Jane Austen revolutionized the literary romance, using it as a platform from which to address issues of gender politics and class consciousness among the British middle-class of the late eighteenth century. The novels included in the collection - Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and Lady Susan - represent all of Austen's complete novels, and provide the reader with an entrance into the world she and her memorable characters inhabited. With witty, unflinching ...
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Jane Austen revolutionized the literary romance, using it as a platform from which to address issues of gender politics and class consciousness among the British middle-class of the late eighteenth century. The novels included in the collection - Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and Lady Susan - represent all of Austen's complete novels, and provide the reader with an entrance into the world she and her memorable characters inhabited. With witty, unflinching morality, Austen portrays English middle-class life as the eighteenth century came to a close and the nineteenth century began. Austen's heroines find happiness in many forms, each of the novels is a story of love and marriage -- marriage for love, financial security and for social status. In a publishing career that spanned less than ten years her work brought her little personal fame and only a few positive reviews during her lifetime. It wasn't until the 1940s that she became widely accepted in academia as a great English writer. The second half of the 20th century saw a proliferation of Austen scholarship and the emergence of a fan culture. Austen's works continue to influence the course of the novel even as they charm readers today.
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Seller's Description:
The cover has visible markings and wear. Purchasing this item from Goodwill provides vocational opportunities for individuals with barriers to employment.
First of all, the cover of the book has Keira Knightley on it which is not very much appreciated. This aside, the book is totally worth the price. The only disadvantage in my opinion is that obviously it is a very thick book and thus not very confortable to be hold while you read it. But Jane Austen always offers great reading pleasure, so I suppose this disadvantage is not really a big one...
newtfancier
Apr 3, 2008
Beloved classics
Jane Austen was one of the few women of her time to write about life in early 19th-century England. She was the second daughter of a country parson, and her numerous brothers introduced her to the worlds of banking, gentlemen farmers, and naval officers. Wordier than today's popular novels, Austen is subtle and sparkling in her incisive illustration of her own social order. I find her characters as amusing as Dickens', but rather more shaded than the army of people he gives us. Though Austen writes about a society whose rules may be unfamiliar to us, her characters' emotions shine through clearly and resonate with our present society. My copy stands in plain view for easy reference, and I have read each of her novels many times. Reading Austen will also boost your vocabulary!