Book Description
This new collection of Austen's brilliant short fiction is the first annotated edition of her short writings.The texts have been compared with the manuscripts to give a number of new readings.In addition to prose fiction and prayers, this collection contains many of her poems written to
amuse and console her friends, and are unavailable in any other single volume. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

ok - i guess -
not a great read, sorta of inmature, intersting in some aspects if interested in Jane

Oh! The Joy of Jane Austen!
For those who have loved Jane Austen's more mature writings, this book is a must read.Compiled from Jane Austen's childhood notebooks, these stories are full of unmasked satire, and endless jokes, aimed to point outthe absurdity of the novels of the authores' day.In her more matureyears, Jane Austen learned to mask her satire and calm her wit.Suchknowledge undoubtably made for better writing, but there is a great deal ofenjoyment to be had from a younger pen, the open satire of a girl who waswise enough to see the folly of her times.Catharine and Other Storieswill not make wise, or generally inspire, but it is delightful comicrelief, as well as a window into the vivacious mind of Jane Austen, thegirl. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Of all Jane Austen's heroines, Emma Woodhouse is the most flawed, themost infuriating, and, in the end, the most endearing.Pride and Prejudice's Lizzie Bennet has more wit and sparkle; Catherine Morland in Northanger Abbey more imagination; and Sense and Sensibility's Elinor Dashwood certainly more sense--but Emma is lovable precisely because she is so imperfect. Austen only completed six novels in her lifetime, of which five feature young women whose chances for making a good marriage depend greatly on financial issues, and whose prospects if they fail are rather grim. Emma is the exception: "Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever, and rich, with a comfortable home and happy disposition seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence; and had lived nearly twenty-one years in the world with very little to distress or vex her." One may be tempted to wonder what Austen could possibly find to say about so fortunate a character. The answer is, quite a lot.

For Emma, raised to think well of herself, has such a high opinion of her own worth that it blinds her to the opinions of others. The story revolves around a comedy of errors: Emma befriends Harriet Smith, a young woman of unknown parentage, and attempts to remake her in her own image. Ignoring the gaping difference in their respective fortunes and stations in life, Emma convinces herself and her friend that Harriet should look as high as Emma herself might for a husband--and she zeroes in on an ambitious vicar as the perfect match. At the same time, she reads too much into a flirtation with Frank Churchill, the newly arrived son of family friends, and thoughtlessly starts a rumor about poor but beautiful Jane Fairfax, the beloved niece of two genteelly impoverished elderly ladies in the village. As Emma's fantastically misguided schemes threaten to surge out of control, the voice of reason is provided by Mr. Knightly, the Woodhouse's longtime friend and neighbor.Though Austen herself described Emma as "a heroine whom no one but myself will much like," she endowed her creation with enough charm to see her through her most egregious behavior, and the saving grace of being able to learn from her mistakes. By the end of the novel Harriet, Frank, and Jane are all properly accounted for, Emma is wiser (though certainly not sadder), and the reader has had the satisfaction of enjoying Jane Austen at the height of her powers. --Alix WilberBook Description
New chronology and further reading; Tony Tanner's original introduction reinstated

Edited with an introduction and notes by Flora Stafford.Download Description
Emma (1816) is Jane Austen's comic masterpiece in which Emma Woodhouse finds her match-making skills sadly misdirected as she learns humility and self-knowledge at the same time as she discovers love. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (199)

A wonderfully witty and endearing novel
I actually saw the film (with Paltrow as Emma) before reading the book and I must say, that I am glad that the movie was very true to the novel because I adore the movie. I was actually surprised that the book was so similar. It features one of my favorite Jane Austen characters, Emma of course. She is a joy to read about. The dialogue was easy to follow and it was a quick but fun read.

Tough minded comedy of manners
In a letter to a relative Austen once wrote "3 or 4 families in a country village is the very thing to work on "She knew this world intimately and well and it was the subject of her best novels of which Emma most assuredly is one .
Emma Woodhouse is young,lively and thoroughly spolied .She is complacently sure she knows what is best for all her friends and acquaintances ,especially in matters of the heart .She is a self-appoinited matchmaker to all her friends and she particularly interests herself in the affairs of the young and naive Harriet Smith,an unassertive and timid young woman .Emma is convinced Harriet would be ideally matched with the local minister Mr Elton not knowing that he despises Harriet for her lack of social graces and standing and that he is set onwooing and winningEmma herself .Emma is idly contemplating a dalliance with a newcomer to the village ,Frank Churchill ,but her real feelings are for the local squire George Knightley .Knightley is an amused and exasperated spectator to the meddling which is second nature to Emma.
The novel deals with the way Emma's plans for others collapse and she as a consequence comes to a new and painful degree of self-awareness.She knows less about herself and others than she fondly imagines .The book is a very tough-minded piece of work and has universal themes to do with human motivations and self-deception.It shows the manipulations and strategemsof the marriage market as supremely important in society .Emma is essentially about growing into self awareness rather than a romantic comedy as so many other Austen novels are .It is why it still retains its impact so many years after its original publication .The support cast is well drawn -Elton,in particularbeing a great sketch of an odious snake who has somehow been born as human being .
Any society in which people meddle in each others affairs is one in which Emma is still a valid book

Emma is the story of a young matchmaker who learns her lesson
Emma is Jane Austen's penultimate novel. It is a long but engaging story of Emma Woodhouse who lives in the fictional village of Highbury 16 miles from London. The novel is in many ways a "bildungsroman" as Emma changes and matures to win her man and a place in literary lovers' hearts.
The major players in this Jane Austen classic are:
Emma Woodhouse-Emma is the spoiled daughter of widower Woodhouse. She loves playing matchmaker to young couples resulting in disastrous results!
Emma is flawed but lovable and good hearted.
Mr. Woodhouse-One of Austen's most hilarious characters. Mr. Woodhouse is a foolish nincimpoop always worried about the temperature and catching a cold. He does not want Emma to marry since he prefers she stay home and take care of his fussbudget needs. He reminds this reviewer of a character who could have fit in well in a Dickens novel.
Mr. Knightley. This wealthy landowner has been in love with Emma since she was 13. One of the charms of this comedy of manners is the conversation he engages in with Emma. He is a wise man and good judge of moral character. Emma foolishly thinks the merchant's daughter Harriet is in love with him. His name says it all for he is a knight in shining armor!
Harriet Smith-Emma seeks to mate her with the odious Rev. Mr. Elton but her plans go awry with he weds the foolish Mrs. Augusta Elton. Harriet is an innocent young lady who wrongly allows Emma to advice her on matters of the heart. She will later wed the mundane farmer Robert Martin.
Frank Churchill; He is the son of Mr. Weston a local landowner. Weston had married Ms. Taylor who had been the maid at Emma's home for 18 years.
Frank is a charmer with a weak character. Emma is briefly infatuated by him but learns his true nature from the faithful Mr. Knightley. He is anything but frank in explaining his past amours to Emma and Harriet.
Jane Fairfax is a lovely lass who has been secretly engaged to Frank Churchill. As the novel ends this pair wed. Jane is lovely but strikes this reviewer has lacking mental strength!
Miss Bates-A minor character who has the gift of gab! She rattles on with
little thought in several of the novel's chapters. I see her as an early form in English fiction of stream of consciousness monologue later mastered by such masters as James Joyce and William Faulkner.
Emma is usually rated alongside "Pride and Prejudice" as one of the two best novels written by Jane Austen. I enjoyed it immensely but note that there is a lot of talking and not much action. Austen liked to take a few country families and discuss a love affair or two in her narrowly focused works. She is the indisputed queen of romance fiction and is as popular today as she was when the book was published in 1816. This fall Masterpiece Theatre will be airing dramatizations of all six novels. We Janeites are a growing army of devoted fans. Jane only wrote 6 books but each is a masterpiece!

Love the novel, hate the introduction
Please don't misunderstand me:I love Jane Austen's Emma.I love everything by Jane Austen.What I don't love about this edition of the book is the introduction.Margaret Drabble obviously doen't care for the book, especially the heroine Emma Woodhouse.I have no idea why they would publish such an unfavorable introduction with the novel.Also, if you read the intro but have never read the novel, you're getting the entire plot line, which is only good if you're still in and writting a book report.

But, if you're just looking for a cheap copy of Emma, then by all means, buy this version.Just please don't dampen the wonderful experience of reading Jane Austen by reading the horrible introduction.

slow, but worth it

Be warned: this book is slow.very slow. i loved pride and prejudice, but i would have quit partway through this one if it hadn't been a gift.

However, if you have the patience and fortitude to get through it, you will be rewarded. Though i could have done without so much detail about the planning of a party, or full chapters of Emma and Mr. Knightley talking things to death, it was an overall good book. Emma is very fully developed.She starts out, not as a good girl with some faults, but as a vain, selfish, silly young woman, and comes out by the end of the book deeply and believably changed.

one thing I particularly enjoyed is that since Emma was always so wrong in her guesses, it was up to the reader to figure out what was really going on, and who was in love with whom.Especially towards the end, I had a lot of fun picking out hints and speculating, and seeing my guesses come out right.

The book isn't so amazing that i would urge everyone to struggle through the whole length of it, but it's a worthwhile and enjoyable read.it just could have been much shortened. ... Read more

Product Description
SynopsisJon Spence's biography of Jane Austen paints an intimate portrait of the much-loved novelist. Spence's meticulous research has uncovered evidence that Austen and the charming young Irishman Tom Lefroy fell in love at the age of twenty and that the relationship inspired "Pride and Prejudice," one of the most celebrated works of fiction. "Becoming Jane Austen" gives the fullest account we have of the romance, which was more serious and more enduring than previously believed. Seeing this love story in the context of Jane Austen's whole life enables us to appreciate the profound effect the relationship had on her art and on subsequent choices that she made in her life. Full of insight and with an attentive eye for detail, Spence explores Jane Austen's emotional attachments and the personal influences that shaped her as a novelist. The narrative provides a point of entry into Jane Austen's world as she herself perceived and experienced it. It is a world familiar to us from her novels, but in "Becoming Jane Austen," Austen herself is the heroine. ... Read more

Book Description
Searching for Jane Austen demolishes with wit and vivacity the often-held view of "Jane," a decorous maiden aunt writing her small drawing-room stories of teas and balls. Emily Auerbach presents a different Jane Austen—a brilliant writer who, despite the obstacles facing women of her time, worked seriously on improving her craft and became one of the world’s greatest novelists, a master of wit, irony, and character development.
In this beautifully illustrated and lively work, Auerbach surveys two centuries of editing, censoring, and distorting Austen’s life and writings. Auerbach samples Austen’s flamboyant, risqué adolescent works featuring heroines who get drunk, lie, steal, raise armies, and throw rivals out of windows. She demonstrates that Austen constantly tested and improved her skills by setting herself a new challenge in each of her six novels.
In addition, Auerbach considers Austen’s final irreverent writings, discusses her tragic death at the age of forty-one, and ferrets out ridiculous modern adaptations and illustrations, including ads, cartoons, book jackets, newspaper articles, plays, and films from our own time. An appendix reprints a ground-breaking article that introduced Mark Twain’s "Jane Austen," an unfinished and unforgettable essay in which Twain and Austen enter into mortal combat. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

New insights on Jane Austen
I got this book from the public library, read it, and felt I had to have it,though I already have shelves of Jane Austen materials.The censoring and shaping of Jane Austen and her writings started after her death, and continues today.I particularly enjoyed the chapter on Northanger Abbey.

An excellent book on the image vs the reality of Jane Austen
Emily Auerbach may be in danger of being drummed out of academia for writing a book that is so well-researched and so detailed, and yet so readable. Auerbach's concern is the attempts by Austen's relatives and earlier literary critics to present Austen as a meek and mild cardboard saint. There is nothing particularly new in this idea, but it is very well and thoroughly done. While several biographers have made similar arguments, none is a thorough and convincing as this specialized monograph.

Auerbach pays particular attention to the representations of Austen. She seems to feel that the portrait by Austen's sister Cassandra is the only valid image. Well, arguably it is the only portrait that shows her face. Auerbach does not examine other representations of doubtful authenticity. While I see what she is driving at, I think this is perhaps a trifle overdone.Cassandra's portrait is rough and unfinished, and I wonder whether it would have been used prior to some of the aesthetic changes of "modern art", even if JA looked timid and pious.The two most commonly reproduced engravings really don't strike me as such terrible revisions of Cassandra's portrait, with the significant exception of removing the lines around the mouth, and in one case, adding a wedding ring. I don't think the ruffles are a serious distortion: it's not like JA was in the habit of dressing like a man or a particularly no-nonsense Puritan.She may have had ruffles: CA's portrait is too unfinished to assert that she didn't.At least she is still wearing her habitual cap, unlike the portrait that shows her with her hair fashionably dressed. The issues of the lines around the mouth does reveal one tension in the book (and in several recent works about JA): Auerbach is rather annoyed that Valerie Myers describes JA as looking like a peevish hamster in CA's portrait.I would have said guinea pig was more like it, but what if she does?One the one hand, Auerbach seems to want warts and all, and on the other she seems to want to insist that there were no warts.I am not certain what Auerbach is saying about the picture that represents JA sitting by a Hollywood swimming pool talking on her cell phone, but I love that particular picture -- I think it's a hoot.

But, forget trivial cavils. The most important distortions are in the written record; Auerbach has obviously done heroic research and thoroughly supports her opinions about written materials. The critiques that she has made of certain books that I liked make me want to rush back and reread them in the light of her remarks.At one point, Auerbach begins an indepth analysis of the poem from which a quote is taken.I was originally somewhat dubious about this: sometimes when I quote a line out of context, I mean it to be understood out of context, but she carefully show how the quotes throughout the book complement and support one another. I was converted to her point of view.

Auerbach believes in my favorite Jane Austen; almost terrifyingly perceptive and well aware that life is complex and there are few simple answers. Auerbach seems to have a thorough understanding of the literature and was very taken with most of her arguments.

The book has numerous blank-and-white illustrations.

I would recommend this to any Jane Austen collection.

THE book for the true Austen aficionado
I have read so many essays and articles and books re Austen's works-- talk about searching for Jane Austen. Auerbach's book is not only more comprehensive, but, to paraphrase Elizabeth Bennett, 5 TIMES as spot on as any of them. Really more like 100 times. I feel that for the first time someone really understands her. It is such a tremendous relief and such a great pleasure to read, when I can relax and know I'm in the right hands. Get this book if you love Jane Austen.

Finding Jane Austen
Emily Auerbach has managed to pull off a nearly impossible feat -- write a scholarly book that is both dead-on informative AND vastly entertaining to read.Her book is a perfect balance between literary criticism and biography and is an invaluable tool for both scholars of Jane Austen's works and "plain old" lovers of Austen's novels.

finally,a fresh view of jane austen
What a wonderful addition to the genre.A fresh view of Jane Austen as anything but a quiet spinster.Fabulous research on the ways her family tried to sanitize her image, and the ways publishers and critics have fallen for this trick, to the point of revising her very appearance.For the sassy author of books that pointedly, acidly and poignantly highlighted the constraints faced by women, the constricted view of Austen herself seems like some kind of perverse performance art.Auerbach's book gives Austen back her original appearance and her original personality.You will enjoy it.Guaranteed. ... Read more

Book Description
Jane Austen centered her classic novels of manners around three or four families in a country village. So does Paula Marantz Cohen in her first novelexcept that Cohens village is Boca Raton, Florida. This witty twist on Pride and Prejudice does for retirees in Florida what the acclaimed movie Clueless did for teenagers in L.A.ligible men, especially ones in possession of a good fortune and country club privileges, are scarce. When goodhearted meddler Carol Newman learns that the wealthy Norman Grafstein has lost his wife, she resolves to marry him off to her lonely mother-in-law, May. Misunderstandings abound in this romantic and perceptive comedy of manners. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (31)

A great modern Pride and Prejudice
Cohen uses the Pride and Prejudice story in a Florida retirement community.It works well because of the closed society nature of that community.She remains faithful to Austen without carrying it to extremes.A delightful read.

She's No Jane Austen...
I have no problem putting a book down I'm not enjoying. The only reason I didn't put this one down was because I spent the day in doctors' waiting rooms with the choice of this and "You And Your Thyroid" pamphlets.

I LOVE Jane Austen. You know and relate to and feel for the characters. You meet people in her books you know you've met before in real life and you laugh at the comparisons. You're drawn in.

Jane Austen in Boca on the other hand was filled with the most unlikeable and most cardboard-like characters I've ever "met" in one book. There wasn't even one that I remotely liked or cared what happened to. Carol was unsufferable (not delightfully ditzy like Mrs. Bennett); Flo was obnoxious and rude (not clever and insightful like Elizabeth); May was a completely boring little mouse (not gentle and loveable like Jane); Hy was supposed to be annoying because we're told he was (as opposed to the delightful absurdities we witnessed and enjoyed with Mr. Collins), Stan was absolutely flat and uninteresting even after the "change" (so totally unlike Mr. Darcy), etc., etc., etc.

And then the ending. Was there a page limit imposed by the publisher?

Silly book. The only reason I gave it two stars was because I managed to finish it. It won't get a place on my bookshelf though. I'll donate it to the local library because it's harmless and there seems to be plenty of people who apparently enjoy this kind of book.

Very fun twists on a favorite classic
What happens when you take the plot of Pride and Prejudice and plop it into a senior retirement community in Boca Raton, largely populated by jewish snowbirds from New York and New Jersey?

Lots of fun. I had read another book by this author, but when I realized this was about seniors, I was initially hesitant. I just didn't think the romance angst would work when played against seniors. Wow, was I wrong.

Could Darcy and Bingley possibly have been more sought after than two widowers in good physical shape, financially secure and with their own teeth? Very funny, very witty. Good characterizations all round and a wild and fun romp.

Conclusion occurs very quickly - my only plot complaint. All in all I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it as an exceptionally well-written, fun, modern Jane Austen-like romp through the senior set.

Liked it, really wanted to love it
A nice, friendly, cozy reworking of my beloved "Pride and Prejudice".I really wanted to love this book, and I almost did.This is a fun book, until the end.The end just feels so rushed, it's almost like the author just gave up.Another couple of chapters maybe and I would have loved it.Still, a good book - lots of fun, and worth the read.

great read!
When I saw this book in a bookstore on a business trip, the cover put me off, but i needed a book for the plane home and gave it a try and am very glad I did. it's a pitch perfect adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, set in a jewish retirement community in boca raton, florida --brilliant!the opening chapter sets the theme and comic tone, and by the end the emotion and drama are like being in a parallel universe with elizabeth and darcy---but with jewish senior citizens in modern day florida.i also enjoyed cohen's "jessie kaplan and the dark lady", although it wasn't quite as good as "boca".am looking forward to reading her "jane austen in scarsdale".For anothermodern-day adaptation of Pride & Prejudice, "This Side of Married" by Rachel Pastan, set in Philadelphia, is also quite good, although not as funny as "boca". ... Read more

Amazon.com
Though Jane Austen was writing at a time when Gothic potboilers suchas Ann Ward Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho and Horace Walpole's The Castle of Otranto were all the rage, she never got carried away by romance in her own novels. In Austen's ordered world, the passions that ruled Gothic fiction would be horridly out of place; marriage was, first and foremost, a contract, the bedrock of polite society. Certain rules applied to who was eligible and who was not, how one courted and married and what one expected afterwards. To flout these rules was to tear at the basic fabric of society, and the consequences could be terrible. Each of the six novels she completed in her lifetime are, in effect, comic cautionary tales that end happily for those characters who play by the rules and badly for those who don't. In Mansfield Park, for example, Austen gives us Fanny Price, a poor young woman who has grown up in her wealthy relatives' household without ever being accepted as an equal. The only one who has truly been kind to Fanny is Edmund Bertram, the younger of the family's two sons.

Into this Cinderella existence comes Henry Crawford and his sister, Mary, who are visiting relatives in the neighborhood. Soon Mansfield Park is given over to all kinds of gaiety, including a daring interlude spent dabbling in theatricals. Young Edmund is smitten with Mary, and Henry Crawford woos Fanny. Yet these two charming, gifted, and attractive siblings gradually reveal themselves to be lacking in one essential Austenian quality: principle. Without good principles to temper passion, the results can be disastrous, and indeed, Mansfield Park is rife with adultery, betrayal, social ruin, and ruptured friendships. But this is a comedy, after all, so there is also a requisite happy ending and plenty of Austen's patented gentle satire along the way. Describing the switch in Edmund's affections from Mary to Fanny, she writes: "I purposely abstain from dates on this occasion, that everyone may be at liberty to fix their own, aware that the cure of unconquerable passions, and the transfer of unchanging attachments, must vary much as to time in different people." What does not vary is the pleasure with which new generations come to Jane Austen. --Alix WilberBook Description
Mansfield Park is Jane Austens most dramatic novel, centering on the smart and spirited Fanny Price, who was Austens own favourite among all her legendary heroines. At the age of ten, Fanny is sent to live with her wealthy cousins at their estate. At first a meek outsider, Fanny grows into a beautiful woman with great strength of character and intelligence. But her values are severely tested when the arrival of the sophisticated brother and sister duo from London, Henry and Mary Crawford, throws Mansfield Park into a passionate upheaval.Download Description
Begun in 1811 at the height of Jane Austen's writing powers and published in 1814, Mansfield Park marks a conscious break from the tone of her first three novels, Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, and Pride and Prejudice, the last of which Austen came to see as "rather too light." Fanny Price is unlike any of Austen's previous heroines, a girl from a poor family brought up in a splendid country house and possessed of a vast reserve of moral fortitude and imperturbability. She is very different from Elizabeth Bennet, but is the product of the same inspired imagination. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (87)

Complex and Thought-Provoking
Mansfield Park is the story of Fanny Price, who at ten years old is taken away from her indigent family to live with her rich cousins, the Bertrams of Mansfield Park.Both Fanny's uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, and her Aunt Norris, his sister-in-law, want the distinction of rank preserved between Fanny and her richer cousins.Consequently, Fanny suffers under the tyranny of her Aunt Norris and the neglect of most everyone else at Mansfield Park.The only real exception is her cousin Edmund, who, as Fanny grows older, becomes both friend and counselor to her.The monotony of Mansfield Park is upset when brother and sister, Henry and Mary Crawford, visit their sister at the parsonage of Mansfield.Henry Crawford toys with the affections of Fanny's cousins, Maria and Julia, while Mary Crawford earnestly seeks the affections of Edmund.Fanny quietly observes all.

Mansfield Park is a complex and sometimes disturbing novel, and its conclusion has a tendency to feel less than satisfactory.Jane Austen contrasts the very moral Fanny Price and her cousin Edmund Bertram with the very charming but amoral Mary Crawford and her brother Henry Crawford. While doing this, Jane Austen never actually tells her readers what to think about her characters.She presents their thoughts, words, and actions in an almost unbiased manner and leaves judgment up to the reader.The novel is definitely food for thought, and every time I read it, I find myself feeling differently about both it and its characters than I did the time before.I appreciate both the storyline and its thought-provoking complexity.

The Oxford Illustrated edition of Mansfield Park contains a copy of the play Lovers' Vows referred to in the novel, which is such a treat.After reading both the novel and the play, one cannot help but be struck by the parallels between the two. I recommend this edition to anyone curious about the controversial play in the novel.

Worth reading
I love Jane Austen and would actually give this book 4 1/2 stars.It's a little slow in parts but like all of her characters, I loved getting to know Fanny Price.Fannie is a quiet girl who is sent to live with her wealthy uncle.She has a very kind heart and is very patient with her Aunt Norris who loves to "put her in her place".She is often reminding her that she is in a different class than her cousins that she is so fortunate to live with.It is wonderful to watch as Fannie grows into a young woman, how she learns to speak her mind and not allow others to manipulate her as they once did.It is definitely one of my very favorite books.

Not about imperialism or slavery
Since Edward Said wrotehis foolish piece on Mansfield Park it has become de rigeur to attach agendas that reflect the intramural (ie bogus) leftism of the academy to novels (sorry texts) Even so this effort to do so in Mansfield Park is particularly outlandish. In fact the question "What isMansfield Park about" is less interesting than the question "what is it like to read Mansfield Park" Toanswer that question one has to explore the LANGUAGE of the novel and see where it leads. The plot of Mansfield Park is off-putting--the verbal architecture ofthe novel is unsurpassed. Trust me--delight in the language, the layers of irony in a sentence or scene. Ignore current opinion which is both intellectually lazy as well as dishonest. Jane Austen made her feelings clear about the slave trade in EMMA. ThatA "political" intereprative industry should have grown up about this book testifies to the reigning stupiditiesof English Studies-- well an English Professor has got to make a living.

Didacticism over Pleasure: A Rare Imbalance in Austen
In MANSFIELD PARK, Jane Austen expands her sphere of moral vision. In her earlier novels, she focused on the relationships between marriage partners that were framed in a comedic context of how the typical English society of the late 18th century might complicate the likelihood of a series of happy marriages. In this novel, however, she abandons the world of light and trifling romantic comedy for one in which she shows the unpleasant underside of the genteel society that was so noticeably lacking in say, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE.This dark underside includes a number of troubling aspects, all of which are antithetical to the world of light comedy.

First, Austen relentlessly considers the impact of the lack of moral values as a result of inadequate education of children.The patriarch of the Bertram family, Sir Thomas, dearly loves his four children but he has given them a profligate style of life without teaching them how to live that life without being corrupted by its debilitating disadvantage of conspicuous consumption. Second, for the first time in her writing career, Austen boldly places the theme of good versus evil squarely on the interaction of several of her characters. The virtuous Edmund, who is as priestly as the collar that he wears on his neck, is tempted by the lascivious charms of the amoral Mary, who sees in Edmund only a fleeting diversion.Further, Austen places London itself as a den of urban iniquity, the source of the theatrical evil that threatens the pastoral innocence of Mansfield Park.Third, she calls into question some basic paradoxes about the nature of character itself.Are peoples' characters fixed at birth or are they molded by environment? And when character is fixed, is it capable of change, and if so, by what, by whom, and to what extant? These latter questions come into play mostly in the person of Fanny, the outcast relative of the Bertram family who loves Edmund.She is presented as impossibly virtuous, but in the face of her open defiance to marry the rich Henry Crawford, she is labeled as an ingrate and worse. No one in that group perceives her virtue, but the readers certainly do. From where does this virtue spring? It cannot be genetic since several others of her family are woefully deficient in virtue. It cannot be solely the result of environment since, except for the equally virtuous Edmund, the others treat her as uniformly unwanted and unloved.

The answers to the above questions are raised, but only partially answered. Part of the problem in seeking answers to such eternal questions as love versus honor, duty versus obedience, and heredity versus environment in a novel is that this is a novel, and for Austen, a didactic one at that. Since she chooses to use a number of flat characters to represent allegorical archetypes of good and evil, their responses to their encounters cannot convey the full spectrum of thought that a more fully fleshed person might.Further the many plots--the love affair between Fanny and Edmund, the plots of the Bertram sisters, and the interweaving of the many strands of plot between the Bertram children--combine to cause the reader to zero in on these many threads rather than ponder their potentially more universal significances.What is lacking in MANSFIELD PARK is a pleasing balance and harmony among the many snipped strands of plot and theme which cry out for a splicing that does not occur even at the happy marriage of Edmund and Fanny.This imbalance, combined with Austen's atypical use of realism and pressing social concerns, and her lack of a truly engaging heroine along the lines of Elizabeth Bennett, make MANSFIELD PARK a dutiful slog rather than a joyous read.

not as crazy about it, but still good
i'm not as in love with this story as i was about Pride and Prejudice, but it's still austen and it's still an excellent read. ... Read more

Book Description
Jane Austen's complete novels, collected together in one uniquely comprehensive volume. Comprises the complete text of: "Sense and Sensibility", "Pride and Prejudice", "Mansfield Park", "Emma", "Northanger Abbey", "Persuasion", "Lady Susan", and "Love and Friendship". This is the only single-volume edition of Jane Austen's novels to contain not only the wickedly humorous "Lady Susan", but also the irrepressibly exuberant early work "Love and Friendship". This collection allows readers to explore the development of one of the English language's greatest writers, following her development from the farcical comedy of "Love and Friendship" and "Northanger Abbey", via her most popular work, "Pride and Prejudice", to the masterpiece "Emma", and the considered romance of "Persuasion". A unique collection of the finest and most perceptive love stories ever written. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK -----LETTER TOO SMALL TO READ!
DO NOT BUY THIS BOOK -----LETTER TOO SMALL TO READ!
All book letter size is like disclaimers...letter size is 4 or 5

8 Books in 1: Jane Austen's Complete Novels
The type is very small.It is more comfortable to read a book printed as an individual book.I should have thought this through before ordering a book with all 8 books in one.On the other hand, if you just want to take one book with you, you have 8 to read and only have to carry one.So, for that reason, it's quite a bargain.

not great
I ordered this book online thinking it would be cool to have all books in one book so to speak. I was disappointed, each page is split into 2 in the middle, it was not fun reading, and i actually returned it.

Pride and Prejudice
I have the video of one of the older versions of the movie and I also have the cd of the most recent movie.I love both of them so much that I had to get the book since it gives you more of an indebt of the thoughtsetc. of the characters.
I love the book

Good value
For the money, this was great. A few typos, but nothing too bad. If you just want all of Jane Austen's works in one volume I would recommend it. ... Read more

Book Description

Many rumors abound about a mysterious gentleman said to be the love of Jane's life—finally, the truth may have been found. . . .

Customer Reviews (26)

3 stars
Writers are said to put something of themselves into the worlds they create and into the characters that populate them. Given how beloved Jane Austen's work is, the idea of finding her memoirs and gaining insight into what reality might have seasoned her fiction would surely intrigue any of her fans. Though no such diary exists, presumably, this fictionalized version of what it might have been has an air of authenticity that makes you believe you are reading the lady's private musings. She recounts the pain of losing her father and the subsequent loss of status that left her and her mother living somewhat a vagabound life, moving from brother to brother's home. Though she penned stories about love, most of her life was lacking in romance, other than a few potential convenient marriages she rejected. Yet, there was one love, one impossible romance that would shape her works and her life.

*** I imagine someone who actually likes Jane Austen would have a far greater appreciation for this work than I. However, I do commend Ms. James' ability to get inside the head of a woman who lived long ago and make her world come to life. Needless to say, if you are a Jane Austen afficienado, this is a must read. ***

Amanda Killgore

Spellbinding and Astounding!
Syrie's spellbinding and very true to fact book is truly rivetting, to say the least. She has written the book so well that one forgets that it is not Jane herself! A book that one cannot put down, and where the reader wants to know more about the character is absolutely brilliantly done.
She has done Jane Austen well and I am sure if she were with us today would applaud the author's efforts truly.
All one can say to Syrie, is "excellent"

as IF Jane Austen wrote it herself!
If you are a lover of Jane Austen' novels, then you will delight in this fictious read about her life, as if written by her. It is most engaging and written beautifully. The pages flow well, making the reader close to Jane's experiences and conversations. Very good!!!

Imaginary walk thru history
All of you uptight Austin readers get over yourself and just "try" to read this book.It's a fun walk through what might have been and it gives you a clear picture of life for females in past days.It is mostly fiction, yes --- but has snipets of fact on Austin's life.Every once in a while a reader needs a break from pure truth - this book supplies that respite.Just try it.

"Jane" writes more...and it's FABULOUS!Read this book!
I loved this book.I really loved this book!Yes, it is fiction, but imagine if Jane's journals and undiscovered correspondence were uncovered, what more would this brilliant woman have had to say?What if we could learn about a passionate lost love?I truly needed to remind myself time and time again that I WAS reading fiction.Syrie James made it all so real to me.I could see every scene in my mind as if it were a movie.In fact, I would love to see this in film. Of course the gorgeous Mr. Ashford would have to be played by Colin Firth, there is no other.As for the rest, surprise me.

Look, I know there are many Jane Austen scholars out there and there is a purity in her writing that you may be looking for here.Take a chance and read, please.For me, Jane lived again and I felt as though a new window was opened into who she was, or might have been.The world lost her far too soon.Thank God someone like Syrie James had the courage to give us her truly inspired version of Jane.I am very grateful. ... Read more

Book Description
'I wonder what will become of her!'So speculate the friends and neighbours of Emma Woodhouse, the lovely, lively, wilful,and fallible heroine of Jane Austen's fourth published novel.Confident that she knows best, Emma schemes to find a suitable husband for her pliant friend Harriet, only to discover that she understands the feelings of others as little as she does her own heart.As Emma puzzles and blunders her way through the mysteries of her social world, Austen evokes for her readers a cast of unforgettable characters and a detailed portrait of a small town undergoing historical transition. Written with matchless wit and irony, judged by many to be her finest novel, Emma has been adapted many times for film and television.This new edition shows how Austen brilliantly turns the everyday into the exceptional. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

this book bored me. does that make me a bad person?
the first chapter is a model of precision. in only nine pages, a handful of characters are introduced with masterful clarity. subtle dialouge paints a portrait of each character with a depth that many novelists never achieve over the course of hundreds of pages. jane austen's supreme talent is shining bright. then what happens? it goes on and on and on. and i got severely bored. i did not care about emma's social schemes, her obssession with ones rank within society. she is simply a dull character. and the language ultimately grows tiresome. the purple prose weighed heavy on my poor brain after a hundred pages. a bit beyond page 220 i jumped ship. i simply could not finish this dull thing. sorry.

One of her finest
Jane Austen is one of the greatest women writers in history, and Emma ranks among her best. The characters are rich and varied. For anyone with an interest in Victorian literature, Emma is sure to be a hit.

Great!
Emma is a great classic novel and probably one of Jane Austen's best! If you like this book I also suggest the wonderful movie adaptations. Both the one starring Gwynneth Paltrow and the one starring Kate Beckinsale are quite lovely!

6 stars for content, standard binding, good introduction
There is absolutely nothing wrong with this book at all. It is a very good read, in a very standard binding. You get a good introduction to it and some nice notes which are helpful.

This is set in contemporary times to Austen, and was the heroine which Austen least liked. Emma Woodhouse is young, rich and single. She lives a life of wealth and privilege in a small village just outside of London. In her world, and in her village she is queen. However there are flaws in her character which will be tested.

Austen liked to write about small things, about daily life, and the petty things which people in small communities become obsessed with. And so into Emma's life come the scatter-brained Harriet Smith the daughter of "someone" who cobbles together what learning she might at a local ladies academy. Emma adopts her and tries to help her make her way in the world by finding her a good match.

Emma's fine world is disrupted when first Mr Elton moves to the village, and then marries a rather smart but upstart woman who wishes to manage everyone's life.

Austen's skill in reflecting Emma and her machinations for good, against Mrs Elton and her machinations for her own good are gloriously done.

Emma is a brilliant novel and its themes are universal and timeless, it is all about the things in life which never change -love, pride, marriage, status and money.

Don't watch dreadful movie adaptations of this book (like the one Gwyneth Paltrow did) the book is much sharper, wittier and subtler. It is greatly enjoyable reading. The introduction may (or may not) help you to greater understanding of her ability to write with a light, sharp pen. Hopefully the story will stand out for its brilliance. ... Read more

Book Description
"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." --Jane Austen, Pride and PrejudiceThere was never a more astute chronicler of the hits and near-misses of love than Jane Austen. Now, she helps readers discover their inner heroines and get the guy in this witty book of romance and dating strategies.Utilizing wisdom inspired by Jane Austen's novels, from Sense and Sensibility to Pride and Prejudice and beyond, author Lauren Henderson creates an indispensable guide for navigating the all-too-mystifying dating scene. Harnessing the triumphs and pitfalls of Austen's classic characters, Henderson shows how qualities like honesty, self-awareness, and forthrightness always win the right man -- and still let you respect yourself in the morning. A completely new and amusing approach to dating, Jane Austen's Guide to Dating includes insightful personality quizzes that reveal which Jane Austen character you -- and your mate -- most resemble. Armed with this knowledge, you can learn what to do if you're a Lizzie, but the object of your affection is a Bingley. You can even find out how to gain the clearheadedness and confidence that Anne Elliot had and almost lost in Persuasion.Full of wit and truly useful advice that has stood the test of time, Jane Austen's Guide to Dating will help readers overcome the nonsense and find the sense (and sensibility) to succeed in a lasting relationship. Fans of Jane Austen and newcomers alike will delight in this fun, fresh, and audacious guide. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (19)

Cute
A cute book if you are a fellow Jane Austen fan.I wouldn't follow any of her dating advice though...just something fun to read.

good premise that falls short
I am a big Jane Austen fan and that was the best part of this book: the examples from Austen's novels.The rest of the book read a lot like pop psychology and I have to agree with the other reviewer that commented on the "bar hopping, and sleeping around" aspect to many of the examples; a bit of a turn off for me.Some good analogies, and the woman can write.

Great gift for that single English Major
Bought this for an English teacher friend and she loved it.Makes some good points and is humorous just like Jane Austen herself.

Swore I would never read a dating book...
Like a lot of the other reviewers, I swore I would never read a dating book, because I thought I knew how it worked. But I have a very keen interest in Jane Austen and so I read it for that angle. I was dating a couple of guys and I had one really good friend that I wasn't really interested in, but he liked me a great deal. And when I read the chapter on giving a guy a chance although you don't think he is your type, it totally struck a cord. We started dating a couple weeks later, and a short two weeks after I went over for dinner and stayed the night and never went back to my place. I'm not saying this book is responsible for us being together. Jane Austen would definitely not approve, but I do think that chapter struck a nerve and led me to one of the happiest periods in my life.

Does everyone meet in bars?
As a Jane Austen fan, I thought this would be a fun read. Even though I'm married, I wanted to share it with my daughter. While the book does a great job of using examples from the novels to make her points, the modern day examples repeatedly tell of people meeting in bars?! Is this really where folks hope to find the love of their life? Also, the book assumes people sleep around A LOT before settling down. Guess I've been married a little too long...otherwise it was cute. ... Read more

Book Description
New chronology and further reading. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Love's Barriers Delightfully Probed in Polite Conversation
Persuasion is Jane Austen's most sophisticated story and writing. She lovingly and incisively demonstrates the problems of being a well-bred sensitive person in a society that's more intrigued by social standing, money, and polite conversation than by good character.

Persuasion is Anne Elliot's story. The title's initial allusion is to Anne's brush with matrimony when a promising, but not rich, naval officer, Captain Wentworth, proposed and she fell in love with him at 19. But Anne's deceased mother's friend, Lady Russell, persuaded Anne not to make the match. Up until the time of the story, Anne hasn't had another suitor and she's now well past the usual age of marriage at 29 and "her bloom had vanish early."Her father's spendthrift ways mean that Anne could bring little money to a marriage so she's expecting not to marry.

While in her social class that lack of a husband is a drawback, in reality her family is a greater problem. Her father, Sir Walter Elliot, is a baronet who spends too much money, is obsessed by social rank, loves to be around the "beautiful people" and admire himself in a mirror, and keeps company with an unsuitable, scheming widow, Mrs. Clay, who is looking for a husband and has latched onto Elizabeth as friend. Anne's older sister, Elizabeth, is also unmarried and is as equally obsessed with social status as their father. Both Sir Walter and Elizabeth fail to value Anne and looked to her to suit their conveniences. The other daughter, Mary, is married but the connection doesn't thrill either Sir Walter or Elizabeth. Mary sees Anne as a virtual servant who should wait on her every beck and call when Anne is her guest.

Due to Sir Walter's over spending of his income, it is decided he will rent the family estate, Kellynch Hall, while he, Elizabeth, and Anne take up less expensive quarters and a reduced social life in Bath. This change sets lots of new events into motion, not the least of which is Anne being re-introduced to Captain Wentworth who now has a fortune and seems to be looking for a lively, young wife. Only their common commitment to being polite makes time in one another's company tolerable. What strong emotions burn under the surface? She's very embarrassed, but Captain Wentworth is hard to read.

In the course of the book, you'll find out a lot about social climbing in Regency England, the finances of the social elites and those who were up-and-coming, how marriage agreements were struck, and how the naval officers differed from the gentry. You'll also be impressed, I'm sure, by the patina of politeness that served as a social lubricant among people who often didn't care a trifle for one another.

In such a society, people mostly wore masks of being thoughtful, considerate people while in reality they were seldom thinking about very much and didn't care much for others. Anne Elliot is the exception in that her heart and mind are actually devoted to the service of others.

One of the most interesting parts of the story is how it was possible (mostly by accident) to sort out the phonies from among those with glittering manners.

Anne Elliot is one of the most memorable and admirable characters in English literature. Do read this book and find out about the other kinds of persuasion that took place during this year of her fictional life. You'll be delighted that you did.

Her Last Finished Effort...
When Jane Austen finished "Persuasion" in 1816, she was already suffering from the effects of the disease that would kill her the following year."Persuasion" is rather shorter than its precessors such as "Sense and Sensibility" and "Pride and Prejudice".It is however the polished work of a mature author, and easily holds its own with her other finished novels.

As the story opens, Sir Walter Elliot, a vain and foppish baronet facing bankruptcy, is persuaded to rent his home and move his family to Bath in order to economize on expenses.The middle daughter, Anne, unmarried and ignored by her family, is shocked to learn that the prospective renters are an Admiral Croft and his wife, whose brother is one Frederick Wentworth.Eight years earlier, Wentworth, then a young naval officer lacking wealth and status, had wooed Anne, who was persuaded by her mentor, Lady Russell, to reject his suit on the grounds of his lack of prospects. The kind-hearted but much put-upon Anne is left behind by her family to close up the house and to take care of her hypochondriac married younger sister Mary, who lives nearby.

While visiting with Mary and her husband Charles Musgrave, Anne encounters the now Captain Wentworth, wealthy with prize money and looking for a potential wife among Charles' two sisters.Wentworth is distant and correct with Anne.When Wentworth proposes a visit to the seaside village of Lyme Regis, Anne is included in the group.While there, Wentworth appears to settle on Louisa Musgrave, only to have Louisa be seriously injured in an accident.The practical Anne takes charge in the crisis, causing Wentworth to take renewed notice of her.

Anne ends up in Bath, where her family pursues a meaningless round of social calls.A handsome and long-missing cousin materializes to reconcile with the Elliots and to pay court to Anne.The long-suffering Anne must balance his suspicious attentions with the unclear intentions of Wentworth, who follows Anne to Bath.

Anne still loves Wentworth, but hardly dares to hope that he will pass up younger and more attractive women to renew his relationship with her.The inarticulate Wentworth finally finds his voice in a note to Anne, giving her another chance to make the right choice.

In this final novel, Anne wrestles with a dilemma common to Austen heroines, whether to marry for love or money and security.The younger Anne was persuaded not to marry for love because Wentworth lacked the money and prospects to give her the security of her station in life.In revisiting that choice, Anne concludes that the advice was correct under the circumstances but proven wrong by subsequent events.Anne believes in marrying for love; the further implication of her internal argument is that she and Wentworth should have waited for each other while he acquired the financial security necessary for their successful life together.

"Persuasion" is a well-written and moving story, filled with the usual well-developed characters and often biting social commentary of a Jane Austen novel.It is very highly recommended to her fans and to those readers looking for an excellent period romance.

An enchanting love story
Dear Anne Elliot has always done what was most prudent, and as such, when her father and godmother tried to persuade her not to marry her beloved Frederick Wentworth, she complied. But, she never stopped loving Mr. Wentworth, and she zealously followed his heroic career in the Royal Navy. And now, eight years later, when her family falls on hard times and are forced to rent out their home, she finds herself thrown together with the now rich young Captain Wentworth. However, Captain Wentworth was quite hurt by Anne's rejection of him, and as such they are doomed to never be together again, right?

This is actually Jane Austen's last novel. She was working on it as her health declined, and the book was published posthumously. As such, it is said that it does not have the "polish" of some of her better-known works, and that it probably true. But, it is nonetheless an enchanting love story, extolling the self-made man (whom Anne's aristocratic father looks down on) and the constant-as-a-star, Penelope-like woman.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I think that it is an excellent story that still reads well even after 190 years! I loved the characters, their trials and tribulations, and love that both separates them and binds them together. I highly recommend this great book!

Persuasion DVD
I would recommend reading the book before or after seeing any adaptation of Persuasion. It helps to get to know the main characters a little better. Buying this book is well worth the money, because you will get a lot of enjoyment out of it. Austen's wit and character analysis is brilliant.

persuasion
One can get lost in this story and spend some time in places of beauty, both in the heart and in the world.You will join the characters and feel the passion! ... Read more

Book Description
Covering many aspects of Jane Austen's life, works and historical context, this collection of essays provides the most complete one volume introduction to her life and times. The generously illustrated collection of concise contributions is arranged alphabetically, and covers topics ranging from biography to portraits, critical responses to translations, agriculture to transport. An essay on the reception of Austen's work is also included, showing how criticism of Austen has responded to literary movements and fashions. ... Read more

Book Description
Inspired by Becoming Jane, the romantic film that could only make you want to know more about Jane Austen, here is a delightful collection of some of her most famous and quotable quotes -- pearls of wit and wisdom on topics like family, the sexes, friends, money, marriage, and of course love -- that are as true today as they were in Austen's time.Jane Austen on Marriage:"My being charming, Harriet, is not quite enough to induce me to marry; I must find other people charming -- one othe person at least." --Emma Woodhouse to Harriet Smith, in Emma"I am of a cautious temper, and unwilling to risk my happiness in a hurry. Nobody can think more highly of the matrimonial state than myself. I consider the blessing of a wife as most justly described in those discreet lines of the poet, 'Heaven's last best gift.'" --Henry Crawford to his sisters in Mansfield Park"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." --From Pride and Prejudice ... Read more

Customer Reviews (2)

will make you fall in love with Austen
I have read and loved Jane Austen's novels for a long time, but I must admit that I didn't know too much about Jane Austen herself. When first glancing at the picture from the Miramax film of the same title on the cover of Becoming Jane, I figured the book was going to be solely about the romance aspect of Jane Austen's novels. I was wrong.

Becoming Jane is a small, fairly short book full of quotations and history about Jane Austen's life. The passion the editor has for Austen and her work comes through in her writing; you can tell how eager she is to show you the things she loves about Austen. Romance and love were important to Austen, and to the characters in her novels, but that is by far not the only theme to her writing.

There are chapters on everything from family to money to fashion to letter writing. She fully embraces humanity, with all of its failures and follies, and rejoices in finding the humor in life. Alongside quotes from Austen's novels are quotes from the many letters she wrote to her family and friends. It was the quotes from her letters that I found the most interesting.

I also enjoyed the historical context at the beginning of each chapter; I learned just how little control and autonomy many women of the time had over their lives. Austen was in favor of marriage and love and accepted in some ways the basic idea of the man as the main breadwinner as it was such a part of the culture she was living in, but she was able, in subtle ways, to poke fun at and expose the double standards for men and women.

For those who already know and love Jane Austen, this book will make you want to go back and reread some of your favorites. For those who haven't read her before and perhaps just saw the film version of Becoming Jane, it's a quick introduction to her wit and wisdom that hopefully will inspire you to read one of her many novels. Its size makes it perfect for a gift.

A nice collection of quotable quotes of Jane Austen
Becoming Jane is a collection of quotes from Jane Austen. As author of Pride and Prejudice alone, she would have deserved a place in list of one of greatest romance novelists of English Literature. She wrote six novels, and every novel deals with issues of love, marriage, relationship and friendship. While Elizabeth and Mr Darcy are most well known of her characters, Emma is my personal favorite. In these novels, the language is Victorian, sexual propriety is heeded to (as per the need of those times) and hence as love stories, these novels possess an innocence, a charm that has been hallmark of Austen's style, and has contributed to her popularity with people of all age groups about centuries. Becoming Jane collects her pearls of wisdom from not only her novels, but also from her personal letters.

The book is divided into various sections, each highlighting quotable lines related to say family, vanity, beauty or courtship. Anne Newgarden, the editor, introduces each section with some insight into writing, life and times of Jane Austen. Certain social practices and customs from Austen's time have faded away, and these mini-essays convey what background information is not available firsthand to readers to Austen. But Jane Austen was, like every good novelist, a creator of a world complete in itself; characters who exist outside and beyond their space and time; and hence are going to be always relevant and identifiable.

If you are an Austen fan, and you have read all her books already, you will like this book, as it will bring back the memory of certain passages or personalities from your earlier reading. You will also find additional quotes from her personal life, which are equally enjoyable. If you haven't read Jane Austen, and happen to read this book first, you will see why Jane Austen is so popular.

Here are a few quotes as example, collected in this book:

What dreadful Hot weather we have!- It keeps one in continual state of inelegance.

Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.

"It is such a happiness when good people get together and they always do." Miss Bates, in Emma

"The ladies probably exchanged looks which meant 'Men never know when things are dirty or not,' and the gentlemen perhaps thought each to himself, 'Women will have their little nonsenses and needless cares.'" from Emma.

".... there are certainly not so many men of large fortune in the world, as there are pretty women to deserve them" from Mansfield Park

"a lady's imagination is very rapid, it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony, in a moment." Mr. Darcy in Pride and Prejudice

"If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more." from Emma

'A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of. It certainly may secure the myrtle and turkey part of it." Mansfield Park

"The person, be it gentlemen or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid." Northanger Abbey ... Read more

Book Description

Customer Reviews (2)

Barnes and Noble Classics
Someone thought the paper quality to be cheap, but I found that's not true. The paper quality is just as good as other publishers use.

Didn't like the paper quality and presentation
I bought them (Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, Mansfield Park and Emma) to complete my Jane Austen's collection, and honestly, didn't like the paper quality, it seems like they didn't even care for the presentation of them; it didn't look elegant, cheap to be more specific. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Though not the first novel she wrote, Sense and Sensibility was the first Jane Austen published. Though she initially called it Elinor and Marianne, Austen jettisoned both the title and the epistolary mode in which it was originally written, but kept the essential theme: the necessity of finding a workable middle ground between passion and reason. The story revolves around the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne. Whereas the former is a sensible, rational creature, her younger sister is wildly romantic--a characteristic that offers Austen plenty of scope for both satire and compassion. Commenting on Edward Ferrars, a potential suitor for Elinor's hand, Marianne admits that while she "loves him tenderly," she finds him disappointing as a possible lover for her sister:

Oh! Mama, how spiritless, how tame was Edward's manner in reading to us last night! I felt for my sister most severely. Yet she bore it with so much composure, she seemed scarcely to notice it. I could hardly keep my seat. To hear those beautiful lines which have frequently almost driven me wild, pronounced with such impenetrable calmness, such dreadful indifference!

Miss Austen completed six novels and part of a seventh,"Sense and Sensibility", "Pride and Prejudice","Mansfield Park", "Emma","Northanger Abbey", "Persuasion" and the partial "Lady Susan".Quiet Vision publishes all seven.Download Description
The Dashwood sisters are very different from each other in appearance and temperament; Elinor's good sense and readiness to observe social forms contrast with Marianne's impulsive candor and warm but excessive sensibility. Both struggle to maintain their integrity and find happiness in the face of a competitive marriage market. The basis of the Columbia film, starring Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (97)

It Suits Me Well!
I love the narrator, I love her accent. It took me a little longer to figure out the whole story since I didn't catch her for the most part. But I think it is not uncommon for a foreigner to find some difficulties in getting used to her accent.
I like British accent although sometimes I cannot understand them.

Let's try this review again....
Okay, I wrote a review on this novel about 4 days ago, and I don't think it's going to show up on here, so I'll give it another try.
I can't help but love Jane Austen.She is my guilty pleasure read, like a Jackie Collins of the early 19th century because her novels are just drenched in drama and scandal.They are not really a thinking man's novel, just fun stories to read.I also enjoy the romance aspects of her novels because they are classy, not like the trash smut you read in today's modern "romance" stories.I feel almost uncomfortable and embarrassed when I read a modern romance story.Well anyhow, when it comes to drama and scandal, Sense and Sensibility does not disappoint.When you commit to the story, it really takes you in.I really enjoyed the protagonist, Elinor, but I was unhappy with Austen's Marianne character.It seems as if Austen could truly identify with Elinor because she did a great job developing her character as level-headed, proud, and classy.Perhaps she took a little Elinor from herself?Now, in the beginning of the novel you get drawn in by Marianne.She commands a good third of the book with her story and her character starts off well developed.You get a true feeling for her impetuousness.She is emotional, passionate, wears her heart on her sleeve.The novel is so interesting until the end.The end completely disappoints.Now I don't know if Austen became uninspired at the end of the novel or just didn't know how to end it better, but it falls completely flat.Like I mentioned before, you get interested in this Maria