- Paperback: 672 pages
- Publisher: Oxford Paperbacks; 3 edition (6 Feb 1997)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0192832972
- ISBN-13: 978-0192832979
- Product Dimensions: 21.5 x 13.9 x 3.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 85,157 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
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Review
These are the letters of our greatest novelist ... they give glances and hints at her life from the age of 20 to her death at 41, the years in which she wrote her six imperishable books (Claire Tomalin, Independent on Sunday )
Claire Tomalin, Independent on Sunday
"These are the letters of our greatest novelist ... they give glances and hints at her life from the age of 20 to her death at 41, the years in which she wrote her six imperishable books"
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First Sentence
In the first place I hope you will live twenty-three years longer. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
In the first place I hope you will live twenty-three years longer. Read the first page
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Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
68 of 71 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This collection of Jane Austens letters is a must for all fans who would like a peek inside the mind of the author. It is the most extensive collection to date and Le Faye has done quite a lot to make it as accessible as possible. It features all of the surviving letters from Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra plus some letters to some of her brothers, a niece, etc. It also includes three letters from Cassandra to various relatives from the time immediately after Jane Austens death and so also shows Jane Austen from another persons perspective. The only drawback of this book is that all the notes are in the back, arranged by the number of each letter, and so you find yourself flipping back and forth quite a lot but it is an annoyance well worth putting up with.
I have read quite a few bibliographies on Jane Austen but there is no competing with her own words. If you have any kind of interest in Jane Austen as a person then you should definitely get this book.
6 of 6 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book gave me a better understanding of this extraordinary writer who I adore. Looking into Jane's letters gives a better picture of her humor, her love for her family, her wit and intelligence. I am happy I made this purchase and overcame my guilt of reading something so personal as her letters.
13 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
rather heavy going. The letters themselves are fascinating insofar as they reveal the everyday workings of the mind that created well-loved literary masterpieces. The turns of phrase are easily recognizable as Austen and in some cases exquisitely ironic or extremely funny. Any admirer of Austen's writing will appreciate them.
On the downside, they are not, for the most part, about anything important. Most of them were written to her sister Cassandra, with whom Austen lived during the whole of her life; for the most important events in her life Austen actually was with her sister and had no need to write to her. She also had no need to expound at length on any general subject; she could talk about these with her sister in person with more convenience and at no expense. They were written when one or the other were away visiting friends and are the normal, gossipy letters anyone might write to their sister, while they were away on holiday. If you are expecting revelations about Austen's life or great insights in what she thought on life, you are going to be disappointed.
I enjoyed them, but I am a great fan; I would not recommend to someone who wasn't.
On the downside, they are not, for the most part, about anything important. Most of them were written to her sister Cassandra, with whom Austen lived during the whole of her life; for the most important events in her life Austen actually was with her sister and had no need to write to her. She also had no need to expound at length on any general subject; she could talk about these with her sister in person with more convenience and at no expense. They were written when one or the other were away visiting friends and are the normal, gossipy letters anyone might write to their sister, while they were away on holiday. If you are expecting revelations about Austen's life or great insights in what she thought on life, you are going to be disappointed.
I enjoyed them, but I am a great fan; I would not recommend to someone who wasn't.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
Invaluable item for authors of Regency Romances
Jane's wit and observations combined with gossipy prose affords wonderful insight to her era, its social values, and the cost of living. Read more
Published 2 months ago by FrancineHowarth
AUSTEN'S ERA LEAPS OFF THE PAGE
This new edition of Jane Austen's letters must surely take pride of place on the bookshelves of anyone who claims to love this extraordinary novelist. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Green Knight
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