The Life and Works of Jane Austen

A look at the aims of the series; an overview of the historical, cultural and literary context that shapes the life and work of Jane Austen; understanding Austen's place in history; appreciating the impact of her novels on literature and the world.

The treasure trove of information that one has about Jane Austen's historical time and place; very little direct knowledge about her life; her surviving letters; a closer look at the facts and fictions that have persisted over time about her life.

Many readers come to Austen's fiction thinking that they will encounter sedate and realistic stories; when Austen begins writing as a teenager, her style and her subjects are risk-taking and boisterously comic; the beginnings of her literary efforts.

Jane Austen's first published novel is often overshadowed by her second; "Sense and Sensibility" is a deeply felt and complex look at romantic and familial relationships; the Dashwood sisters and their ups and downs; Austen's style and humor.

"Pride and Prejudice" has a devoted fanbase of literary critics and everyday readers; the humorous details of Austen's characters; the appeal of her heroine Elizabeth Bennet; the epigrammatic style of her prose; the book's emotionally resonant plot.

"Mansfield Park" is perhaps the most controversial of Austen's finished novels; Fanny Price, the unassuming heroine, is at the center of this serious entry in Austen's oeuvre; Austen's story examines the dynamics of family, power, work and gender.