An Intimate Glimpse into the Life of Jane Austen...

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	• Jane Austen's Letters Jane Austen Pavilion Press, 2003 - 112 pages average customer review:based on 12 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

An Intimate Glimpse into the Life of Jane Austen...

1995's "Jane Austen's Letters" is Austen scholar Deirdre Le Faye's updated edition of R.W. Chapman's earlier collection. Le Faye includes additional Austen letters that have come to light since 1952 and, on the basis of context and additional scholarship, revises the order of the letters. Finally, Le Faye has updated Chapman's footnotes on providence and content.

"Jane Austen's Letters" constitute one of the major sources of information on the life of Regency romance writer Jane Austen, along with her published novels and a handful of short memoirs written by members of her extended family. These letters, which survived destruction or editing by her family following her death, cover the period between December 1796, when Jane Austen was just twenty, and the summer of 1817, when she died at the age of 41. The majority are addressed to her beloved older sister Casssandra; others were intended for extended family, friends, and publishers.

Some general observations may be of interest for the prospective reader. First, the collection is difficult to appreciate without prior knowledge of Jane Austen's life and novels; Austen was writing to people who already knew her context. Second, the gaps in the available letters, which in places amount to months or years, minimize the continuity of their content. Third, those looking for direct insight into Austen's novels may be disappointed. There are relatively few direct references to the stories or their characters.

What these letters do provide is an intimate glimpse into Jane Austen herself as revealed by an ongoing dialogue of twenty years, primarily with her sister. The very first letter refers to her romance with Tom Le Froy over the winter of 1795-1796. Many of the letters capture her continuing interest in the affairs of her large family, including cousins, nieces and nephews. They document daily concerns with food, clothing, and shelter for a woman who knew genteel poverty for much of her adult life. Indeed, letters written after her novels began to be published suggest a subtle but new and unmistakable sense of financial freedom. Best of all, the letters capture the observant wit and charm of a woman who, if she accepted her place in the world, found much that was ironic or whimsical about it. In her letters, one easily finds echoes of some of her beloved characters such as Elizabeth Bennet, Emma Woodhouse, and Anne Elliot.

Of particular interest to Jane Austen fans may be her letters of 30 November 1814 and 21 February 1817 to her niece Fanny, which offer her sincere advice on the subject of marriage, and perhaps reveal Jane Austen's heart as well. Also of interest are three letters by Cassandra Austen in July 1817, which are heart-breaking accounts of her final days and death.

"Jane Austen's Letters" are very highly recommended to serious fans of Jane Austen as an intimate glimpse into the woman behind the novels, and to students of her life, as an irreplacable resource for scholarship.

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good contents but poor presentation

It's great to have such a compilation of Jane Austen's Letters, but unfortunately the edition I bought looks like a xerox photocopy more than a book. It's difficult to discover it when it's an internet purchase. Thank God it was for myself and not a gift, 'cause I'd be a little ashamed to give it to someone else...

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Amazing Treat!

I ordered Deirdre Le Faye's edition of Jane Austen's Letters with a certain amount of trepidation, which only increased when I received the book and realized its size. I am a huge Jane Austen fan, but I was afraid her personal letters might be boring, confusing, and hard to wade through. I was wrong!!! The very first letter, with its mention of Tom Lefroy, had me hooked! Jane Austen's letters are every bit as engaging as her novels. They are full of the wit and humor with which those of who read her novels are very familiar. It is such an amazing treat to get a glimpse at who Jane Austen really was to her family and friends.

Most of Jane Austen's letters are to her sister Cassandra, but there are also letters to her brothers, friends, and towards the end, her nieces and nephews as well as publishers. The letters start off very conversationally with updates on family, friends, and acquaintances as well as minutia about dress and household cares. Towards the end there are many references to her novels and their publication, and Jane Austen's excitement over publication and popular success as a novelist is very evident. Jane Austen even gives advice on love and marriage to one of her nieces. I must confess, the last several letters before her death and Cassandra's letters afterwards were very sobering after hundreds of pages of almost pure delight.

As much as I enjoyed Deirdre Le Faye's edition of Jane Austen's Letters, I do realize it is not for everyone. Since there are so many family members and friends mentioned in the letters, it would help to have read biographical material about Jane Austen previous to reading her letters. Otherwise, the letters may be a bit confusing. I believe this edition is the most current and up-to-date compilation of her letters, and I would highly recommend it to serious Jane Austen fans already somewhat familiar with her life.

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reviews: page 1, 2, 3

This collection of original Jane Austen letters nicely augments her famous books and other material to give a complete picture of the great lady

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