What Matters in Jane Austen? Twenty Essential Questions Answered (250th Birthday Edition)

250TH BIRTHDAY EDITION.

Marking the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, What Matters in Jane Austen? solves the mysteries of Austen's fictional world.

Jane Austen's novels have been a staple of the English canon since the nineteenth century. Yet critics of the time did not appreciate the true complexity of her work. Nothing, John Mullan argues, is accidental or coincidental in Austen. As Austen herself said, she wrote for readers who have "a great deal of ingenuity themselves." What Matters in Jane Austen? gets to the heart of what it is that makes Austen's work so singular. In twenty chapters, answering questions her novels have posed for over two centuries, Mullan uncovers the hidden truth of an extraordinary fictional world and reveals the true brilliance--and underappreciated complexity--of Austen's work.

This collection of essays will delight. Mullan's intent is to reveal Austen's cleverness and revolutionary approach, and he succeeds, deftly sharing with readers his enthusiasm and knowledge gleaned from Austen scholarship in this enjoyable read. [F]ans will appreciate the clarity and perspective Mullan brings to a beloved author's works. — Library Journal

Substantial yet conversational, this is scholarship without pedantry… An Austen lover's greatest wish is for more of her novels. This intimate guide to the world of her books is the next best thing. — The Atlantic