Viewed from an historical perspective, Jane Austen’s novels should not exist. She was born during a period where female writers (if they dared to write at all) were dismissed, ignored and dissuaded from writing altogether. The fact that Ms. Austen went ahead and created the novels contained in this collection – which have gone on to become some of the most treasured books in literary history – is nothing short of a miracle.
During her brief life (she died at only forty-one), Jane Austen wrote ‘Pride and Prejudice, ‘ ‘Sense and Sensibility, ‘ ‘Emma, ‘ ‘Mansfield Park, ‘ ‘Northanger Abbey, ‘ and ‘Persuasion.’ The first four of these novels were published (anonymously) during her lifetime, the final two were published posthumously. While they generated a small amount of interest and a smattering of positive reviews when they first appeared, it wasn’t until the mid-1800’s that her work began to gain in popularity. By the twentieth century, Jane Austen was roundly considered one of the most brilliant and groundbreaking authors of the Regency era and, indeed, one of the most talented and esteemed novelists of all time.
No literary collection is complete without the works of Jane Austen and in this volume are her complete novels – all six of them – presented in their original and unabridged format along with a brief biography of the author.
关于作者
Jane Austen (1775-1817) was an English novelist known best for her six major novels: Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, Emma, Persuasion, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park. Jane was one of eight children born to the Rev. George Austen and Cassandra Leigh Austen. The family struggled financially for much of Jane’s life but she received a varied – if brief – education both privately and at a small boarding school before the financial strain of her education precluded her continued attendance. Once she returned from school, Jane rarely left her family home. From an early age, Jane wrote poetry and short fiction. She eventually expanded her writing into full-length novels and published four of them during her lifetime, all of them anonymously (as was the fashion for female writers at the time). These were: Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815). They generated a small amount of interest and a smattering of positive reviews, but Austen, while she was alive, was not recognized as the celebrated and groundbreaking author she is considered to be today. Jane became ill in 1816 but apparently ignored the warning signs of whatever disease had gripped her. Some speculate she had lymphoma, others believe it was Addison’s disease. Whatever the cause, Jane’s health deteriorated and she died on July 18, 1817 at the age of 41. Following her death, her final two novels -Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published (both in 1818), but it was not until the mid-1800’s that her work began to gain in popularity. Jane Austen is now considered one of the world’s most beloved writers and her face has appeared on everything from postage stamps to British currency. In July, 2017, a statue of Jane was erected in Basingstoke, Hampshire on the 200th anniversary of her death.
来自同一作者的更多电子书 / 编辑
33,596 此类电子书
