A Truth Universally Acknowledged : 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen - Susannah Carson

A Truth Universally Acknowledged

33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen

By: Susannah Carson (Editor), Harold Bloom (Foreword by), C. S. Lewis

Paperback | 9 November 2010

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For so many of us a Jane Austen novel is much more than the epitome of a great read. It is a delight and a solace, a challenge and a reward, and perhaps even an obsession. For two centuries Austen has enthralled readers. Few other authors can claim as many fans or as much devotion. So why are we so fascinated with her novels? What is it about her prose that has made Jane Austen so universally beloved?
In essays culled from the last one hundred years of criticism juxtaposed with new pieces by some of today's most popular novelists and essayists, Jane Austen's writing is examined and discussed, from her witty dialogue to the arc and sweep of her story lines. Great authors and literary critics of the past offer insights into the timelessness of her moral truths while highlighting the unique confines of the society in which she composed her novels. Virginia Woolf examines Austen's maturation as an artist and speculates on how her writing would have changed if she'd lived twenty more years, while C. S. Lewis celebrates Austen's mirthful, ironic take on traditional values.
Modern voices celebrate Austen's amazing legacy with an equal amount of eloquence and enthusiasm. Fay Weldon reads "Mansfield Park "as an interpretation of Austen's own struggle to be as "good" as Fanny Price. Anna Quindlen examines the enduring issues of social pressure and gender politics that make "Pride and Prejudice" as vital today as ever. Alain de Botton praises "Mansfield Park" for the way it turns Austen's societal hierarchy on its head. Amy Bloom finds parallels between the world of "Persuasion" and Austen's own life. And Amy Heckerling reveals how she transformed the characters of Emma into denizens of 1990s Beverly Hills for her comedy "Clueless." From Harold Bloom to Martin Amis, Somerset Maugham to Jay McInerney, Eudora Welty to Margot Livesey, each writer here reflects on Austen's place in both the literary canon and our cultural imagination.
We read, and then reread, our favorite Austen novels to connect with both her world and our own. Because, as A Truth Universally Acknowledged so eloquently demonstrates, the only thing better than reading a Jane Austen novel is finding in our own lives her humor, emotion, and love.

"From the Hardcover edition."

Industry Reviews
"Contains almost as many gems as the novels encompass."--Miami Herald "The novels of Jane Austen live beyond the page, haunting our lives. The writers in this volume explain their own relationship with Austen and together are a kind of invitation for us, whether we're Janeites or not, to understand why we are so in her thrall."--Chicago Tribune "Austen's irony is so deliciously multilayered that every rereading will yield a fresh perspective. This book offers many such discoveries. . . . [A] delightful volume."--The Economist

"Jane Austen remains a hot literary property [and this book] explains her eternal appeal."--USA Today

"Austenites will enjoy dipping into this collection."--Booklist "The pieces make many astute points about Austen's oeuvre."--Publishers Weekly

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