little Bookroom has packed this pretty little book with a great deal of evidence. It's a delight to read and see Bath at least a little through Jane Austen's eyes.

It's worth mentioning that the Little Bookstore volumes are beautifully produced. One thoughtful note from this fine publisher: "When we become aware of any change in the information in our guidebooks, we will post it on each book's home page under the heading UPDATE." It's worth exploring their entire booklist if you love to travel.

Robert C. Ross 2008 ... Read more

Product Description
In her first published novel, Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen presents us with the subtle portraits of two contrasting but equally compelling heroines. For sensible Elinor Dashwood and her impetuous younger sister Marianne the prospect of marrying the men they love appears remote.In a world ruled by money and self-interest, the Dashwood sisters have neither fortune nor connections.Concerned for others and for social proprieties, Elinor is ill-equipped to compete with self-centered fortune-hunters like Lucy Steele, while Marianne's unswerving belief in the truth of her own feelings makes her more dangerously susceptible to the designs of unscrupulous men.Through her heroines' parallel experiences of love, loss, and hope, Jane Austen offers a powerful analysis of the ways in which women's lives were shaped by theclaustrophobic society in which they had to survive.This revised edition contains new notes, appendices,chronology, and bibliography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The sensible and the sensitive
One of the Dashwood daughters is smart, down-to-earth and sensible. The other is wildly romantic and sensitive.

And in a Jane Austen novel, you can guess that there are going to be romantic problems aplenty for both of them -- along with the usual entailment issues, love triangles, sexy bad boys and societal scandals. "Sense and Sensibility" is a quietly clever, romantic little novel that builds up to a dramatic peak on Marianne's romantic troubles, while also quietly exploring Elinor's struggles.

When Mr. Dashwood dies, his entire estate is entailed to his weak son John and snotty daughter-in-law Fanny. His widow and her three daughters are left with little money and no home.

Over the next few weeks, the eldest daughter Elinor begins to fall for Fanny's studious, quiet brother Edward... but being the down-to-earth one, she knows she hasn't got a chance. Her impoverished family soon relocates to Devonshire, where a tiny cottage is being rented to them by one of Mrs. Dashwood's relatives -- and Marianne soon attracts the attention of two men. One is the quiet, much older Colonel Brandon, and the other is the dashing and romantic Willoughby.

But things begin to spiral out of control when Willoughby seems about to propose to Marianne... only to abruptly break off his relationship with her. And during a trip to London, both Elinor and Marianne discover devastating facts about the men they are in love with -- both of them are engaged to other women. And after disaster strikes the Dashwood family, both the sisters will discover what real love is about...

At its heart, "Sense and Sensibility" is about two girls with completely opposite personalities, and the struggle to find love when you're either too romantic or too reserved for your own good. As well as, you know, the often-explored themes in Austen's novels -- impoverished women's search for love and marriage, entailment, mild scandal, and the perils of falling for a sexy bad boy who cares more for money than for true love... assuming he even knows what true love is.

Austen's formal style takes on a somewhat more melancholy flavor in this book, with lots of powerful emotions and vivid splashes of prose ("The wind roared round the house, and the rain beat against the windows"); and she introduces a darker tone near the end. Still, there's a slight humorous tinge to her writing, especially when she's gently mocking Marianne and Mrs. Dashwood's melodrama ("They gave themselves up wholly to their sorrow, seeking increase of wretchedness in every reflection that could afford it").

And Marianne and Elinor make excellent dual heroines for this book -- that still love and cherish each other, even though their polar opposite personalities frequently clash. What's more, they each have to become more like the other before they can find happiness. There's also a small but solid supporting cast -- the hunting-obsessed Sir John, the charming Willoughby (who has some nasty stuff in his past), the emotional Mrs. Dashwood, and the gentle, quiet Colonel Brandon, who shows his love for Marianne in a thousand small ways.

"Sense and Sensibility" is an emotionally powerful, beautifully written tale about two very different sisters, and the rocky road to finding a lasting love. Not as striking as "Pride and Prejudice," but still a deserving classic.

Perfect for my need
This book was required for my course on Jane Austen and her life and times. It arrived in perfect condition and the price was cheaper than the school bookstore.

First time readers & veterans will love the supplemental material!
So you want to read SENSE AND SENSIBILITY. Great choice! Jane Austen's first published novel (1811) can get lost in the limelight of her other `darling child', PRIDE AND PREJUDICE, but is well worth the effort. There are many editions available in print today, and the text can stand on its own, but for those seeking a `friendlier' version with notes and appendixes, the question arises of how much supplemental material do you need, and is it helpful?

One option is the Oxford World's Classics new revised edition of SENSE AND SENSIBILITY that presents an interesting array of additional material that comfortably falls somewhere between just the text, and supplemental overload. This volume offers what I feel a good edition should be, an expansive introduction and detailed notes supporting the text in a clear, concise and friendly manner that the average reader can understand and enjoy.

The material opens with a one paragraph biography of the life of Jane Austen which seemed rather slim to this Austen enthusiast's sensibility, and most certainly too short for a neophyte. The introduction quickly made up for it in both size and content at a whopping 33 pages! Wow, author Margaret Anne Doody does not disappoint, and it is easy to understand why after eighteen years publishers continue to use her excellent essay in subsequent editions.

Amazingly, the introduction is not at all dated. The material covered is accessible to any era of reader, touching upon the novels publishing history, plot line, character analysis, and historical context. Doody thoughtfully presents the reader with an analysis of the major themes in the novel such as; the dichotomy of sense and sensibility as it relates to the two heroines Elinor and Marianne, the portrayal of negligent mothers, men represented as the ultimate hunter, secrecy, deceit and concealment, and the crippling impact of the inheritance laws and primogeniture on women during the Regency era. Interlaced with Doody's interpretations are her astute observations of Austen's writing style with references to pages in the novel and outside sources. The entire essay is well researched, populated with footnotes, and an enjoyable complement to the text.

The notes on the text explain the editorial trail since the novel's first publication in 1811, whose subtle changes and their significance might baffle the nonscholars! Moody. The select bibliography is indeed select, and includes many editions that deserve recognition as the best of what is available in print on Jane Austen's life, works and critical analysis. One of my favorites listed is JANE AUSTEN: A FAMILY RECORD (1913) by William Austen-Leigh and Richard Arthur Austen-Leigh, revised and enlarged by Deirdre Le Faye (1989). I was also pleasantly surprised to see a category including film versions and commentaries which is often overlooked by other publishers.

The chronology of Jane Austen's life lists both significant events and what transpired historically in matching columns. The choices are relevant and interesting with the exception of two events that this writer found humorous; - 1795 Jane Austen flirts with Tom Lefroy, and in 1815 Humphry Davy invents miner's safety lamp. I have yet to be convinced that Austen's flirtation with Tom Lefroy had a significant impact on her life, nor am I clear how a clergyman's daughter living in southern England would be directly affected by the invention of a miner's safety lamp. Just thinking out loud here!

The two appendixes on rank and social status, and the intricacies of country dance touched upon both subjects clearly, but briefly, using stories from Jane Austen's life to put the era in context. I appreciated the humorous example of how young women attending balls and assemblies were accompanied by chaperones, usually a mother or an older woman, who were expected to pass the time with cards or socializing rather than dancing themselves. In a letter to her sister Cassandra, thirty-seven year-old Austen recognizes the transition from dancer to on-looker when she writes "Bye the bye, I must leave off being young, I find many Douceurs in being a sort of Chaperon for I am put on the Sofa near the Fire & can drink as much wine as I like." Too funny! Even though each of these appendixes is short, they do offer a list of books to explore further reading, which I was inspired to investigate.

Since contemporary novels do cease to be contemporary the day that they are published, growing even more distant with each generation, notes can become indispensible to the enjoyment of the modern reader. Prof. Claire Lamont has supplied excellent and insightful explanatory notes, allowing for instant gratification with detailed descriptions of language usage, social and historical context, and character and plot insights. I found this the most interesting aspect of this edition, and reading the explanatory notes alone was like reading a condensed dictionary to Jane Austen, her times, and the plot and characters in SENSE AND SENSIBILTY.

In short, Oxford World's Classics has pulled together just the right amount of supplemental material from reputable and readable sources for their revised edition of SENSE AND SENSIBILTY. I found very little wanting in this edition, and recommend it to first time readers, or veterans seeking new insights.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose ... Read more

Product Description
"A Memoir of Jane Austen, The Special Edition" is Jane Austen's inspiring biography and memoir as told by her nephew.  Though subsequent reprints of the original 2nd Edition did not include the novel "Lady Susan" and the unfinished Austen manuscript "The Watsons,"  this special version restores those works with the memoir in one volume as originally intended by biographer J.E. Austen Leigh.  Editing and Foreword by Howard F. Clarke.

Did you know that "Aunt Jane" composed fairy stories for her nephews and nieces?  That she had one of her most popular books tossed aside by a publisher--to be purchased back by one of Jane's relatives for later successful publication?  And that Jane was dismissed as silly and overly romantic by a woman who falsely claimed to know the famous writer?  Read about these events and more, highly detailed in fond memory by Jane's nephew.

Companion volumes in this series, edited by Howard F. Clarke.  These books emphasize easy-readability with large fonts, well-organized formats, and attractive matching covers.  The definitive library for the Austen collector.

"Jane Austen: Her Life and Letters, A Family Record"
"Jane Austen Library, Her Novels in Three Volumes: Volume One"
"Jane Austen Library, Her Novels in Three Volumes: Volume Two"
"Jane Austen Library, Her Novels in Three Volumes: Volume Three" ... Read more

Product Description
Readers have long cherished the brilliant, ironic novels of Jane Austen and critics have ranked them with the masterpieces of world literature, but surprisingly, there has been no major biography of the novelist in over seventy years. Park Honan's highly accliamed "Jane Austen: Her Life" is the biography that Austen--and her readers--have long deserved. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

An Aggressive Biography...
Park Honan's 1987 " Jane Austen: Her Life" is a long (400 pages) and in many respects an impressive biography of English novelist Jane Austen.Honan has done his extensive research, especially into the various Austen family archives that were available at the time of publication.He succeeds in firmly grounding Miss Jane Austen's life in the rough and ready context of her times.To his credit, he also largely resists re-interpreting Austen's life from a 20th century perspective.

Honan is an aggressive biographer.His challenge is that of every Jane Austen biographer, to turn the very limited surviving material on her life into a rounded portrait.His willingness to push those limited biographical materials to the limits of interpretation will fascinate some readers and may infuriate others. Honan willingly dissects, among other topics, Jane Austen's youthful flirtation with Tom LeFroy, her short-lived relationship with an unnamed young man at a seashore resort in 1802, and her abortive engagement to Harris Bigg-Withers.His interpretation in each case is plausible but inevitably speculative to some degree.For example, this reviewer found Honan's explanation for her refusal of Harris Bigg-Withers to be insightful but dependent on assumptions about her state of mind and her sense of her obligations to her family that may be unprovable at this distance of time.

Honan's chronological approach includes the continuing influence of Jane Austen's family on her life and her development as a writer.He mixes friendly literary criticism with an account of the production of her juvenile works and her finished novels. If "Pride and Prejudice" gets rather much attention, Honan does due diligence for "Mansfield Park" and the other novels, keeping each heroine in focus.He explores Jane Austen's complex relationship with her older sister Cassandra and her dependence on her brothers and their fortunes in life.His account of her final illness and death makes for very nearly heartbreaking reading.

"Jane Austen: Her Life" is highly recommended to fans of Jane Austen.The casual reader will be deterred by its length, and it may not be quite the definitive account promised by the book cover, but it is an interesting, even fascinating biography well worth the effort.

Janeites will want to read this
This book claims to cover a great deal of new material, although I would have to say that it doesn't seem to me to add much to other biographies.I would guess that a lot of the new material relates to Frank Austen, since the biography begins, somewhat surprisingly, with a several page account of his entry into the Navy.I would therefore recommend it to Janeites, who will want all the details, but those who have already read a biography and are not terribly interested probably won't find that this rewards the additional reading.(I am among those who just love details, although this is a bit much even for me.)

Previous biographers, such as Elizabeth Jenkins (Jane Austen: A Biography), have portrayed the Austens as a loving and harmonious family.Recent biographers have challenged this view, sometimes even arguing for serious tension between Jane and her sister Cassandra.Honan argues for a relatively harmonious group, with some normal dissensions.

I give somewhat mixed marks to the writing.I find statements such as "The deepest purpose of her burlesques wasalways to ensure her freedom within the loving group of the Austens ... " (p.70) as unverifiable verbiage that adds little to the reading experience.I don't think that we needed several pages on the actual events of the Battle of Trafalger, although of course it adds to the general historical detail. On the other hand, Honan's reconstruction of JA's possible thoughts as she agonized over withdrawing from her engagement to Bigg-Withers are quite affecting, even if speculative. I don't think that I have ever read a more moving account of her courage during her last illness.

The bibliographic citations are frustratingly uneven and incomplete.Previous biographers have pilloried Edward Austen (Knight) for his failure to offer his mother and sisters a home immediately after his father's death. Honan claims in passing that he did make such an offer and they declined it.There is no citation for this startling, and in understanding the interactions of the Austens, important statement!Honan also agrees with Valerie Grosvenor Myers (Jane Austen, Obstinate Heart: A Biography) in stating that Mrs. Cassandra Austen (JA's mother) was reluctant to get married, but neither cites a source!This claim suggests a number of interesting possibilities regarding the mother-daughter relationship and JA's own decisions regarding marriage, and is certainly important enough to require substantiation.

One of the reviewers has mentioned that there are numerous errors in the book.I can't say that I was struck by them, unless the reviewer is speaking of difference in interpretation, but I can't claim to be any expert, either.

Honan includes several family trees and the notes, such as they are, are arranged so as to be easy to find.There is an index, not as detailed as it might be.There is a useful review of materials and previous writings on Austen and related topics.

Honan does not like John Halperin's book, The Life of Jane Austen, which he claims is inaccurate, but it is so far my favorite and the most focussed of the long biographies. For a short biography, which I like to read before long biographies when available, I recommend Carol Shield's book, Jane Austen (Penguin Lives), and Valerie Grosvenor Myer's Jane Austen, Obstinate Heart: A Biography, as a midlength book. The latter is flawed by a lack of notes.

Oops -- Honan's Errors
I found 23 factual errors in Honan's book -- when I mentioned this to someone I was told that a reader in Virginia had found 142.There are much better biographies of Jane Austen out there -- for starters, no one has yet surpassed Elizabeth Jenkins', first published in the 1930s, and a fine recent one, a good introduction to JA's life, is Maggie Lane's latest, Jane Austen's World.Don't be put off by the fact that it is slick and, as they say, richly illustrated -- it's readable, sound and remarkably complete despite its size.

Janeyphiles check this book...
Park Honan (professor of English and American Literature at the Universiy of Leeds in England) wrote "Jane Austen: Her Life" in the late1980's. At the time he wrote his book, he had access to much new materialincluding a treasure trove of letters written by various folks who knew Ms.Austen. Mr. Honan has included an impressive bibliography in his book whichshould keep one reading for years to come.

Honan says Ms. Austenunderstood the current affairs of her time and he provides ampledocumentation to substantiate this assertion. He also suggests herknowledge of current events is reflected in her writing, albeit thinlydisguised.

Although Austen lead a somewhat sheltered life as thedaughter of an English vicar, she lived in exciting times.Napolean was athis height, the Revolution in France and subsequent 'Reign of Terror' keptEnglish on pins and needles, thirteen of England's 23 American colonies hadrevolted and created a new nation that had sided with the French, and thearistocracy was in turmoil over scandels surrounding the monarcy.

Austenwas kept abreast of these activities in a variety of ways including lettersfrom her navalbrother Frank. Historians have uncovered over 500 lettersFrank wrote to family members, and he kept meticulous journals of his timein the navy. Although he probably did not tell Jane everything, he didshare many newsworthy events such as the difficulties on his ship the'London' when six men were hanged and some others "lashed forinsolence, mutiny and an 'unnatural crime of Sodomy."Honan saysAusten refers to this incident in "Mansfield Park" when she hasthe character Mary Crawford who is living next door with her adulterousadmiral uncle say, "Of Rears and Vices, I saw enough."

Honansays Austen was influenced by the writings of Mme. de Sevigne, whom Ms.Austen's father considered too much of a feminist. Jane Austen was veryconcerned about the plight of women and considered adultry and divorce ascourge on women. She was aware of the Regent Prince's attempt to put asidehis wife Queen Charlotte on "trumped up" charges of adultry. Shesympathized with the Queen, unaware that the Queen was a fan of her books.

Influenced by works such as the third Earl of Shaftesbury's"Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times" she enjoinedher readers to have the 'sense' "to control one's emotions throughobservation, reason and moral understanding" and the sensibilitytohave an "accurate perception of other people and theirfeelings."

There are plenty of examples throughout Honan's book ofthe effect of external events on Ms. Austen's writing and thinking, notonly her books, but in the letters that did survive and journals kept byMs. Austen and others.

This is an informative an excellent book foranyone who wants to know more about Ms. Austen's life and works. ... Read more

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This is one of a complete set of Jane Austen's novels collating the editions published during the author's lifetime and previously unpublished manuscripts. The books are illustrated with 19th century-plates and incorporate revisions by experts in the light of subsequent research. The set consists of "Pride and Prejudice", "Sense and Sensibility", "Mansfield Park", "Northanger Abbey" and "Persuasion", "Emma" and "Minor Works". ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Sense & Sensibility hardback 01/03/07
The type was readable, illustrations interesting. Most of the pages were slightly misprinted in that a word(s) that belonged on the following pages were printed by themselves at the bottom of each page. No part of the text appeared to have been lost by this mistake.

I did not find the comments, appendix useful. ... Read more

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Traducción de Marcelo Cohen, prólogo de Marta Pessarrodona. Con 9 grabados de la época. Por primera vez en lengua castellana una de las obras más tempranas de la autora en la que describe con fina ironía el ambiente de la burguesía rural inglesa de su época y la espantada reacción de ésta a las intrigas inteligentes de la bella y joven viuda Susan. ... Read more

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Featuring a new preface by the author, this paperback edition of John Halperin's acclaimed and controversial biography moves beyond the usually vague account of Austen's life and away from the serene and untroubled image of Austen created by a protective family. In The Life ofJane Austen, Halperin reveals a robust, vigorous, and at times difficult woman with a large and diverse circle of family and acquaintances. He documents her troubled relationship with a hypochondriacal mother and her frank dislike of the sister-in-law who usurped her childhood home, sheds new light on the shadowy existence of a retarded older brother, and sets forth in greater detail than ever before the number and nature of Austen's relations to her suitors, the romantic passages of her life, and her attitude about childbearing.

Making fuller use of Austen's correspondence than previous biographers, Halperin shows us the costs exacted on a sensitive and critical personality by a society--and, frequently, a family--that paid too little attention to the predicament of unmarried women, especially those with inadequate financial means.

Customer Reviews (3)

THIS IS NOT A BIOGRAPHY OF JANE AUSTEN
DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK if you were intent on reading a scholarly, factual, and unbaised account of Jane Austen's life.This is not a biography, but a ludicrous attempt by Mr Halperin to psychoanalyze Ms Austen by means of extracting snipets and fragments from her novels and letters in order to show her in the worst possible light.It is evident that Mr Halperin is no lover of women in general, and has a vitriolic dislike of Ms Austen in specific.I envision Mr Halperin spending a tireless eternity rummaging through Ms Austen's "garbage bins" in order to support his biased and, at times, grossly inaccurate interpretations and suppositions regarding her nature.He is determined that we should know she was not a "nice" person.Is this scholarship?I think not.More likely the spiteful gossiping of a sour old women.

We need only to read her novels to know that she possessed a biting, sometimes cruel wit, that she did not suffer fools gladly, and was somewhat embittered by her domestic circumstances - a young woman of no fortune with little prospect of making a "good" marriage.However, in the finalanalysis, do we really care if she was "Mary Sunshine" or the "Wicked Witch of the East"?Is it not her genius, and the quality of her novels that should be the matters of consequence.

Mr Halperin's unrelenting ferriting for documentation to support his charges of Ms Austen's unkind/unpleasant personality traits makes for an uninteresting and tacky read.It is unfortunate that Mr Halperin did not make better use of his sources and research.My copy just went into the Recycle Bin.

Not to be missed in studying Jane Austen
There are many biographies of Jane Austen available, but I urge readers to include this one. One of the most noteworthy features of Halperin's work is that he does not feel the need to idealize Jane Austen. He therefore enriches his book with information carefully ignored by other biographers.

Austen accomplished the very rare feat of writing books that remain both commercial and popular successes after almost two centuries.I don't see what else she needs to do to be worthy of our attention, and I am exasperated by futile arguments trying to deny her position as a woman of her class and time. I am tired of her biographers "apologizing" or trying to explain away he failure to make direct comments on contemporary politics - her books are probably all the more universal and enduring because she didn't. Rather than making feeble attempts to tie the Elliot's financial misfortunes to general economic trends (instead of their own fecklessness, which is what I believe Austen intended), Halperin quotes very effectively from Austen's letters to show that she was aware of the political and social life around her.

Halperin also portrays her as a much less pleasant person that most authors care to see. His Jane is shown in her letters to be often petty and gratuitously mean, heartlessly witty. The question, which Halperin doesn't really explore, but which might explain some of the discrepancy between the Austens' recollections is, how different was her public persona from her letters to Cassandra?Were the letters an outlet that helped enable her to be pleasant and civil? I am personally think that sincerity and frankness can be much over-rated vis a vis civility and consideration, so I wouldn't fault JA as a hypocrite, if this is true.

Halperin also presents her as decidely less fond of children, or at least young children, than other works.He is ignoring some of the writings about her that are quoted by other authors, but his point of view is well-supported by quotations from her letters.Particularly in combinations with other writers, the reader is left with a much more complex and nuanced view of Jane.

Overall, the book is well written and readable, and unlike some other biographies I could mention, does not go haring off on tangential subjects. Halperin also restrains himself from "overinterpreting" his material, attempting posthumous psychoanalysis and the like.

I am not terribly fond of mixing too much literary analysis with biography, and I disagree with some of Halperin's analysis, but I thought that his review of Mansfield Park with reference to JA's life was very fine and plausible.

I fault this, and all other JA biographies for their treatment of Cassandra Leigh Austen's (Mrs. George Austen's) "hypochondria".I have been told in every biography that she was a hypochondriac, but no-one has made a convincing case for it.The glimpses that one gets of her seem to be of a steady, cheerful, practical woman, not the most likely candidate for hypochondria, although it doesn't rule it out.I am also quite aware that in previous decades, doctors were much more likely to attribute illnesses, particularly in women, to psychosomatic causes, so I would urge modern biographers to re-examine the evidence.The most common quote is Jane's statement that she has little sympathy for a head cold unaccompanied by a fever or sore throat, but I think that may say more about the daughter than the mother.At 52, from my own experience, that of my friends and our parents, I am very aware that there are any number of bodily ills, all the more likely as we reach and pass middle-age, that are not apparent to outside observers, crippling or rapidly fatal, which none the less can cause the sufferer considerable discomfort and inconvenience while draining humor, patience, energy and enthusiasm. Just to name a few: chronic fatique syndrome, arthritis, pruritis, irritable bowel syndrome, incontinence, hemmoroids, insomnia, digestive problems, etc.Mrs. Austen would, in addition, be vulnerable to the ills that result from many closely-spaced pregnanacies, including such joys a varicose veins, joint injuries and a variety of gynecological problems.I would not ordinally faultHalperin individually, but he does carry it to new depths, finding it unreasonable, perhaps even neurotic, for the 72-year old woman to decide that she was giving up travelling in the slow, jolting, dusty conditions that prevailed at the time.

Despite this last grumble, this is one of my favorites among the seven or so biographies that I have read, and the best of the long biographies.For those wanting shorter works, I recommend Carol Shields' Jane Austen (Penguin Lives) and Valerie Grosvenor Myer's Jane Austen, Obstinate Heart: A Biography.

Enlightening view of a Austen
Halperin really did his homework and debunks myths that Austen was all smiles and sweetness.Don't get me wrong, by no means does he speak badly of the author. He just portrays her as a human being with emotions,sarcasim and wit who had a not-so-perfect life or career.

In his introhe states that the author of such books as Sense and Sensibility could nothave been all manners and niceness. Anyone who reads her books has to feelthe same. Halperin suggests there is a little bit of autobiography inAusten's works and documents his opinions with letters from Jane to hersister.

Great read! ... Read more

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In one of her personal letters, Jane Austen wrote "Little Matters they are to be sure, but highly important." In fact, letter-writing was something of an addiction for young women of Jane Austen's time and in her social position, and Austen's letters have a freedom and familiarity that only intimate writing can convey. Wiser than her critics, who were disappointed that her correspondence dwelt on gossip and the minutiae of everyday living, Austen understood the importance of "Little Matters," of the emotional and material details of individual lives shared with friends and family through the medium of the letter. Ironic, acerbic, always entertaining, Jane Austen's letters are a fascinating record not only of her own day-to-day existence, but of the pleasures and frustrations experienced by women of her social class which are so central to her novels.

Vivien Jones's selection includes nearly two-thirds of Austen's surviving correspondence, and her lively introduction and notes set the novelist's most private writings in their wider cultural context. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Nice compact edition with great supplemental material
"You deserve a longer letter than this; but it is my unhappy fate seldom to treat people so well as they deserve." Jane Austen, 24 December 1798

Jane Austen's personal correspondence has stirred up controversy since her untimely death in 1817 at age 41. The next year her brother Henry Austen wrote in the `Biographical Notice of the Author' included with the publication of her novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion that she "never dispatched a note or a letter unworthy of publication." Years later, a niece Caroline Austen did not agree, "there is nothing in those letters which I have seen that would be acceptable to the public." In comparison to her published works, the letters do dwell upon `little matters' of domestic life in the county, but to the patient reader we begin to understand Austen's life and experiences beyond the minutia and realize through her clever descriptions and acerbic observations how this simple parson's daughter became the author of novels that are so valued and cherished close to 200 years after their publication.

This reissue by Oxford University Press of their 2004 edition of Jane Austen Selected Letters is more than worthy of a second printing. Not only does it include two thirds of the known surviving letters and a thoughtful introduction by scholar Vivien Jones chronicling the history of the letters stewardship with the family, its supplemental material alone makes it an incredible value for the price. As with the other Oxford World's Classics of Austen's major and minor works that have been reissued this past year, it includes a brief biography, notes on the text, a select bibliography, a chronology of Jane Austen's life, and explanatory notes. Unique to this edition, and by far the highlight are the glossary of people and places and the detailed index for quick reference.

For students and Austen enthusiast seeking a compact edition in comparison to the comprehensive and hefty Jane Austen's Letters edited by Deirdre Le Faye, this reissue is a sleek and densely informative package. Usually I abhor abridged editions of anything, but in this instance we are given an excellent selection of letters and a lively introduction at less than a third of the price of its competitor. In this economy, I say better and better.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (4)

Distilling Jane Austen...
This 2007 edition of "Jane Austen" is a re-issue of Tony Tanner's superb 1986 study.Tanner distills years of thought on Miss Jane Austen's novels into essays on her literary style and content.He adroitly walks the fine line between high literary criticism and popular commentary.The serious scholar and the devoted fan will each find much to entertain and enlighten.

An extended introduction places Jane Austen in the context of her times with respect to the novel, society, education, and language.Separate chapters on "Northanger Abbey", "Sense and Sensibility", "Pride and Prejudice", "Emma", "Persuasion", and "Sanditon" follow.In each chapter, Tanner explores what Austen reveals of her evolving authorial style, and her surprisingly subtle commentary on values in a changing world.Tanner works in some delicious commentary on the stories themselves along the way.

Each chapter is different.Tanner's commentary on "Northanger Abbey" threatens briefly to disappear into obscure literary terminology."Sense and Sensibility" turns out to have more balance as a novel than often thought.The chapter on "Pride and Prejudice" brings out its enduring appeal."Mansfield Park" and "Emma" each get their due as signficant developments in Austen's style of authorship.Tanner captures the simple but powerful emotional thrust of "Persuasion", and surely wrings all there is to get from the limited but promising fragment that is "Sanditon."

Throughout, Tanner keeps Miss Jane Austen as author in the forefront of the discussion.In the best portions of his commentary, we can almost hear her thinking aloud.Tony Tanner's "Jane Austen" is very highly recommended as an excellent exploration of her work to the scholar and the devoted fan alike.

Thought Provoking
I recently read a Penguin edition of Sense and Sensibility with an introduction by Tony Tanner. It was my enjoyment of that piece that made me seek this book out. Each chapter analyzes one of Austen's books, the unfinished Sanditon included. The introduction, with the assertion that in writing about civility Austen was really writing about civilization, and situating her work in its social and political climate, was particularly challenging. This broader picture was most welcome. I also liked how Dr. Tanner quoted and refuted Austen's detractors, and how he compared her stylistically to other authors of the era.

A glimpse of the author through her works...
Jane Austin was a Tory. She was born in 1775, the year of the American Revolution, lived through the French Revolution, the Jacobin 'Terror' and the Age of Napoleon, and died just after Waterloo.The quiet English countryside she knew and loved became imperiled by many factors during her lifetime.

Tanner, a reader at Cambridge, has written an insightful literary criticism about the seven novels Austen wrote (Sandition was incomplete at the time of her death). His book is written for the 'close' reader of Austen's work. I was introduced to his text in one of my courses on Austen.

For example, in his chapter on 'Mansfield Park' Tanner lays out the underpinnings of the story as one of conflict between the order of the rural countryside (Mansfield Park) versus the disorder of Portsmouth and the corrupting influence of London. Various characters stand for these places as well as the moral failings of society.The three sisters Mrs. Price (lust) represents Portsmouth, Mrs Norris (envy) and Mrs. Bertram (sloth) represent Mansfield Park on the verge of breakdown. The Crawfords (avarice) interlopers from London, reprent the alluring but treacherous ways of urban life. Fanny, Edmund, and Mr. Bertram represent the ordered rural life.

When asked what "Mansfield Park' was about, Ms. Austen replied it was about "ordination." The word ordination comes from the Latin word--ordo. Tanner says Ms. Austen, concerned "with the problem of how a true social order could be maintained, particularly in a troubled period, clearly considered the role of the clergyman as being of special importance."

Tanner says Mansfield Park is loaded with symbolism. For example, on a group walk Fanny stays on the straight and narrow path by remaining stationary on a bench, while Edmund and Mary Crawford walk the Serpintine path. Maria and Julia stray from the cultivated garden into the "wilderness" behind the iron gate with Henry Crawford.

Fanny Price wears an amber cross, a gift from her beloved brother William. She hangs it on a gold chain given her by Edmund. Wearing these two gifts over her heart gives her "inner peace."

Fanny is the center of the story.Although many readers may perceive her as a prig, she is a very complex character. She is Austen's source of Good Orderly Direction. At the end, Mr. Bertram the "lord" of Mansfield Park recognizes her as his "true" daughter.

An excellent study on Jane Austen's novels
This book is an interesting and insightful analysis on Jane Austen, her novels and her social and ideological milieu. After an introductory chapter on Jane Austen in relation with the Novel, Society, Education and Language,Tony Tanner dedicates the next chapters to a detailed study on JaneAusten's novels, including the incomplete Sandition. Tanner is highlyeffective in relating the historical, social and artistic circumnstances inAusten's time and how they influence the main themes and values present inher novels. As a result, the reader is able to have a clearer picture ofJane Austen and the evolution of both her writing style and herperspectives of society and the human person. Tanner has a clear style ofwriting, never losing the interest of the reader. A great work for theliterary scholar and the general reader. ... Read more

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From Longman's Cultural Editions Series, Northanger Abbey, edited by Marilyn Gaull, presents key texts that illuminate the lively intersections of literature, tradition, and culture.

This edition places Jane Austen and Northanger Abbey in the major conversations of Romanticism, not just the gothic novel and female education. It places the novel in two contexts, 1798, when it was written, and 1818, when it was published, illustrating its relevance to both periods and the major writers, especially the poets.

This edition connects Jane Austen with the major Western literary tradition, from ancient myth, the Arabian Nights, to Cervantes, Flaubert, and Virginia Woolf.

Customer Reviews (1)

Northanger Abbey
Very funny in typical Austin fashion. A must read for any Jane Austin fan. It is a bit difficult to follow the characters and the relationships at first;Once you get to know who the characters are it is easy to appreciate them and their interactions. Austin's version of the Gothic novel.
The Longman edition is very helpful in setting the context for the work. Being relatively new to Austin it was valuable for me to understand the historical setting and read the examples of contemporary authors that this edition provides. I highly recommend this edition for anyone who is not already familiar with the life and times of this period. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Excellent and useful book for austen Fans
This has the advantage of being a great browsing book for the pictures but is also an excellent reference.

This is more than just another biography of Austen (although it has a bit more background on the Austen and Leigh families than you would necessarily expect in a book of this length. It is well done. The family and their relatives are put into context well for their time and social millieu. What separates this book from many others is that it is very much about what Austen would have used for her eating, drinking, writing etc, and where she would have brought them from.

Susan Watkins has managed to dig up some excellent pictures, many of which I haven't seen before, and are well referenced through the text.

Watkins has a very easy and readable style of writing. This is really very much for the Jane Austen and Regency fan - those who enjoy reading Georgette Heyer will really get a lot out of this book as well. ... Read more

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In its marvelously perceptive portrayal of two young women in love, Sense and Sensibility is the answer to those critics and readers who believe that Jane Austen’s novels, despite their perfection of form and tone, lack strong feeling.

Its two heroines—so utterly unlike each other–both undergo the most violent passions when they are separated from the men they love. What differentiates them, and gives this extroardinary book its complexity and brilliance, is the way each expresses her suffering: Marianne–young, impetuous, ardent–falls into paroxysms of grief when she is rejected by the dashing John Willoughby; while her sister, Elinor—wiser, more sensible, more self-controlled—masks her despair when it appears that Edward Ferrars is to marry the mean-spirited and cunning Lucy Steele. All, of course, ends happily—but not until Elinor’s “sense” and Marianne’s “sensibility” have equally worked to reveal the profound emotional life that runs beneath the surface of Austen’s immaculate and irresistible art. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

The sensible and the sensitive
One of the Dashwood daughters is smart, down-to-earth and sensible. The other is wildly romantic and sensitive.

And in a Jane Austen novel, you can guess that there are going to be romantic problems aplenty for both of them -- along with the usual entailment issues, love triangles, sexy bad boys and societal scandals. "Sense and Sensibility" is a quietly clever, romantic little novel that builds up to a dramatic peak on Marianne's romantic troubles, while also quietly exploring Elinor's struggles.

When Mr. Dashwood dies, his entire estate is entailed to his weak son John and snotty daughter-in-law Fanny. His widow and her three daughters are left with little money and no home.

Over the next few weeks, the eldest daughter Elinor begins to fall for Fanny's studious, quiet brother Edward... but being the down-to-earth one, she knows she hasn't got a chance. Her impoverished family soon relocates to Devonshire, where a tiny cottage is being rented to them by one of Mrs. Dashwood's relatives -- and Marianne soon attracts the attention of two men. One is the quiet, much older Colonel Brandon, and the other is the dashing and romantic Willoughby.

But things begin to spiral out of control when Willoughby seems about to propose to Marianne... only to abruptly break off his relationship with her. And during a trip to London, both Elinor and Marianne discover devastating facts about the men they are in love with -- both of them are engaged to other women. And after disaster strikes the Dashwood family, both the sisters will discover what real love is about...

At its heart, "Sense and Sensibility" is about two girls with completely opposite personalities, and the struggle to find love when you're either too romantic or too reserved for your own good. As well as, you know, the often-explored themes in Austen's novels -- impoverished women's search for love and marriage, entailment, mild scandal, and the perils of falling for a sexy bad boy who cares more for money than for true love... assuming he even knows what true love is.

Austen's formal style takes on a somewhat more melancholy flavor in this book, with lots of powerful emotions and vivid splashes of prose ("The wind roared round the house, and the rain beat against the windows"); and she introduces a darker tone near the end. Still, there's a slight humorous tinge to her writing, especially when she's gently mocking Marianne and Mrs. Dashwood's melodrama ("They gave themselves up wholly to their sorrow, seeking increase of wretchedness in every reflection that could afford it").

And Marianne and Elinor make excellent dual heroines for this book -- that still love and cherish each other, even though their polar opposite personalities frequently clash. What's more, they each have to become more like the other before they can find happiness. There's also a small but solid supporting cast -- the hunting-obsessed Sir John, the charming Willoughby (who has some nasty stuff in his past), the emotional Mrs. Dashwood, and the gentle, quiet Colonel Brandon, who shows his love for Marianne in a thousand small ways.

"Sense and Sensibility" is an emotionally powerful, beautifully written tale about two very different sisters, and the rocky road to finding a lasting love. Not as striking as "Pride and Prejudice," but still a deserving classic.

Excellence & Erudition
The basic plot involves two sisters who have been more or less cheated out of an inheritance and are struggling to find husbands and happiness. Elinor is the oldest and is very intelligent and wise (Sense) and her sister Marianne is all raw emotion and passion (Sensibility). How these two interact with the world, each other, as well as family and friends makes up the bulk of the book. They struggle to understand each other even as they slowly grow more alike... meeting not quite in the middle but closer than they were. The supporting characters are very engaging and I found myself rooting for most of them, even a couple who are not entirely good. There are a few characters (e.g. Mrs. Jenkins) who are caricatures meant to parody some of the social norms of the day but even she has some depth to her and is likeable.

While I initially picked this book up due to fond memories of Pride and Prejudice (Enriched Classics), I found Sense & Sensibility to be an excellent novel in its own right. I'm not sure why, but I was worried that it might be a bit dry. I needn't have been concerned, as the wit and story both sparkle from the first few pages and it only gets better as it goes along.

I won't give the ending or any major plot points away but the story does move along well and has a fairly satisfying ending. I did think that a bit more attention could have been paid to Marianne at the end but in many respects Elinor is more the central character so it is perhaps fitting that the climax focuses more on her.

In sum, this is an excellent novel and well worth reading.

If you have never read Jane Austen, start here
One of Austen's first books to be published, Sense and Sensibility tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. Having lost their father, they had to start life anew, since their half-brother and his wife were not willing to take care of them. So Elinor, Marianne, their mother and younger sister move to Barton Cottage. In their new home, they experience heartache and pain as they mature and grow.

Elinor, the elder sister is extremely sensible, even in matters of the heart. When she learns that Edward Ferrars, the man whom she loved, was going to marry Lucy Steele, she takes it in stride. She is sad, but that does not slow her down. Marianne, on-the-other-hand, is very dramatic and emotional. When Mr. Willoughby breaks her heart, she decides she is never going to recover. She starts getting sick often and being melancholy. The story ends well, but both sisters learn to become less rigid in their respective personalities. Elinor realizes that showing emotions is alright and Marianne decides that living life in the past is not useful. Hence, Elinor gains some sensibility and Marianne some sense.

Once again, Austen has outdone herself in this novel. Her characters are well-developed. Like in her other novels, Austen's writing paints a charming picture of the life and times of the 19th Century English. The story line is very captivating and Austen goes into great detail describing every aspect. However, it seems that towards the end she wraps everything up very quickly. She mentions Lucy Steele and Willoughby's whereabouts and feelings; she mentions Elinor's and Marianne's respective marriages. She does this without using her usual descriptive language. But other than her ending, this is an excellent novel.

Armchair Interviews says: If you have not read Austen before, Sense and Sensibility is the novel to start with! ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

A Nameless and Dateless Romance...
Andrew Norman is the latest in a long line of authors to attempt to wring a few more insights from the limited surviving biographical material on Jane Austen.In 2009's "Jane Austen: An Unrequited Love", Norman provides a concise, sympathetic but unremarkable narrative of the short life of the beloved romance novelist.At the appropriate intervals in the chronology, Norman weaves in descriptions of her literary output, from the so-called Juvenalia to the unfinished novel "Sanditon".His literary criticism has been covered in more depth by other authors.

Norman does wrestle with two questions of interest to Jane Austen fans.He claims to identify the young man with whom Jane Austen reportedly shared a romantic attachment at a seaside resort in 1801 or 1802.The suspect has been discussed by other scholars, notably R.W. Chapman, and there are at least two signficant objections to his standing as Austen's "nameless and dateless" romance.To his credit, Norman acknowledges the objections; readers must be their own judge as to whether he overcomes them with his explanation.

Norman also addresses the cause of Jane Austen's death at age 41.Norman, a retired general practitioner, seems on surer ground in suggesting that she suffered from both Addison's disease and tuberculosis, the latter possibly contracted while nursing her brother Henry.The book includes an interesting selection of illustrations.The bibliography is alarmingly light given the depth of the field.

"Jane Austen: An Unrequited Love" is worth a look for the general reader interested in a serviceable biography, and perhahps for the Jane Austen fan interested in another discussion of her personal romances. ... Read more