Excerpt from Jane Austen's Novels Towards the end of that century the reaction against cold reason reached its height. Then the imagination of poets was stimulated by ghosts and graves, and readers asked only to be charmed into delicious melancholy by the plaintive notes of a lute, or to be thrilled to "pleasant horror" by a "creaking hinge in an old castle." "A novel now," said George Colman, in his "Will," "Is nothing more Than an old castle and a creaking door, A distant hovel, Clanking of chains, a gallery, a light, Old armor, and a phantom all in white - And there's a novel." People were then more impressionable than they are now, and tears flowed easily. In Miss Austen's time, however, there was springing up a feeling of dissatisfaction with the romantic writing. When novels abounded, similar in tone to "The Monk," which, we are told, mothers had to keep locked up from their daughters, it was natural that earnest women like Mrs. Barbauld and Miss Edgeworth should take alarm. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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Thoroughly innovative and occasionally irreverent, this book will appeal in equal measure to book historians, Austen fans, and scholars of literary celebrity.

Excerpt from Jane Austen Her writings were, in fact, her life; and an attempt to give anything beyond the very brief est sketch of her career must resolve itself into a criticism of those writings. By these she is known to her many admirers'; and it is with the hope of making them even better known and more widely appreciated, that this little book is offered to the public. The writer wishes to express her obligations to Lord Brabourne and Mr. C. Austen Leigh for their kind permission to make use of the Memoir and Letters of their gifted relative, which have been her principal authorities for this work. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

Excerpt from A Memoir of Jane Austen Printed; and extracts are given from a novel which she had begun a few months before her death} but the chief addition is a short tale never before published, called 'lady Susan.' I regret that the little which I have been able to add could not appear in my First Edition as much of it was either unknown to me, or not at my command, when I first published; and I hope that I may claim some indulgent allowance for the difficulty of recovering little facts and feelings which had been merged half. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.