Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels

The third part of the book looks at each of the novels in turn, and includes the fragments The Watsons and Sandition. Le Faye gives a synopsis of the plot of each novel and along the way picks out things for us that would have needed no explanation to contemporary readers, but may now need some enlargement. For example in the Sense & Sensibility chapter she tells us about the places in London where the characters live or lodge, and what this says about them and their status.

On top of all this, the book is beautifully illustrated with period county maps, contemporary portraits that match Austen's character descriptions and of course illustrations of all the Life & Times elements discussed - filigree work, fashion plates, coinage examples, etc. In a word: Excellent!


brilliant presentation of Jane Austens world   May 7, 2006
A reader from GRE (Athens)
15 out of 16 found this review helpful

Le Faye has written an exceptional book which truly sets the reader in the time period Austen was writing.What impressed me most was the very readable style it has been written in with close attention to all details mentioned in her novels truly assisting the reader to have a feel of what was going on in England socially and economically aswell as highlighting world affairs at the time.
A great companion to add depth in ones appreciation of Jane Austen novels as well as detailed explanations to social life and nuiances in Regency England.


A pleasure more when reading Jane Austen   July 25, 2007
Unmack (Denmark)
2 out of 5 found this review helpful

One of the pleasures of reading Jane Austen is trying to figure out what is left unsaid and unexplained. Also Tempora and Mores have changed, and the reactions and behaviour of the heroines can be rather odd at times, seen at a distance of 200 years and from across the North Sea.
Ever read Icelandic sagas? The sort in which Egil Egilsson's wife has left him - telling everyone in detail as to why - and throughout the next winter "people often talked about the matter" . I bet they did!
And Egil "thought about it, and he was not pleased". I bet he wasn't. Considering the mayhem that followed.
The joy is in imagining what is being said and thought, and why.
This pretty, well-illustrated book is a fine companion for imagining. We are explained the ins and outs of living in a pre-modern genteel society, the social graces, how to behave and almost more important: how not to behave. The characters in the novels by Jane Austen are by their very surroundings limited in what they can think, in what they can do. We must not forget the horizon was much lower then, and everyday living conditions and behaviour very different to ours. Trying to enter the spirit of the novels, so to speak, I find that Le Fayes book has helped me enormously.



Interesting background detail   March 23, 2004
Mr. Sj Dilley (Cambridge)
29 out of 31 found this review helpful

If you want a book which provides in-depth analysis into the wealth of characterisation, psychology etc. in Jane Austen's work, this isn't the book for you. If however, you want something which tells you all about the background behind her writing the novels, both in terms of the circumstances of their compostion, and int erms of life and social trends in that period, I would whole-heartedly recommend this book. Also, this is a book which does exactly what it says on the cover, it tells you abot the world of her novels. le Faye has meticulously extracted every last detail from her novels, to create a comprehensive guide to the settings of her books. For example, when talking about Emma, we are led through the town of Highbury, with Le Faye confidently describing every last building and its relation to the events of the story. Another example would be in Persuasion, where Le Faye gave the correct order of precedence for the charaacters when entering and leaving the room.

This is not just a book about the early 19th century, nor is it just a book about Jane Austen. For anyone who longs to be a character in a Jane Austen novel, this is for you. SOmething drew me to this book, as just being a fundamentally nice book to have. Perhaps not an outstandingly scholarly read, but enjoyable and fascinating nonetheless.