The Annotated Pride and Prejudice

Book Description

This first-ever fully annotated edition of one of the most beloved novels in the world is a sheer delight for Jane Austen fans. Here is the complete text of Pride and Prejudice with more than 2,300 annotations on facing pages, including:

• Explanations of historical context
Rules of etiquette, class differences, the position of women, legal and economic realities, leisure activities, and more.

• Citations from Austen’s life, letters, and other writings
Parallels between the novel and Austen’s experience are revealed, along with writings that illuminate her beliefs and opinions.

• Definitions and clarifications
Archaic words, words still in use whose meanings have changed, and obscure passages are explained.

• Literary comments and analyses
Insightful notes highlight Austen’s artistry and point out the subtle ways she develops her characters and themes.

• Maps and illustrations
of places and objects mentioned in the novel.

• An introduction, a bibliography, and a detailed chronology of events

Of course, one can enjoy the novel without knowing the precise definition of a gentleman, or what it signifies that a character drives a coach rather than a hack chaise, or the rules governing social interaction at a ball, but readers of The Annotated Pride and Prejudice will find that these kinds of details add immeasurably to understanding and enjoying the intricate psychological interplay of Austen’s immortal characters.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable addition to P&P library.......2007-09-08

If you love P&P, as I do, and have the book and the films, this will be an excellent addition to your library. It was fun to read the story, slowly, following the annotations as I went. Mr Shapard brings in all kinds of pertinent information about dress, customs, manners, idioms, locations, methods of travel and distances, psychology, etc. Many of the comments are, of course, the editor's interpretations of behavior or thought but all are reasonable.

I may not reference the book again but I am delighted to have it in my P&P collection. It is a job very well done.

Annotated text opens up your understanding.......2007-09-06

I won't bother to tell you that the text is wonderful, and Jane Austen a keen observer of human nature. You know that. I will say that the annotations in this edition are very helpful for those of us that don't know the differences between a chaise, a phaeton, and a barrouche, that didn't know that morning lasted until dinner, that tea was had between dinner and supper, or that quadrille was a card game, not a dance.

Yes, they are a bit repetitious. I don't see a justification for this, since no one is going to miss the first instance by dipping into the text randomly. And they do contain too many hints about what is about to happen. These notes could just as easily have been placed just after the scene as before it, and still be illuminating to the reader.

If you like Pride & Prejudice, you'll love this book.......2007-08-16

It will become a truth universally acknowledged that this book is destined to be a favorite among the lovers of "P&P." The depth of understanding it adds to the novel is wonderful. It defines words and phrases which have changed meaning, untangles the sentences which, at least from a contemporary view, are sometimes difficult to grasp, and clarifies the social niceties of Miss Austen's time. BEWARE, SPOILER ALERT: if you've never read "P&P" you may wish to skip the annotations first time around, since some of them give away plot points.

Great for a first time reader........2007-07-21

This book is the first Jane Austen novel that I have read. I found the annotations to be very helpful in understanding the cultural context of the novel, explaining antiquated customs and character motivations. Austen makes reference to other books of the era, and the editor elaborates on the background and significance of them.

Having the annotations opposite the text on the facing page is very convenient and it's easy to read every one. I did not find the annotations to be overly redundant.

I wish that the editor had more annotated Austen works, but having read this one, I'll have an easier time understanding the other novels.

Annotating Jane Austen.......2007-07-17

Like many, I've read Pride & Prejudice a number of times. This annotated version forced me to slow down, and I noticed things that slipped by me in other readings (P&P is a "page turner" after all; like a good thriller you want to keep reading). Who knew, for example, that there was "cross-dressing" in Jane Austen? (Lydia and Mrs. Forster dressed Chamberlayne up as a woman and he "passed" for a lady until the ladies laughed). My approach was to read the annotations for a chapter before reading the chapter and then browsing through them again as I read the chapter; this helped me to avoid getting too headache-y from shifting between text and annotation. I would take issue with a few of his interpretations, but they are only minor quibbles. And I agree there was a lot of repetition, especially of word meanings. I especially appreciated the extra comments in the concluding chapter from her letters, on the future fates of Kitty and Mary and others. This is well worth reading if you are interested in a slightly deeper look at P&P. Too soon to say, but my hope is that the next time I read P&P (sans notes), I will enjoy it more than ever.

Jane Austen: The Complete Novels, Deluxe Edition (Library of Literary Classics)

Average customer rating:

Beautiful Book
Gorgeous book
Jane Austen: The Complete Novels, Deluxe Edition
Jane Austen: The Complete Novels, Deluxe Edition (Library of Literary Classics)
Too many errors...

Jane Austen: The Complete Novels, Deluxe Edition (Library of Literary Classics)
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound

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ASIN: 0517147688
Release Date: 1995-09-03

Book Description

One of the great and ever popular masters of the English novel is represented here by every one of her novels. Includes Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and the lesser-known Lady Susan. This Library of Literary Classics edition is bound in padded leather with luxurious gold-stamping on the front and spine, satin ribbon marker and gilded edges. Other titles in this series include: Charlotte & Emily Bronte: The Complete Novels; Edgar Allan Poe: Selected Works; Mark Twain: Selected Works; Charles Dickens: Four Complete Novels; Lewis Carroll: The Complete, Fully Illustrated Works; and William Shakespeare: The Complete Works.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful Book.......2007-10-05

I love Jane Austin and love that this book has all her novels in one place. It is so conveniant. The leather binding and thin pages make this a keepsake book. It is much more than I was expecting for the price.

Gorgeous book.......2007-09-19

I bought this book for a good friend and she went bonkers when she saw it. I did too when I opened the box the day it came in the mail. I wanted to keep it for myself! The cover is beautiful, the pages are gold edged, and it is just a wonderful book!

Jane Austen: The Complete Novels, Deluxe Edition.......2007-09-03

For all those Jane Austen fans, what more could you ask for than to have all the works of Jane Austen beautifully bound in one book. This is a book that you can pass down to your Grandchildren. A great display piece for your bookshelf also. I will enjoy this for years to come, and it didn't cost me an arm and a leg which was another great surprise.

Jane Austen: The Complete Novels, Deluxe Edition (Library of Literary Classics).......2007-07-29

Wow! This is an unbelievably beautiful bound collection. It's almost too beautiful to use. It's an excellent price for the quality of the product. Imagine to cost of each book. I am looking forward to purchasing other collections of my favorite authors if the presentation is the same. Extremely fast delivery. Well worth It.

Too many errors..........2007-05-30

This is a lovely volume of Jane Austen's work and I would've given it 5 stars if there were less typographical errors dotted throughout the entire book.

Average customer rating:

One of the GREAT ROMANCE CLASSICS of all time !!!
Pride and Prejudice
Amazing novel
Great seller!
A good classic

Pride and Prejudice (Bantam Classics)
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Bantam Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0553213105
Release Date: 1983-12-01

Amazon.com

Elizabeth Bennet is the perfect Austen heroine: intelligent, generous, sensible, incapable of jealousy or any other major sin. That makes her sound like an insufferable goody-goody, but the truth is she's a completely hip character, who if provoked is not above skewering her antagonist with a piece of her exceptionally sharp -- but always polite -- 18th century wit. The point is, you spend the whole book absolutely fixated on the critical question: will Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy hook up?

Book Description

For over 150 years, Pride And Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen herself called this brilliant work her "own darling child." Pride And Prejudice, the story of Mrs. Bennet's attempts to marry off her five daughters is one of the best-loved and most enduring classics in English literature. Excitement fizzes through the Bennet household at Longbourn in Hertfordshire when young, eligible Mr. Charles Bingley rents the fine house nearby. He may have sisters, but he also has male friends, and one of these -- the haughty, and even wealthier, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy -- irks the vivacious Elizabeth Bennet, the second of the Bennet girls. She annoys him. Which is how we know they must one day marry. The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and Darcy is a splendid rendition of civilized sparring. As the characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, Jane Austen's radiantly caustic wit and keen observation sparkle.

Download Description

Jane Austen's perfect comedy of manners--one of the most popular novels of all time--features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues. "Pride and Prejudice seems as vital today as ever," writes Anna Quindlen in her introduction to this Modern Library edition. "It is a pure joy to read." Eudora Welty agrees: "The gaiety is unextinguished, the irony has kept its bite, the reasoning is still sweet, the sparkle undiminished. [It is] irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be."

Customer Reviews:

One of the GREAT ROMANCE CLASSICS of all time !!!.......2007-10-07

I really don't need to say much about this, do I ? Most women can relate to Elizabeth Bennett, and most women love Mr. Darcy....This is my favorite of all of Jane Austen's work, and one of my favorite romances ever.

Pride and Prejudice.......2007-09-10

Not as good a quality of book as I had expected, but it is very nice.

Amazing novel.......2007-08-20

I decided to go to the library and take out the book after seeing the movie a few weeks ago. The movie was good but the book is so much better. It was well written, funny and everything you can expect from a good novel. Definitely a must read even if it is not required for class.

Great seller!.......2007-08-12

I ordered from them after another seller failed to send the books I wanted. They had my order to my mailbox before the other seller even replied about their mistake. Efficient, accurate, fast & great prices.

A good classic.......2007-08-10

This is probably my favorite classics. I don't devote too much time to reading classics but I've read some good ones before. They are not really my style but I do like the ones I have read. The different style is refreshing.
The book is written much differently than books are written these days. I was reading the begining of the book while I was tiered. I realized that I hadn't understood anything I'd read. I had to go and read again when I was completely awake.
It was enjoyable. I loved the characters; they were smarter than so many characters in other books and were very well spoken. That may, however, been how most people were in the 19th century.
It was fun to watch Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy go on with their love hate relationship. Until the end it was a lot of hate.
I thought it was a good classic but having not read many classics I'm not sure how it compares. Better than Wuthering Heights and not as good or as good as Great Expectations.
-cdm

Average customer rating:

Excellent
Too short...
Mr. Darcy's Diary
Fitzwilliam Darcy---humanized!
Great reading!

Mr. Darcy's Diary
Amanda Grange
Manufacturer: Sourcebooks Landmark
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 1402208766
Release Date: 2007-03-23

Product Description

Mr. Darcy's Diary presents the story of the unlikely courtship of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy from Darcy's point of view--sharing his innermost thoughts and feelings. This graceful imagining and sequel to Price and Prejudice explains Darcy s moodiness and the difficulties of his reluctant relationship as he struggles to avoid falling in love with Miss Bennett. Though seemingly stiff and stubborn at times, Darcy s words prove him also to be quite devoted and endearing qualities that eventually win over Miss Bennett s heart. This continuation of a classic romantic novel is charming and elegant, much like Darcy himself.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent.......2007-09-28

I absolutely loved this book. It was not particularly deep and it was very easy reading, but as I am in college, I get enough heavy stuff. It came at a perfect time and I enjoyed reading it immensely. I also gave it to my roommate to read and she loved it too, even though she does not particularly like Pride and Prejudice. The only thing I would say about it is that you had better have read the original before this book, or it won't make sense. I give it two thumbs up!

Too short..........2007-09-07

This was a very quick read and I did enjoy it, however it was a little too short. I also had quite a bit of the original dialogue as quotes and for the size of this book I thought it was too much. I did like the idea though and this gives some insight into Mr. Darcy's perspective of all the events plus a little idea of what could have happened after the P&P ends. Enjoyable read but not the best sequel out there.

Mr. Darcy's Diary.......2007-09-05

Amanda Grange really kept the same language and tone that Jane Austen used in the original story of Pride & Prejudice. She retold the same story from Darcy's point of view. I thought she did an excellent job.

I enjoyed how she added some witty examples of their married life together at the end. Even with having to deal with all the crazies from both of their families, I think they are going to make it.

Fitzwilliam Darcy---humanized!.......2007-09-05

The aspect of this novel by Amanda Grange which pleases me most is that she has been successful in turning Fitzwilliam Darcy into a flesh and blood man. Since Pride and Prejudice is essentially written from Elizabeth Bennet's point of view, at times I want an explanation of what Darcy is thinking. This book managed to do that for me. Even knowing that these words, thoughts and ideas do not come from Jane Austen, I am still completely satisfied with thinking "my" Mr. Darcy would have been like this. He was arrogant, he did believe in his own self-importance, he did interfere in Bingley's life. But, he also learned from Elizabeth and Bingley and the situations he found himself in that he could change. He didn't need to stay so stiff and formal. He could actually learn to tease and be teased and the world as he knew it would still remain on its axis.

I found this book to be slow going at first. I really didn't think I was going to be able to accept this Darcy as the same one who lives in my imagination. But a strange thing happened as I continued to read. I began to really like this man. Amanda Grange had made him a true, real, loveable person for me. As most of the other reviewers have said, I also am a huge fan of the Jane Austen books. Ms Grange does not try to be Jane Austen. She tries to be herself, giving us her version of how she thinks Fitzwilliam Darcy might have responded to his situations. I applaud her effort and recommend this book as a worthwhile read.

This is just a little extra information in case you get confused (as I did). This book came out in Britain in 2005 in hardcover and was titled DARCY'S DIARY. It has a full head portrait of Darcy on the cover, quite interesting but maybe just a little too feminine for "my" Darcy. The paperback was published in 2007 and is titled MR. DARCY'S DIARY. I, of course, was not careful and managed to buy them both. The paperback has only a partial portrait, probably because the publisher discovered that each of us has our own mental picture of Fitzwilliam Darcy. Both books are identical in every way except as I have stated. Now, my advice is to just read and enjoy one copy or the other.

Great reading!.......2007-08-16

I enjoyed this book for it kept me interested to a point that I "soaked it up" and finished it in a day but I kept reviewing the best parts I enjoyed most.

Average customer rating:

Amazing compilation...
Jane Austen - a great read
Jane Austen: The Complete Novels
Fine print
Jane Austen Is Timeless

Jane Austen: The Complete Novels
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Gramercy
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0517118297
Release Date: 1994-06-01

Amazon.com

Collected together in one volume, The Complete Novels show the development of Austen as a writer and social commentator. From the early optimism and youthful energy of Northanger Abbey to the quiet and subtle art of Persuasion, this collection reveals the breadth of one of the best loved novelists of all time.

Book Description

Jane Austen wrote in the eighteenth century, but her novels are timeless. This complete anthology is unique among single-volume editions of her work because it includes the obscure but delightful Lady Susan, along with the six better-known novels and thirty of Hugh Thomson's irresistible drawings.
All of Jane Austen's novels are love stories, all are stories of country gentry, and all end happily, one way or another. Her plots have the complexity of life and her characters are described with inimitable style and wit—whether caustic or warmly affectionate.
The novels contained in this anthology are Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and Lady Susan. The nineteenth-century illustrations of Hugh Thomson capture the flavor of Jane Austen's characters and enhance this extraordinary collection of the complete works of one of the greatest novelists of all time.

Customer Reviews:

Amazing compilation..........2007-08-10

This compilation is absolutely wonderful. It includes all of Austen's novels, also with an unpublished, early novel of hers. I totally recommend it if you simply want to read the novels. However, if you'd like a fancy copy of it you should try something else. This copy is quite simple and perfect for those who like the contents of books, and not the looks.

Jane Austen - a great read.......2007-04-24

I didn't expect to like Jane Austen, but this was a great set of stories at a great price. Happy endings and well written stories.

Jane Austen: The Complete Novels.......2007-03-15

Great book, especially for all Jane Austin fans. Also great for anyone who enjoys 19th century "trashy" romance novels (like I do!) A little more expensive than the paperback edition, but well worth the money. Put together much better and will last longer.

Fine print.......2007-03-12

Print much to small for an enjoyable read and I'm not ready for bifocals.

Jane Austen Is Timeless.......2007-02-12

I love the writing and the wit of Jane Austen,her novels are timeless and very entertaining to read.
The mark of a great writer is the ability to transport the reader into the pages of the book, in essence bring the book to life, Jane Austen accomplishes this feat with me.
I enjoy this era in history, the romance, the innocence, the language, the nuances.
I can't begin to explain how much I'm enjoying myself reading Jane Austen:The Complete Novels, I've wanted this book for so long and finally
I treated myself and bought it and it is so satisfying.

Average customer rating:

My favorite Austen introduction
The Fascinating World of Jane Austen
More plot than we need!
A bit on the disappointing side
Delightful glimpse into Jane Austen's world

Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels
Deirdre Le Faye
Manufacturer: Frances Lincoln
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0711222789

Book Description

Austen scholar Deirdre Le Faye first gives a met- iculously researched overview of the period, from foreign affairs to social ranks, from fashion to sanitation. She goes on to consider each novel individually, explaining in detail its action, its setting, the reaction of public and critics and Jane's own feeling about it.

Customer Reviews:

My favorite Austen introduction.......2007-05-29

As a longtime student of Jane, this book absolutely riveted me. you learn so much about her life, her times, her works, and her influences, and the style of this beautiful book is enchanting. LeFaye skillfully weaves together pieces of biography, history, and plot to create a fascinating Austen portrait. It is also lavishly illustrated and printed on lovely paper, which helps make it one of my favorite books, period. A must have for any Jane lover.

The Fascinating World of Jane Austen.......2007-05-07

Jane Austen's novels are endlessly layered and this book does a fascinating job of peeling the onion so we have full understanding of her world.

More plot than we need!.......2007-03-22

On the one hand, this book is very useful because the writer is a top expert on Austen. But while she gives a lot of information on Austen's culture, she spends too many pages givng long plot summaries. I recommend JANE AUSTEN FOR DUMMIES as a great alternative: the author of that gives a great sense of the culture, characters, and Austen, herself, in a witty, clear style.

A bit on the disappointing side.......2005-02-20

Being a bit of a Jane Austen magpie and already owning other books by Le Faye, I looked forward to gaining more background to the time period with this book. While there was much of interest, I'd have to say that overall I wouldn't recommend it. There were some inaccuracies in the plot summaries (minor, but there all the same), but the biggest problem for readers who may be new to Jane Austen was the lack of delineation between the real people (family members, friends) mentioned and characters from the books. I could see this becoming fairly confusing for someone who hasn't already read other biographical material. Still, it's a decent read and the information presented may stimulate a person's interest enough to want to find out more.

Delightful glimpse into Jane Austen's world.......2003-08-22

Such a nice book! This is a cozy volume, filled with background information on Jane's life, her novels, and the Regency era. Excellent pictures, interesting and well-written text. A perfect book to peruse while you drink a cup of tea on a winter's night. Would make a great gift for any Jane Austen lover.

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist-The Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England

Average customer rating:

An Easy to Read and Interesting Reference
Fun and Interesting
What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew
Cute but glib--and wrong!
that's what they meant

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist-The Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England
Daniel Pool
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0671882368

Book Description

For every frustrated reader of the great nineteenth-century English novels of Austen, Trollope, Dickens, or the Brontës who has ever wondered whether a duke outranked an earl, when to yell "Tally Ho!" at a fox hunt, or how one landed in "debtor's prison," here is a "delightful reader's companion that lights up the literary dark" (The New York Times).

This fascinating, lively guide clarifies the sometimes bizarre maze of rules, regulations, and customs that governed everyday life in Victorian England. Author Daniel Pool provides countless intriguing details (did you know that the "plums" in Christmas plum pudding were actually raisins?) on the Church of England, sex, Parliament, dinner parties, country house visiting, and a host of other aspects of nineteenth-century English life -- both "upstairs" and "downstairs."

An illuminating glossary gives at a glance the meaning and significance of terms ranging from "ague" to "wainscoting," the specifics of the currency system, and a lively host of other details and curiosities of the day.

Customer Reviews:

An Easy to Read and Interesting Reference.......2007-09-30

If you read Regency or Victorian literature this is a reference you will want close at hand. Both Interesting and fun to read, the author says he wanted to "answer some of the questions that nag any half-curious reader of the great nineteenth-century English novels." He does just that. This book is meant as an overview, or introduction, to the period not an in-depth reference. You will not find lengthy discussions of what Jane Austen might have eaten, but there are several sections on foods and dinner parties.

The book includes a large glossary of terms peculiar to the period. I have found it handy when I've come across an unfamiliar word in a novel and didn't want to stop reading and go research it.

While I feel the book does cover both the Regency and Victorian era fairly well, I believe it can be criticized for spanning too great of a period. Imagine a book attempting to give insight into the entire twentieth century, a period that would include the Wright Brothers and the moon landings and corsets and miniskirts, and many more contrasts. The nineteenth century had many similar contrasts making it difficult to write a single volume cover the entire period.

I recommend two other books for anyone reading Victorian literature, Inside the Victorian Home: A Portrait of Domestic Life in Victorian England and To Marry an English Lord by Gail MacColl and Carol McD. Wallace

Recommendation: Anyone starting down the road of enjoying Regency or Victorian literature should find this a handy reference.

Kyle Pratt

Fun and Interesting.......2007-06-11

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist-The Facts of Daily Life in Nineteenth-Century England, by Daniel Pool, is a nice book that is full of fun facts and answers to questions that come about from the reading of some of the great English writers. The book needs to be taken for what it is... entertainment, rather than relied upon as a historical textbook of any kind. I find the book an interesting diversion occasionally, and fun for picking up a bit of the Victorian period. Enjoy. Three stars.

What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew.......2007-05-13

That's a perfect book. If you want to know anything interesting about the 19th century in England, you should read it.I teach English as the second language and it's sometimes too difficult to draw students' attention through the whole lesson. There are many interesting and unknown things, that help students to imagine this time in England. On the other hand, the book is written by clear and easy English so I could not stop reading till I finished.

Cute but glib--and wrong!.......2007-03-30

This is an error-ridden, foolish little book that is just fine for casual consumption but is a terrible place for anyone serious about history to try to learn anything. I write Victorian-set novels, and I really think that books like these are a major problem with my genre as they fool would-be writers into believing that they actually have actually done "research."

*sighs*

Read through George Eliot, Trollope, Austen, Dickens, the Eyres, and Thackeray. Then read articles from popular newspapers and real histories of the period. And then collect fashion plate images and discriptions. Buy copies of Mrs. Beeton and Mayhew. THEN you will have done some research about the 19th c.

that's what they meant.......2007-03-16

i am a dickens, austen, bronte, hardy, wharton, etc. reader. this book relates the conditions of the times and the reasons things were done as they were. eye-opening, fun to read, very informative. even a glossary at the end of the book.

The Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen (Six Volume Set)

Average customer rating:

Publishing error is distracting and ruins quality of set
Titles
wanting to order, but would like to know....
One of the best of the complete editions

The Oxford Illustrated Jane Austen (Six Volume Set)
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0192547070

Book Description

This complete set of the novels of Jane Austen is now reissued as a boxed set with handsome new jackets. Using the definitive text established by R.W. Chapman, with later revisions by distinguished scholars, the set presents the most authoritative and comprehensive edition available - invaluable for students and enthusiasts of Jane Austen's work. Each volume contains notes and appendices, and indexes of characters, and the set is illustrated with a charming selection of early nineteenth-century plates.

Customer Reviews:

Publishing error is distracting and ruins quality of set.......2007-08-10

I recently ordered this set off of Amazon and each book had a publishing error that reprinted one extra, erroneous word at the end of almost every page. Very irritating. This item was purchased as a gift for a friend's vacation retreat library. The flaw made it tacky and diminished the quality significantly. I had to return it. It was just lazy and cheap of University Press to sell this printing. Amazon sent a replacement set and it had the same flaw, even though they assured us that it wouldn't. So, I am going with another publisher altogether, and from another book vendor. Don't waste your money on this more expensive collection. It can't even get the basics right.

Titles.......2007-04-20

The 1988 edition included the following six titles: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and Minor Works all edited by R. W. Chapman. Minor Works, a collection of all Jane Austen's minor works printed from her manuscripts, includes three volumes Lady Susan, The Watsons, and Sanditon. I assume that this edition includes the same six.

wanting to order, but would like to know...........2007-02-03

I'm wanting to order this set, as it definitely looks and sounds like a great one to have----the jackets look great. However, I am curious as to the titles of the six books. The description doesn't say, nor can you see the titles in the product image. Anybody?? Thanks!

One of the best of the complete editions .......2005-10-27

Not long ago (once upon a time), one might correctly have declared Chapman's edition of Jane's complete works as 'the definitive collection.'

And today, although one might find more 'meat' in the Norton editions, these books remain a pleasure to pick up and hunker with for a bit of a read. The size of each volume fits my hand comfortably enough and the weight is light enough to allow the other hand the freedom to grasp a petite glass of red wine (with, perhaps, a bit of sliced fruit siddled comfortably on the side).

Each volume has a small bundle of bonuses (not unlike an expanded DVD!). I like the pictures of various buggies on which folks jolted around way back in the '90s (the 1790s, naturally). And for you fashion freaks, Chapman gives a couple of nice sketches of proper attire for a ball.

Fun stuff.

But the essence remains the words of Jane Austen. And these volumes offer you just that and in a nice package, too.

You won't go wrong with these books.

So You Think You Know Jane Austen?: A Literary Quizbook (Oxford World's Classics)

Average customer rating:

Test your knowledge of Jane Austen books
Intellectual Fun

So You Think You Know Jane Austen?: A Literary Quizbook (Oxford World's Classics)
John Sutherland , and Deirdre Le Faye
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0192804405

Book Description

How well do you really know your favourite author? Ace literary detective turned quizmaster John Sutherland and Austen buff Deirdre Le Faye challenge the reader to find out. Starting with easy, factual questions that test how well you remember a novel and its characters, the quiz progresses to a level of greater difficulty, demanding close reading and interpretative deduction. What really motivates the characters, and what is going on beneath the surface of the story? Designed to amuse and divert, the questions and answers take the reader on an imaginative journey into the world of Jane Austen, where hypothesis and speculation produce fascinating and unexpected insights. Whether you are an expert or enthusiast, So You Think You Know Jane Austen? guarantees you will know her much better after reading it.

Customer Reviews:

Test your knowledge of Jane Austen books.......2007-06-27

Defininately for any Jane Austen buff. This quizbook is broken down into 4 levels ascending difficult questions per each of Jane Austen's 6 books. The first level, "Brass Tacks", contains purely fact based questions.

For example in Sense and Sensibility, 'what are Willoughby's last words to Elinor?'

The second level, "Factual but Tricky", contains slightly harder fact based questions.

Such as in Emma, 'why does Harriet hate Italian singing?'

The book says that the third level, "Very Tricky--and Occasionally Deductive," 'approaches mastermind difficulty in terms of factual reference and involvees some interpretative deduction as well.'

For example, in Pride and Prejudice, 'why does Elizabeth take such a tender interest in Jane's marriage affairs, and so little in those of her younger sisters?'

Last but not least, the fourth level questions, "The Interpretative Zone", are mostly deduction and spectulation.

One of these questions in the Persuasion section is 'We learn, in the last pages, that William Elliot has been playing a very cunning double game. What is that game, and why is he playing it?'

Then the answers to these questions are in the back of the book.

Intellectual Fun.......2006-04-24

If you love Jane Austen's work as much as I do, then this is a nice way to spend your time testing your perception of her novels and even seeing things you may not have noticed before. I do not recommend it to those students who like to read notes instead of the actual work, they'll surely end up just memorizing facts and not really getting to know the work.

Average customer rating:

Persuasion...
I love Jane Austen
Vintage Austen But Not Her Best
The most ascerbic of Austin's novels
Refreshing!

Persuasion (Penguin Classics)
Jane Austen
Manufacturer: Penguin Classics
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0141439688
Release Date: 2003-04-29

Book Description

New chronology and further reading.

Customer Reviews:

Persuasion..........2007-08-17

is Austen's novel which begins with Anne Elliot thinking about a lost love instead of a future love.

Beautifully written, it is a novel that makes readers wonder if there is going to be the "characters meet and finally get married" ending that is so typical in Austen novels. Anne Elliot is 27, unmarried, and living at home with her father and older unmarried sister who are concerned about appearing more wealthy than they actually are. When the family is convinced by Lady Russell to rent out their home and move to a more economical space, Anne ends up going to care for her younger sister Mary Musgrove.

Anne's visit with her sister's family becomes uncomfortable once Captain Wentworth becomes a frequent visitor there. Wentworth is the love that Anne regretfully let slip away, having been influenced by her good friend Lady Russell that his social status was inferior to Anne's. Wentworth and Anne are both convinced that their relationship is over and their communication with one another is formal, yet limited.

Anne is not sure what to make of Captain Wentworth's interest with Louisa and Henrietta (Charles Musgrove's sisters), and more than one gentleman takes a romantic interest in Anne. Both Anne and Wentworth distance themselves from each other in an attempt to forget that they ever loved each other.

It is when Anne is away from Wentworth, and at home with her father and sister that she begins to realize how much she loves Wentworth. She wonders if she is too late, if the chance for love has really passed. Even though she loves Wentworth, Anne is still concerned about what her father and Lady Russell will think of him.

Readers can only speculate as to the ending of the novel, which appears to be more uncertain than the endings in Austen's other novels. The art of persuasion, as well as social status, and the contrasting views of the elders and the youth, makes this novel one of Jane Austen's best.

I love Jane Austen.......2007-07-25

And, who doesn't? She's my favorite author and has been for a long time. I first read this book about 7 years ago and of course fell in love with it. I re-read it for a book club next week. I very rarely read books a second time. I think this is only my 3rd time.

It is a beautifully-written book, like all her others. In Persuasion, Anne Elliot is persuaded by a family friend to not pursue a relationship with Captain Wentworth because of his inferior place in society. Many years later, she is reacquainted with him and her love for him has not diminished. She is unsure of how he feels about her. He is now a prestigious and admired captain; his station in life completely changed from before.

They find each other in the same social circles, but his pride and her uncertainty of his feelings prevents them from reuniting. At some point, it is believed that each of them is attached to another.

The novel has its funny assortment of characters just like all of Austen's works. And, Austen saves the wonderful union of Anne and Captain Wentworth for the last pages, as in her other books. But, that makes it sweet as you finally read the happy ending. I actually cried as I read the touching letter he writes to Anne at the end.

Vintage Austen But Not Her Best.......2007-06-28

This is one of Jane Austen's five novels as a mature author. As with four of the other five, it follows the same formula of a financially disadvantaged young woman who meets and marries a wealthier man. The exception is her novel "Emma" where the protagonist has her owns means. There are no axe murders in an Austen novel or any nasty elements. Her stories take place in small English towns and they all have a variety of characters including a few willful women and usually one male rogue.

As background information, I have read all of Austen's novels, and I have read various analyses of Austen's work.

"Pride and Prejudice" is Jane Austen's finest novel. That book is the perfect balance of story, prose, structure, and interesting characters. It evokes many emotional responses in the reader. That novel is among the greatest novels of all time on par with for example Flaubert's "Madame Bovary" or Tolstoy's "Anna Karenina." From a strictly literary point of view, "Mansfield Park" is the most complicated and sophisticated literary work penned by Austen.

So, where does that leave "Persuasion" among her novels? The present novel is good and it is generally thought of as one of her five best. It is one of her mature novels - as opposed to Northanger Abbey, an early work. It has a good story and good characters. I liked her treatment of Captain Wentworth. The description and the story about the primary character, Anne Elliot, is vintage Austen writing and story telling. But overall it does not quite reach the heights of those other two great Austen novels. Still, I rate it somewhere between 4 and 5 stars. It is more a question of whether you like the story or not, since it follows the Austen formula. All of her five mature novels share a certain fixed writing style and a common structure, or the Austen formula as mentioned above. She uses the early pages to introduce the families, and other characters, and give start the story. She moves characters around from place to place in part for time shifting. She does a wrap up in the last few chapters.

Those opening chapters are an obstacle for most readers. She uses her own vocabulary and has an unusual way of structuring her prose. That structure is a trademark of Austen's writing. Also, she manages to work in a lot of drama and social issues with some humor and irony.

Austen wrote the novel based on contemporay life in England from approximately 1814 to 1815, in the post Napolean period, and it was published in 1816 after her other works. Overall I would rate it as excellent but not her best. It is similar to "Sense and Sensibility"and much better than her early novel "Northanger Abbey" in terms of literary sophistication and the characters, and it ranks behind the two novels mentioned above and "Emma." Those three (Emma, Pride and Prejudice, and Mansfield Park) are her finest works.

Most Austen fans will love the book, and I would recommend the novel.

The most ascerbic of Austin's novels.......2007-06-26

Readers of Jane Austin will immediately recognise the basic plot of Persuasion: single women/girls being courted by men of various levels of eligibility. Two sisters (a third is already married) and their father, a minor noble, have fallen on hard times. Sir Walter Elliot has been widowed, they have lived beyond their means, and now they must rent out the family estate and live in diminished circumstances in Bath. The putative heir to the estate, cousin William Elliot, is vain and arrogant, refusing any interaction with the family.

The main character of Persuasion is Anne, the disregarded middle Elliot daughter. She is kind, gentle, and tolerant, which puts her is rigid conflict with the rest of her family who are pompously jealous of rank and privelege. In fact, the rest of the Elliot family supplies much of the satire for the novel: their scheming to arrange meetings with their betters and the scorn they show to their lessers. This reviewer might even go so far as to say that the humour is not so much satirical as it is ascerbic - nowhere else does Austin seem to dislike her characters so much, and to make them the objects of such ridicule. This is not a criticism, as this ascerbic wit sets up many funny moments and observations; more, I think, than any of her previous works.

Unfortunately, I found this to be the most confusing of Austin's works: I had trouble keeping track of all the characters. Confusion is increased because all the men seem to be named Charles! Luckily, a thorough knowledge of all the characters is not required to follow the main storylines (although the reader might miss a few subtle jokes).

I'm not an expert on Jane Austin, nor on English literature. However, I have read most of Austin's works, and this layman's opinion is that Persuasion is enjoyable and the funniest of Austin's works.

Refreshing!.......2007-06-12

In Jane Austen's last novel, Persuasion, we meet the Elliot family: Sir Walter and his daughters, Elizabeth, Mary and the youngest daughter Anne. Over 8 years ago Anne became engaged to Frederick Wentworth, a man with no one to recommend him. After much persuasion from a family friend, Lady Russell, Anne breaks off the engagement. When the reader meets Anne it is more than 8 years later and circumstances have brought her and the now Captain Frederick Wentworth back into each other's lives. Will they be able to rekindle their relationship or did Anne's initial refusal ruin all hope for them to be together...?

Reading Jane Austen is truly refreshing! The subtleness with which Austen delves into the relationship between Anne and Captain Wentworth among other characters is beautifully done. A great read!

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