Selected Letters, 1796-1817 (Oxford Paperbacks)

I got about 2/3 of the way through this (1985 edition) years ago and then put it down and forgot about it for some reason. I have absolutely no idea why, because Jane Austen's letters are extremely entertaining.

Mostly consisting of the minutiae of daily family life written to travelling/at home relatives (particularly her sister Cassandra and her niece Fanny), but (particularly latterly) also with tantalising glimpses of her thoughts on her books (her books were her children, she loved Lizzie Bennet, thought P&P better than MP, knew exactly what Mrs Bingley would look like and the reason why she couldn't find a decent portrait of Mrs Darcy etc). I will definitely have to find a full collection at some point.

What is interesting about this edition is that it was originally published in 1955 and it is clear to me that attitudes have changed considerably in this time. The introduction is interesting, but (largely) presents a common view of a completely different image of Jane Austen to that in my mind. R. W. Chapman feels the need to defend Jane Austen as when the letters were originally published, they caused uproar:

"The letters transgressed against the received notions of what a great writer's letters were like; more particularly, they were not what 'gentle Jane's' letters should have been like."

He goes on to defend this (her acerbic wit and the fact that these were not letters written for publication, unlike those of eg Scott, which definitely were) well, but at the same time with this image of a "gentle Jane" in mind.

What I can't understand is how anyone who has read Pride and Prejudice could possibly think of Jane Austen as "gentle". She was clearly a very intelligent, sharp woman - not unkind, but with a wicked sense of humour - and I'm very glad this is the case, or she really would be just "chick-lit" as some people (completely erroneously to my mind) try to describe her.

There are, oh, so many things I'd like to quote, but the one thing that I will is this (in response to her niece, who had made someone read her Aunt's books and he didn't like them):

"Do not oblige him to read any more. Have mercy on him, tell him the truth & make him an apology. He & I should not in the least agree of course, in our ideas of Novels and Heroines; pictures of perfection as you know make me sick & wicked - but there is some very good sense in what he says, & I particularly respect him for wishing to think well of all young Ladies; it shews an amiable & a delicate mind"

I'm so glad I read this!

I have read Jane Austen more often than any other author, (bar Diana Wynne Jones) and her letters truly do bring her more to life (while at the same time supporting my idea that her personality seems to shine through everything she's written) - what a shame (and yet how completely understandable) that Cassandra burnt so many (and all of the more personal ones).

One big nit-pick I have with this collection is the notes, which are abysmal - very few and far between and seemingly completely randomly picked - one apparently obscure thing will be explained, while another will not. I think this edition could seriously do with updating!*

*ETA: and am glad to see from the other review that it has been! ( )

Nice compact edition with great supplemental material

"You deserve a longer letter than this; but it is my unhappy fate seldom to treat people so well as they deserve." Jane Austen, 24 December 1798

Jane Austen's personal correspondence has stirred up controversy since her untimely death in 1817 at age 41. The next year her brother Henry Austen wrote in the `Biographical Notice of the Author' included with the publication of her novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion that she "never dispatched a note or a letter unworthy of publication." Years later, a niece Caroline Austen did not agree, "there is nothing in those letters which I have seen that would be acceptable to the public." In comparison to her published works, the letters do dwell upon 'little matters' of domestic life in the county, but to the patient reader we begin to understand Austen's life and experiences beyond the minutia and realize through her clever descriptions and acerbic observations how this simple parson's daughter became the author of novels that are so valued and cherished close to 200 years after their publication.

This reissue by Oxford University Press of their 2004 edition of Jane Austen Selected Letters is more than worthy of a second printing. Not only does it include two thirds of the known surviving letters and a thoughtful introduction by scholar Vivien Jones chronicling the history of the letters stewardship with the family, its supplemental material alone makes it an incredible value for the price. As with the other Oxford World's Classics of Austen's major and minor works that have been reissued this past year, it includes a brief biography, notes on the text, a select bibliography, a chronology of Jane Austen's life, and explanatory notes. Unique to this edition, and by far the highlight are the glossary of people and places and the detailed index for quick reference.

For students and Austen enthusiast seeking a compact edition in comparison to the comprehensive and hefty Jane Austen's Letters edited by Deirdre Le Faye, this reissue is a sleek and densely informative package. Usually I abhor abridged editions of anything, but in this instance we are given an excellent selection of letters and a lively introduction at less than a third of the price of its competitor. In this economy, I say better and better.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose ( )

unfortunately pretty boring ( )