Introduction -- A is for Accident -- B is for Bath -- C is for Children -- D is for Dance -- E is for Eye -- F is for Friend -- G is for Gift -- H is for Horse -- I is for Illness -- J is for Jane -- K is for Kindness -- L is for Letter -- M is for Matchmaking -- N is for No -- O is for Obstacle -- P is for Poor -- Q is for Queer -- R is for Risk -- S is for Servant -- T is for Theatre -- U is for Unexpected -- V is for Visit -- W is for West Indies -- X is for Xis -- Y is for Young -- Z is for Zigzag.
Summary
Jane Austen's richly textured worlds have enchanted readers for centuries and this neatly organized, playful book provides Austen enthusiasts and students alike with a unique insight into the much-loved writer's way with words. Using a lively A-Z structure, Greaney provides fresh angles on familiar Austen themes (D is for dance; M is for matchmaking), casts light on under-examined corners of her imagination (R is for risk; S is for servant), and shows how current social and cultural concerns are re-shaping our understanding of her work (Q is for queer; W is for West Indies). Through this approach, we learn how attention to the tiniest linguistic detail in Austen's work can yield rewarding new perspectives on the achievements of one of our most celebrated authors. Sharply focused on textual detail but broad in scope, it broaches questions that, like Austen's work, will intrigue, delight and inspire: Why are children so marginal in her storylines? Who is the best exponent of matchmaking in her fiction? Why are many of her female characters - but none of her heroines - called Jane? Providing a new close-up encounter with one of our most celebrated writers, this book invites a renewed appreciation of the infinite subtlety and endless re-readability of a body of writings in which every word counts.
