In one of her personal letters, Jane Austen wrote "Little Matters they are to be sure, but highly important." In fact, letter-writing was something of an addiction for young women of Jane Austen's time and in her social position, and Austen's letters have a freedom and familiarity that only intimate writing can convey. Wiser than her critics, who were disappointed that her correspondence dwelt on gossip and the minutiae of everyday living, Austen understood the importance of "Little Matters," of the emotional and material details of individual lives shared with friends and family through the medium of the letter. Ironic, acerbic, always entertaining, Jane Austen's letters are a fascinating record not only of her own day-to-day existence, but of the pleasures and frustrations experienced by women of her social class which are so central to her novels. Vivien Jones's selection includes nearly two-thirds of Austen's surviving correspondence, and her lively introduction and notes set the novelist's most private writings in their wider cultural context.

Jane Austen (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known principally for her five major novels which interpret, critique and comment upon the life of the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Her most highly praised novel during her own lifetime was Pride and Prejudice which was her second published novel. Her plots often reflect upon the dependence of women on marriage in the pursuit of favorable social standing and economic security. Austen's main novels are rarely out of print today though they were first published anonymously and brought her little personal fame with only a few glancing reviews during her lifetime. A significant transition in her posthumous reputation as an author occurred in 1869, fifty-two years after her death, when her nephew published A Memoir of Jane Austen which effectively introduced her to a wider public and reading audience. Austen's most successful novel in her own lifetime was Pride and Prejudice which went through two editions during her own life. Her third published novel was Mansfield Park which was largely overlooked by the professional reviewers though it was a great success with the public still within her lifetime. All five of her major novels were published for the first time between 1811 and 1818. From 1811 until 1816, with the premiere publication of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815), she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two additional novels Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1818, and began another one, which was eventually titled Sanditon, but died before completing it.

Three of Austen's smaller works, worthy of reading for both pleasure and study: Lady Susan, in which a widow seeks an advantageous second marriage; and the unfinished novels The Watsons and Sandition.

This deluxe edition brings to life the letters exchanged among Jane Austen's characters in Pride and Prejudice. Glassine pockets placed throughout the book contain removable replicas of 19 letters from the story. These powerful epistles include Lydia's announcement of her elopement, Mr. Collins's obsequious missives, and of course Darcy's painfully honest letter to Elizabeth. • Nothing captures Jane Austen's vivid emotion and keen wit better than her characters' correspondence. • Each letter is re-created with gorgeous calligraphy. • Letters are hand-folded with painstaking attention to historical detail. Perusing the letters will transport readers straight to the drawing room at Netherfield or the breakfast table at Longbourn. For anyone who loves Austen, and for anyone who still cherishes the joy of letter writing, this book illuminates a favorite story in a whole new way. • Step inside the world of Pride and Prejudice, one of the most beloved novels of all time. • Great Mother's Day, birthday, or holiday gift for diehard Jane Austen fans • A visually gorgeous book that will be at home on the shelf or on the coffee table • Add it to the shelf with books like What Would Jane Do?: Quips and Wisdom from Jane Austen by Potter Gift, Jane-a-Day: 5 Year Journal with 365 Witticisms by Jane Austen Edition by Potter Gift, and The Real Jane Austen: A Life in Small Things by Paula Byrne.