A Truth Universally Acknowledged

33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen

By C. S. Lewis, Virginia Woolf and Anna Quindlen
Foreword by Harold Bloom
Edited by Susannah Carson

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A Truth Universally Acknowledged by C. S. Lewis, Virginia Woolf and Anna Quindlen
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Nov 09, 2010 | 320 Pages

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  • Paperback $18.00

    Nov 09, 2010 | 320 Pages

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About A Truth Universally Acknowledged

Why are we so fascinated with Jane Austen’s novels? Why is Austen so universally beloved? The essayists in this volume offer their thoughts on the delightful puzzle of Austen’s popularity. Classic and contemporary writers—novelists, essayists, journalists, scholars, and a filmmaker—discuss the tricks and treasures of Austen’s novels, from her witty dialogue, to the arc and sweep of her story lines, to her prescriptions for life and love.

Virginia Woolf examines Austen’s maturation as an artist and speculates on how her writing would have changed had she lived another twenty years, while Anna Quindlen examines the enduring issues of social pressure and gender politics that make Pride and Prejudice as vital today as ever. From Harold Bloom to Martin Amis, Somerset Maugham to Jay McInerney, Eudora Welty to Amy Bloom, each writer reflects on Austen’s place in both the literary canon and our cultural imagination.

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Praise

“Contains almost as many gems as the novels encompass.”—Miami Herald
 
“The novels of Jane Austen live beyond the page, haunting our lives. The writers in this volume explain their own relationship with Austen and together are a kind of invitation for us, whether we’re Janeites or not, to understand why we are so in her thrall.”—Chicago Tribune
 
“Austen’s irony is so deliciously multilayered that every rereading will yield a fresh perspective. This book offers many such discoveries. . . . [A] delightful volume.”—The Economist
 
“Jane Austen remains a hot literary property [and this book] explains her eternal appeal.”—USA Today
 
“Austenites will enjoy dipping into this collection.”—Booklist
 
“The pieces make many astute points about Austen’s oeuvre.”—Publishers Weekly

About C. S. Lewis

C. S. Lewis was an Irish medievalist, author, and amateur theologian equally famous for his Chronicles of Narnia and his Christian apologetics.

About Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf was born in London in 1882, the daughter of Sir Leslie Stephen, first editor of The Dictionary of National Biography. From 1915, when she published her first novel, The Voyage Out, Virginia Woolf maintained an astonishing output of fiction, literary… More about Virginia Woolf

About Anna Quindlen

Anna Quindlen is a novelist and journalist whose work has appeared on fiction, nonfiction, and self-help bestseller lists. She is the author of many novels: Object Lessons, One True Thing, Black and Blue, Blessings, Rise and Shine, Every Last One,… More about Anna Quindlen

Product Details

Paperback
Published by Random House Trade Paperbacks
Nov 09, 2010 | 320 Pages | 5-3/16 x 8 | ISBN 9780812980011

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