Twenty-seven-year old Anne Elliot is Austen's most adult heroine. Eight years before the story proper begins, she is happily betrothed to a naval officer, Frederick Wentworth, but she precipitously breaks off the engagement when persuaded by her friend Lady Russell that such a match is unworthy. The breakup produces in Anne a deep and long-lasting regret. When later Wentworth returns from sea a rich and successful captain, he finds Anne's family on...

The young Jane Austen wishes to be a writer. Her mother thinks otherwise. Although she is offered many marriage proposals she accepts none until the mischevious Thomas Lefroy shows up and turns her world around. At first she finds him ignorant and self centered but as she gets to know him, they start to flirt and eventually fall in love. Thomas' relatives disagree with the match and threaten to disinherit him if he marries her. Jane's mother also...

"Step into the world of Georgian England and learn more about the genteel life of this beloved author. Although Jane Austen's works were first published anonymously and brought her little personal recognition, today they are rarely out of print and have inspired movies, television shows and mini-series, literary anthologies, and many other adaptations all around the world. Her writing--principally her five novels--is a critique of the British landed...

"From teenage girls waiting to dance their very first ball, to mothers hunting for rich husbands for their daughters, Jane Austen's love stories are famous throughout the world. This collection of adaptations of all six novels -- and one shorter tale -- with beautiful illustrations and summaries of the characters, is the perfect introduction to Jane Austen."--Page 4 of cover.

A collection of BBC radio full-cast dramatisations of Jane Austen's six major novels. Jane Austen is one of the finest writers in the English language, and this volume includes all six of her classic novels. Mansfield Park: On a quest to find a position in society, Fanny Price goes to live with her rich aunt and uncle. Northanger Abbey: Young, naive Catherine Morland receives an invitation to stay at the isolated Gothic mansion Northanger Abbey. Sense...

The Pulitzer Prize winning author of the Stone Diaries focuses on the life and fiction of Jane Austen in a critical biography of the reclusive author of Pride and Prejudice and other great novels. Shields explores the life of a writer whose own novels have engaged and delighted readers for the past two hundred years. Jane Austen reveals both the very private woman and the acclaimed author behind the enduring classics Sense and Sensibility, Pride and...

The year is 1795 and the feisty 20-year-old Jane Austen is an emerging writer who already sees a world beyond class and commerce, beyond pride and prejudice, and dreams of doing what was nearly unthinkable - marrying for love. Naturally, her parents are searching for a wealthy, well-appointed husband to assure their daughter's future social standing. As a prospective match for Jane, her parents are eyeing Mr. Wisley. He is the nephew to the very formidable,...