The Wit and Wisdom of Jane Austen

by Jane Austen, Michael Kerrigan (Editor)

Few great writers can have cut so unglamorous a figure in the world as Jane Austen did. The fifth child of a Hampshire clergyman of modest means, Austen was more highly regarded among her family for her skill with the embroidery needle than for the sharpness of her wit. Yet, nearly two hundred years after she first put pen to paper, Austen's insights into human nature are as apt and accurate as when she originally wrote them. A witty and elegant collection of truths, ageless in their relevance. Michael Kerrigan is the author of Who Lies A Guide to Famous Graves .

Genres: Jane Austen, Fiction, Classics

122 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Jane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment upon the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage for the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Her works are an implicit critique of the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Her deft use of social commentary, realism and biting irony have earned her acclaim among critics and scholars.

The anonymously published Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1816), were a modest success but brought her little fame in her lifetime. She wrote two other novels—Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1817—and began another, eventually titled Sanditon, but died before its completion. She also left behind three volumes of juvenile writings in manuscript, the short epistolary novel Lady Susan, and the unfinished novel The Watsons.
Since her death Austen's novels have rarely been out of print. A significant transition in her reputation occurred in 1833, when they were republished in Richard Bentley's Standard Novels series (illustrated by Ferdinand Pickering and sold as a set). They gradually gained wide acclaim and popular readership. In 1869, fifty-two years after her death, her nephew's publication of A Memoir of Jane Austen introduced a compelling version of her writing career and supposedly uneventful life to an eager audience. Her work has inspired a large number of critical essays and has been included in many literary anthologies. Her novels have also inspired many films, including 1940's Pride and Prejudice, 1995's Sense and Sensibility and 2016's Love & Friendship.

Reviews

[Isa (Pages Full of Stars) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice collection of quotes from Jane Austen's works, on various themes. Full of irony and humour, it'll be perfect for all fans of her novels :) And what's interesting, some of the quotes with the darkest humour, almost bordering on macabre, are from Jane Austen herself, taken from her letters to her relatives.

[Gime Vilchez · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Wit and Wisdom of Jane Austen ("El ingenio y la sabiduría de Jane Austen") de Michael Kerrigan es un pequeño y bello libro que es un gran hallazgo y una joya, al menos para todos los que amamos a esta reconocida escritora inglesa nacida en Steventon, Inglaterra, en 1775 y fallecida en Winchester en 1817.
Esta obra está dividida en diferentes capítulos según diferentes temáticas ( "Amor y amistad", "Matrimonio","Sociedad", "La naturaleza humana", etc.) y a la vez cada uno contiene diferentes extractos de las obras de juventud, madurez y también de cartas (dirigidas principalmente a su hermana Cassandra y a sus sobrinas Fanny Knight y Caroline Austen) que están relacionados con esas cuestiones. En estos fragmentos encontramos a una Jane irónica, crítica, divertida, honesta, con pensamientos muy claros sobre la sociedad y la época en la que está viviendo, que nos habla desde su ingenio, humor y sabiduría de acuerdo al tema del cual se esté tratando.
Hay que destacar la bellas ilustraciones que contiene este libro, realizadas por Hugh Thomson (1860-1920) y tomadas de diferentes ediciones decimonónicas de las novelas de Jane Austen.
Fue una lectura desafiante para mí, ya que está en inglés, y fue toda una experiencia haber leído extractos de obras y epístolas de una de mis autoras favoritas en su idioma original. Es un libro para tener, releer, marcar; de esos que uno tiene que tener en la mesita de luz.

[Annie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lovely collection of quotes taken from Jane Austen 's novels and the letters she had written to her friends and family. All the quotes have been classified into topics and subtopics, like marriage, education etc. A rather lovely book :') perfect for an Austen fan like me.

[Adrian · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quotes.

[Katy Lovejoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I especially love the advice on the Written word

[Sanne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane Austen had some funny things to say. But, not very nice to poor people...

[Holly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just re-read this book of Jane Austen quotes. It's a mix of quotes from her books and her letters, broken down into sections. Great for anyone who's a big Jane Austen fan!

[Robin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Compilation