Description
Book SynopsisJane Austen''s richly textured worlds have enchanted readers for centuries and this neatly organised, playful book provides Austen enthusiasts and students alike with a unique insight into the much-loved writer''s way with words. Using a lively A-Z structure, Greaney provides fresh angles on familiar Austen themes (D is for
dance; M is for
matchmaking), casts light on under-examined corners of her imagination (R is for
risk; S is for
servant), and shows how current social and cultural concerns are re-shaping our understanding of her work (
Q is for queer;
W is for West Indies). Through this approach, we learn how attention to the tiniest linguistic detail in Austen''s work can yield rewarding new perspectives on the achievements of one of our most celebrated authors.Sharply focused on textual detail but broad in scope it broaches questions that, like Austen''s work, will intrigue, delight and inspire: Why are children so marginal in her storylin
Trade ReviewThe 26 pint-sized essays comprising
A Jane Austen A-Z are stuffed full of insights. Each is a masterpiece in miniature. Learned yet playful, Michael Greaney teaches readers new things about the forms and preoccupations of Austen’s fiction. * Deidre Lynch, Professor of Literature, Harvard University, USA *
A unique guide to the life and career of a much-loved author. … It sheds new light on key images, ideas, objects, people and places in Jane Austen’s writings. … This neatly organised book provides Austen enthusiasts and students alike with a unique insight into the much-loved writer’s way with words. * Lancashire Life *
Michael Greaney’s
Jane Austen A to Z is a perfectly judicious and highly entertaining atlas of the great novelist’s life and writings. Each short chapter is an informative delight, from A for Accident to Z for Zig-Zag, in a book cleverly written both for those in want of an engaging first primer, as well as those who already know Austen down to a T. * Devoney Looser, Regents Professor of English and Global Sport Scholar, Arizona State University, USA *
Table of ContentsTexts and abbreviations Acknowledgements Introduction A is for Accident B is for Bath C is for Children D is for Dance E is for Eye F is for Friend G is for Gift H is for Horse I is for Ill J is for Jane K is for Kindness L is for Letter M is for Matchmaking N is for No O is for Obstacle P is for Poor Q is for Queer R is for Risk S is for Servant T is for Theatre U is for Unexpected V is for Visit W is for West Indies X is for Xis Y is for Young Z is for Zigzag Works cited
