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Jane Austen's Letters 4th Edition

by Deirdre Le Faye (Editor)
4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 104 ratings
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Jane Austen's letters afford a unique insight into the daily life of the novelist: intimate and gossipy, observant and informative--they read much like the novels themselves. They bring alive her family and friends, her surroundings and contemporary events, all with a freshness unparalleled in modern biographies. Most important, we recognize the unmistakable voice of the author of such novels as Pride and Prejudice and Emma. We see the shift in her writing from witty and amusing descriptions of the social life of town and country, to a thoughtful and constructive tone while writing about the business of literary composition.

R.W. Chapman's ground-breaking edition of the collected letters first appeared in 1932, and a second edition followed twenty years later. A third edition, edited Deirdre Le Faye in 1997 added new material, re-ordered the letters into their correct chronological sequence, and provided discreet and full annotation to each letter, including its provenance, and information on the watermarks, postmarks, and other physical details of the manuscripts. This new fourth edition incorporates the findings of recent scholarship to further enrich our understanding of Austen and give us the fullest and most revealing view yet of her life and family. In addition, Le Faye has written a new preface, has amended and updated the biographical and topographical indexes, has introduced a new subject index, and had added the contents of the notes to the general index.

Teachers, students, and fans of Jane Austen, at all levels, will find in these letters remarkable insight into one of the most popular novelists ever.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0199576076
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0199576074
  3. Edition
    4th
  4. Publisher
    Oxford University Press
  5. Publication date
    December 1, 2011
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    8.6 x 2.5 x 5.4 inches
  8. Print length
    704 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"These are the letters of our greatest novelist. They give glances and hints at her life from the age of 20 to her death at 41, the years in which she wrote her six imperishable books."
--Claire Tomalin, Independent on Sunday

"For this volume Le Faye has expanded the annotations and updated the biographical and topographical indexes...It is largely thanks to Deirdre Le Faye's masterful editions that Jane Austen's correspondence can be read with ease. Le Faye's work combines a meticulous compilation of data about the physical attributes and provenance of the letters with annotations and indexes that allow us to read over Austen's shoulder as she shares everyday news and frank opinions with family and friends." --JASNA News

Book Description

A new edition of the letters of Jane Austen, on the 200th anniversary of the publication of Sense and Sensibility

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press; 4th edition (December 1, 2011)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 704 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0199576076
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0199576074
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 8.6 x 2.5 x 5.4 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.8 4.8 out of 5 stars 104 ratings

Customer reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars
4.8 out of 5
104 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

Jon W. Reinhardt
5.0 out of 5 stars Great Book
Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2023
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A great read for anyone interested in Jane Austin
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5.0 out of 5 stars This review is for the hardcover 4th edition only!
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2013
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There are some real problems with the paperback editions, and luckily I read about them before deciding to purchase the hardcover fourth edition of this book, which has all the letters in date order, with copious annotations and indices for the scholar. I've been reading and re-reading Austen's novels for decades and somehow missed her letters. What a treasure trove they prove to be! Unfortunately, her family destroyed some of them for fear of embarrassing people; what a shame! All those people have been moldering in their graves for more than 200 years, yet the letters that remain show the same wit and incisive knowledge of human nature that makes her books timeless classics. The hardcover edition is an excellent one, with good paper, secure binding, and an easy-to-read font. There are literally hundreds of pages of notes and indices, so whether you're a fan of Austen, a scholar, or just fond of this literary format, you can get as much (or as little) information as you want. The letters are more than just intelligent, charming and often humorous...there are some that draw tears. I was particularly moved by Jane's sister's letters to family and friends, written just after Jane's death. I highly recommend this book - but only in this edition!
32 people found this helpful
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Sassafras Tea
5.0 out of 5 stars Real Treasure
Reviewed in the United States on February 24, 2023
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Highly recommend. Jane Austin is never disappointing and neither is the production of this book.
One person found this helpful
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Mary Teresa
4.0 out of 5 stars Very useful for the JA Student
Reviewed in the United States on September 4, 2014
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The content is great, and gives an insight into Jane Austen's stream of consciousness to her sister, and interesting tidbits about late 18th and early 19th century everyday life. What a gossip she was! Life before TV, Radio and even railway travel certainly was, to our point of view, very confined. But her world was her area of expertise. Her brothers went out and saw the world beyond England. She loved the Navy and I find it sad that she never seems to have boarded a ship, even in dock - but it doesn't seem to have occurred to her that she should or could have. She saw the world through her sailor brothers' eyes, and drew that world into her novels, Mansfield Park and Persuasion in particular, again through the eyes of her male characters.
If Ms. LeFaye had not added extensive notes at the back, this would be hard to follow. The comings and goings of the Janes and Marys, Georges and Edwards, would quite lose me. There are the Coopers, Biggs, and Lefroys - to the JA newbie, this would be very confusing indeed, but Le Faye has pages of notes of Who's Who at the back, Just as good, the Houses and Locations where these people live, are noted also. You need two bookmarks, This is a great companion book for Claire Tomalin's biography of JA, as you can go from one to the other, making a kind of fuller picure out of a jumble of people, places and homes. Read Tomalin first.
The book itself, being used and offered at half-price, was buyer-beware, and the front pages were loose in the binding and soon fell out. However it is a hardback. I am very pleased with my purchase.
7 people found this helpful
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Maura D. Powerssmith
5.0 out of 5 stars The hardcover is great but don't bother with the paperback version!
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2013
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I got the hardcover version, edited by Deirdre Le Fay, out of the library and it's a wonderful and very complete version. (Over 600 pages long with useful commentary) I wanted my own copy to highlight so I ordered the paperback version. It's a cheap little pamphlet of 111 pages. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THE PAPERBACK VERSION!

I should have paid more attention to the negative reviews. The paperback version is worthless! spring for the hardcover.
13 people found this helpful
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HeckedyPeg
5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful compilation of Austen's surviving letters
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2016
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Wonderful compilation of Austen's surviving letters; the editor included many notes on the families Austen discusses, the events of the day, social customs and more, all of which serve to flesh out the understanding contemporary readers had which we may lack.
2 people found this helpful
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Cindie Snyder
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read!
Reviewed in the United States on June 14, 2013
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I have come to love Jane Austens writing and saw this book listed
in the back of one of the many I've read about Jane Austen and I'm so glad I did!
It's really something!
One person found this helpful
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Blkbrn
5.0 out of 5 stars Very happy with my purchase.
Reviewed in the United States on July 20, 2016
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As always, Diedrich League Faye pleases.
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Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
EGM
5.0 out of 5 stars Muy buena edición
Reviewed in Spain on December 27, 2017
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Edición anotada en inglés de las cartas privadas de Jane Austen, con buenas notas al pie y referencias históricas, biográficas y culturales. Bien investigada y accesible para cualquier lector interesado en esta autora.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Love it, it's just normal life
Reviewed in Canada on February 17, 2016
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Love it, it's just normal life, but that's exactly what I was expecting. I just love the way I can be inside her head through each letter. Nothing magical written here, but it's still really cool
2 people found this helpful
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Green Knight
5.0 out of 5 stars AUSTEN'S ERA LEAPS OFF THE PAGE
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 8, 2012
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This new edition of Jane Austen's letters must surely take pride of place on the bookshelves of anyone who claims to love this extraordinary novelist.

The minutiae of her daily existence are meticulously recorded, and it is Austen's talent for expressing the seemingly mundane that brings the author and her letters so remarkably to life. Of the political history of all periods we have more than our fair share, subject as it is to the interpretation and opinion of various historians - popular or otherwise - and our understanding of an age changes every day, but it is only through contact with letters and journals such as these that we can stand face to face with the ordinary men and women that make up an era.

To quote from the product description above:
"This fourth edition incorporates the findings of new scholarship to enrich our understanding of Austen and give us the fullest and most revealing view yet of her life and family. There is a new preface, the biographical and topographical indexes have been amended and updated, a new subject index has been created, and the contents of the notes added to the general index."

Readers perhaps unfamiliar with Austen should not be put off by the parochial and intimate detail that fills her letters - it is precisely that detail and her powers of observation that make her novels as relevant today as they were when first published two centuries ago. To read her letters is to enter the same room as Miss Austen and her correspondents, to hear their laughter and tears, and to share in the daily life of this astonishing and unfortunately short-lived genius.

This fourth edition is elegantly produced in one volume - maybe a little tightly bound to be quite comfortable, and in a size of print that is not always easy on the eye - but minor quibbles aside, Austen devotees (hand in hand with those just beginning their acquaintance with her) can and should relish every lively word. It will be a long time before this edition is superseded.
12 people found this helpful
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Peter M Goodlad
5.0 out of 5 stars The definitive collection
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 5, 2021
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There is NO Kindle version of this despite a Kindle promotion.
This hardback version is excellent quality.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Just as I expected
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 6, 2021
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I already had a paperback edition but wanted a hardback edition ...more robust etc. This is perfect
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