Book SynopsisProvides notes on literary and historical contexts, allusions, and language of Jane Austen's most popular novel "Pride and Prejudice" (1813). This title explores the value and art of literary annotation. It also provides analysis of Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, Lady Catherine, and all the characters who inhabit the world of "Pride and Prejudice."Trade Review[A] beautiful new illustrated edition… The great benefit of Spacks’s notes, set out in columns beside the text, and sometimes occupying whole facing pages, is that they make you read more slowly. Instead of letting Austen’s delicious confection slip down like a syllabub, you have to think about each sentence, and that enriches and complicates everything… Pride and Prejudice is a rarity among great books in being both a trenchant moral tale and the wispiest wish fulfillment, as unreal as Cinderella. -- John Carey * Sunday Times *In this annotated edition of Pride and Prejudice, Patricia Meyer Spacks offers a guide to the nuances of Austen’s language… It is useful to have such glosses adjacent to Austen’s text, along with concise explanations of points of etiquette, historical detail, parallels with other Austen novels and involving subjects such as the Bennet girls’ marriage prospects. -- Michael Caines * Times Literary Supplement *Delightful illustrations and perspicacious annotations deepen the pleasures of this great book, paradoxically showing how much we converge and diverge with Miss Austen’s world of Regency England. Spacks anticipates our questions because she has spent countless afternoon teas in the company of an author whose ear was tuned to subtleties of dialogue and whose heart was sensitive to both the machinations of romance and the meanness of wealth. -- Christopher Benson * First Things *Reading Pride and Prejudice with Spacks as a guide illuminates the richness of Austen’s historical context, as the annotations draw attention to important material that might initially be missed… This beautifully produced and informative guide to reading Austen’s brilliant and beloved novel in its historical context will be a welcome addition to the library of anyone who has read, or plans to read, Pride and Prejudice more than once… Both specialists and fans will find it a great pleasure to read, learn from, and argue with Spacks’s annotated edition of this classic novel. -- Sarah Emsley * Open Letters Monthly *So interesting and comprehensive are Spacks’s notes on Austen, she could conceivably even introduce the author to a few male readers who might otherwise have veered away from all the bonnets and ruffles… Spacks is fascinating on the topic of Austen, and especially on the author’s deft use of dialogue and observation to layer dense levels of meaning into her stories, the notes do open up new vistas of enjoyment and understanding, especially for those approaching the goings-on at Longbourn for the first time… Spacks’s notes can be invaluable… For history buffs and period fetishists, who must surely comprise some significant part of the audience for historical romance, this annotated Pride and Prejudice is a treasure trove… This edition should prove equally refreshing to even the most ardent of Miss Bennet’s amateur readers. -- John Birmingham * The Australian *A grand slam home run. -- Laurel Ann * Austenprose *An appropriately handsome, witty, deeply smart and buoyantly informative annotated edition of Jane Austen’s beloved novel, prepared with astuteness and affection by scholar Patricia Meyer Spacks. * Barnes and Noble Review *[A] handsomely produced annotated edition… Spacks’ annotations are illuminating… The dozens of illustrations—a watercolor of Austen by her sister, for example, and images of late 18th-century drawing rooms—add a layer of visual delight and edification to the clarifying notes Spacks offers. -- Lauren Winner * Books & Culture *Austen’s most famous novel needs no introduction, but it does benefit from the hundreds of loving notes—historical references, vocab tips, and more—provided by Austen scholar Patricia Meyer Spacks. * Entertainment Weekly *A treat for the legions of Jane Austen enthusiasts, Pride and Prejudice: The Annotated Edition is an oversized volume packed with period illustrations and notation, illuminating the text and the life of Austen. * National Post *[Spacks] provides an extremely useful introduction, detailing Austen’s life and noting (along with her ‘further reading’ section) the ongoing scholarly attention. Readers will also appreciate Spacks’s well-placed references to the interpretations of other scholars, such as Tony Tanner and Linda Colley… A valuable addition for any Austen student, scholar, or fan. -- Kathryn R. Bartelt * Library Journal *Drawing on extensive knowledge, wisdom, and original insights, Professor Spacks is a monumentally intelligent guide to Pride and Prejudice. Reading Austen’s masterpiece with her commentaries at hand is like reading it with a better, wiser friend: someone who is able to anticipate our questions and reactions and someone who also knows Austen and her people intimately. -- Deidre Lynch, University of Toronto
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