ABSTRACT

Jane Austen's satirical classical novels have made a lasting contribution to English literature and first gave the novel its distinctly modern character with the treatment of ordinary people in everyday life. Her works, such as Pride and Prejudice, Emma andMansfield Park, remain as popular today as they ever have been, both in book form and a screen adaptations. The Preface Books series approaches the work of Jane Austen from a particular perspective which, by introducing the writer via a biographical sketch and a survey of her cultural and social context, encourages readers to understand her work in the period and style it was written. Christopher Gillie's A Preface to Austen looks at Austen's life and literary background and their effect on her work. Using biographical information, it clearly sets her writing firmly in the context of her times and will be essential reading for anyone interested in the works of Austen.

chapter

Introduction

part I|38 pages

Biographical Background

chapter 1|9 pages

Character and Family Background

chapter 2|7 pages

Religion

chapter 3|5 pages

Mysteries and Uncertainties

chapter 4|11 pages

Juvenilia

part II|67 pages

Literary Background

chapter 5|17 pages

Augustan Sense and Sensibility

chapter 7|22 pages

The Eighteenth-century Novel

chapter 8|11 pages

The Arts and the Social Order

chapter 9|8 pages

Women in Life and Literature

part III|56 pages

The Art of Jane Austen

chapter 10|14 pages

Characterization: Heroines and Heroes

chapter 11|10 pages

The Construction of the Novels

chapter 12|16 pages

Emma

chapter 13|14 pages

Jane Austen's Place in English Fiction

part IV|23 pages

Reference Section

chapter |4 pages

Bibliography

chapter |4 pages

Short Biographies

chapter |3 pages

Jane Austen's Vocabulary

chapter |4 pages

Places

chapter |3 pages

Notes to Maps of London and Bath