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Love and Freindship
When a noble youth arrives unannounced to request the hand of the matchless Laura, it seems their future is one of contentment and bliss - that is until his family learn of the marriage and, one by one, they reject the new bride. So begins a series of unspeakable events that Laura must confront and overcome, by way of the occasional fainting fit and bout of delirium.
Tragedy and comedy here go hand in hand as a very foolish young heroine is placed at the centre of Jane Austen's early satire on drawing-room society. Written as a series of letters, "Love and Friendship" is a delicious romp through the highs and lows of a young girl's lot in life and a precursor of Austen's later works of genius.
Tragedy and comedy here go hand in hand as a very foolish young heroine is placed at the centre of Jane Austen's early satire on drawing-room society. Written as a series of letters, "Love and Friendship" is a delicious romp through the highs and lows of a young girl's lot in life and a precursor of Austen's later works of genius.
90 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1787
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About the author
Jane Austen
3,820 books74.2k followersJane 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 925 reviews
May 28, 2022
“She was nothing more than a mere good-tempered, civil and obliging Young Woman; as such we could scarcely dislike her -- she was only an Object of Contempt.”
~ Rating- 4 stars ~
Content/ Trigger Warnings- Death of a loved one, Fainting
-No mention of these in the review-
Love and Friendship, by Jane Austen was a very fun read! There isn't much for me to 'review' here. I really liked the main character Laura, and the over dramatics of all the characters was very amusing. Overall, it was a great read.
Audiobook Comments
The audiobook narration was wonderful! I loved this narration and I am going to read more books by this narrator.
“Run mad as often as you choose, but do not faint!”
My ratings and reviews for all of Austen's works based on preference-
Pride & Prejudice- 5 stars
Northanger Abbey- 5 stars
Sense and Sensibility- 4 stars
Love and Friendship- 4 stars
Persuasion- 3 stars
Emma- 3 stars
Mansfield Park- 1.5 stars
DISCLAIMER-All opinions on books I’ve read and reviewed are my own, and are with no intention to offend anyone. If you feel offended by my reviews, let me know how I can fix it.
How I Rate-
1 star- Hardly liked anything/ was disappointed
2 star- Had potential but did not deliver/ was disappointed
3 stars- Was ok but could have been better/ was average / Enjoyed a lot but something was missing
4 stars- Loved a lot but something was missing
5 stars- Loved it/ new favourite
September 10, 2020
Though uneven of course, "Love and Freindship [sic]," an epistolary story, is hilarious with its constant mentions of sensibility, its unnecessarily despised fathers, and the young-lady heroines who are also petty thieves. (Oct 3, 2012)
Who changed the spelling of the title? (And I mean the cover of my download, not something done by a GR librarian.) That is not how Jane spells "friend" and it was spelled 'her' way when I opened it last year. Anyway ... while the quality (or the novelty) of the "letters" (almost all her early works are epistolary) seemed to go down as I read on, I don't really want to rate them, as some are not even completed drafts; some mere ideas. No writer wants those to be widely read. (Sept 11, 2013)
I didn't reread the witty The History of England, though I remember enjoying it quite a bit when I read it pre-GR.
I am now an Austen completist.
Who changed the spelling of the title? (And I mean the cover of my download, not something done by a GR librarian.) That is not how Jane spells "friend" and it was spelled 'her' way when I opened it last year. Anyway ... while the quality (or the novelty) of the "letters" (almost all her early works are epistolary) seemed to go down as I read on, I don't really want to rate them, as some are not even completed drafts; some mere ideas. No writer wants those to be widely read. (Sept 11, 2013)
I didn't reread the witty The History of England, though I remember enjoying it quite a bit when I read it pre-GR.
I am now an Austen completist.
July 3, 2025
4 stars cuz it’s Jane’s early stuff & CUTE AF!! It's a novella of letters detailing two young ladies’s Regency escapades, it’s quite funny and def shows Austen’s developing and promising talent.
Read
October 19, 2023Austen's short story made me reflect on the inherent ups and downs of the amalgam of the term that defines friendship, and the crossroads between love and frienship. Regardless of where one begins and the other ends, I think there is a certain dynamic of the relationship, based on mutual experiences of feelings, but not only that. I think the essence of a true friendship also lies in the depth of unconscious connections, where souls intervene in a tapestry of shared and unspoken understanding. It is through this uncharted realm that the bonds of friendship are forged, transcending the limits of the conscious mind. Friendship, at its core, is a symphony of acceptance, kindness and resilience. It is a sacred pact that weaves together two beings, allowing them to see beyond the surface and embrace each other's flaws with unwavering respect. In an indestructible friendship, imperfections become a source of beauty, celebrated rather than judged. It is an unspoken agreement to stand together through storms and sunlight, seeing each other's flaws as fragments of a mosaic that compose a unique and profound bond. In this realm of mutual respect and understanding, the flaws of one become the guiding light for growth and introspection in the other. Friends reflect back what we may not see within ourselves, they offer a hand not to fix or erase, but to accompany and uplift, recognizing that the beauty of friendship lies not in perfection, but in the journey of growth and acceptance. I'm sorry if someone expected me to express my opinion on Austen's book, but I have this flaw - among others - in expressing myself only on the thoughts that remain after reading, thoughts that often compress only the essence of my unconscious.
February 29, 2024
This book was hilarious😅 Very “tongue in cheek”. I read that Austen was 14 when she wrote it and that it was a parody of romance novels she read. She was a prodigy to have written such a wonderfully enjoyable tale at such a young age.
August 11, 2021
Obra juvenil da querida Jane.
Gostei, fiquei surpreendida pela "maturidade" da escrita, pelo tom burlesco e de sátira aos muitos exageros de sensibilidade exacerbada da época, mas nada mais. Continuo a preferir a "minha" Jane mais adulta.
NOTA - 05/10
Gostei, fiquei surpreendida pela "maturidade" da escrita, pelo tom burlesco e de sátira aos muitos exageros de sensibilidade exacerbada da época, mas nada mais. Continuo a preferir a "minha" Jane mais adulta.
NOTA - 05/10
August 1, 2022
Written when she was just 15, this is utter nonsense, but so much fun and just sparkled. It gives us a taste of what was to come.
February 4, 2017
Beware of swoons Dear Laura... A frenzy fit is not one quarter so pernicious; it is an exercise to the Body and if not too, is I dare say conducive to Health in its consequences---Run mad as often as you chuse; but do not faint-
My edition included the juvenile epistolary works of Jane Austen, including,Love and Freindship, Lesley Castle, The History of England, Collection of Letters, and "Scraps." Although I wouldn't recommend a new reader to Austen starting with this collection, it does give us insight to the youthful writing style that would encourage Jane Austen to become a writer.
As a reader who fell in love with Austen's writings at the tender age of 13( Sense and Sensibility) and as an adult that now owns almost all the adaptations of her novels to the small and big screens, this was incredibly enjoyable. It was also absolutely ridiculous! Since Austen never really intended for these writings to see a printing press, I feel that there are things we have to overlook, such as, disjointed writing, swooning, and other hysterical dramas.
My edition included the juvenile epistolary works of Jane Austen, including,Love and Freindship, Lesley Castle, The History of England, Collection of Letters, and "Scraps." Although I wouldn't recommend a new reader to Austen starting with this collection, it does give us insight to the youthful writing style that would encourage Jane Austen to become a writer.
As a reader who fell in love with Austen's writings at the tender age of 13( Sense and Sensibility) and as an adult that now owns almost all the adaptations of her novels to the small and big screens, this was incredibly enjoyable. It was also absolutely ridiculous! Since Austen never really intended for these writings to see a printing press, I feel that there are things we have to overlook, such as, disjointed writing, swooning, and other hysterical dramas.
August 12, 2019
Ona je ovo pisala s 14 godina, a ja se s još toliko smejem i smejem i osvrćem preko ramena da proverim da li se neko čudi mom ponašanju sa slušalicama ili su svi već navikli.
Sve preporuke za novelu, ja sam je slušala ovde https://librivox.org/love-and-freinds... a vi možete kako vam drago.
Sve preporuke za novelu, ja sam je slušala ovde https://librivox.org/love-and-freinds... a vi možete kako vam drago.
September 29, 2019
Tinejdžerka Džejn Ostin u formi epistolarnog romana parodira tadašnje klišee ljubavnih romana.. Čitajući ga u ovom ludom vremenu u kom gospodare društvene mreže nisam mogla a da ga ne posmatram kroz šablon sarkastičnog gifa ili do besvesti retvitovanog mima.
No one:
19th century bored and nosy women: Swooning to death™
No one:
19th century bored and nosy women: Swooning to death™
November 4, 2020
I thought that this book was good
March 6, 2019
I found some Juveniles Kindle editions of Jane Austen & "Love & Friendship" was the one I wanted to try next. This was about 97 pages which included 2 short stories, Jane's history of the kings & Queens of England, collections of letters & scraps. Love and Friendship is more of a rough incomplete thought story but complete enough that you would have liked a book instead of this 30 page story. When I was ready this I saw the mature writer Jane Austen trying to tell a story. Having read all her novels including Lady Susan which many say these stories in Love & Friendship should have been published instead of that story. The similarity between Lady Susan & almost all the short stories in Love & Friendship is that they are all written epistolary style which I must say I really enjoy. I agree that these stories are better than Lady Susan. I have read Sense & Sensibility and loved that book but had a hard time understanding the "Sensibility" but these stories had cleared that up for me. I know that seem silly that a word being defined in a dictionary but not really understanding what it means. It is simple "Sensibility" means caring, understanding not just for oneself but others & that is how it is used in her Juveniles stories.
Love and Friendship-- Isabel is imploring her friend, Laura & now middle age to give the details of her "misfortunes and Adventures of your Life.". Laura decides to write to her daughter Marianne. She gives the history through a series of letters. This story is the roughest & reminds me of Anne Radcliffe's characters, swooning & in need of assistance. I really think this would have made a great novel because there is a lot of adventure but too coincidental at parts throughout. All these stories seem to have a melancholy endings compares to a happier Austen in her books. This was written in 1790 & most of her works at this time around 17 years old.
Lesley Castle--- This is my favorite of these stories. The humor in this delicious, in more ways than one. This is so like her published adult books but also with a kind of sadness but not as much as Love & Friendship. Charlotte & Margaret are friends and correspond about friends & family.
The History of England--- Jane tells of the Kings & Queens with her dry sense of humor.
Collection of Letters - 5 letters a story in each & not related to each other. Interesting mix of the working of Austen's mind.
Scraps- a very short play & many really short stories.
Excerpt-This is from Love & Friendship--"My Father started - "What noise is that," (said he.) "It sounds like a loud rapping at the door" - (replied my Mother.) "it does indeed." (cried I.) "I am of your opinion; (said my Father) it certainly does appear to proceed from some uncommon violence exerted against our unoffending door." Yes (exclaimed I) I cannot help thinking it must be something who knocks for admittance"
Love and Friendship-- Isabel is imploring her friend, Laura & now middle age to give the details of her "misfortunes and Adventures of your Life.". Laura decides to write to her daughter Marianne. She gives the history through a series of letters. This story is the roughest & reminds me of Anne Radcliffe's characters, swooning & in need of assistance. I really think this would have made a great novel because there is a lot of adventure but too coincidental at parts throughout. All these stories seem to have a melancholy endings compares to a happier Austen in her books. This was written in 1790 & most of her works at this time around 17 years old.
Lesley Castle--- This is my favorite of these stories. The humor in this delicious, in more ways than one. This is so like her published adult books but also with a kind of sadness but not as much as Love & Friendship. Charlotte & Margaret are friends and correspond about friends & family.
The History of England--- Jane tells of the Kings & Queens with her dry sense of humor.
Collection of Letters - 5 letters a story in each & not related to each other. Interesting mix of the working of Austen's mind.
Scraps- a very short play & many really short stories.
Excerpt-This is from Love & Friendship--"My Father started - "What noise is that," (said he.) "It sounds like a loud rapping at the door" - (replied my Mother.) "it does indeed." (cried I.) "I am of your opinion; (said my Father) it certainly does appear to proceed from some uncommon violence exerted against our unoffending door." Yes (exclaimed I) I cannot help thinking it must be something who knocks for admittance"
December 13, 2024
J'ai TELLEMENT ri en lisant Amour et amitié! Je ne savais pas trop à quoi m'attendre, je me demandais si c'était une version préliminaire de l'un de ses romans. Finalement, c'était une fiction adolescente à son meilleur!
L'enchaînement des actions est rapide et bizarre (les personnages passent une page à se demander qui peut bien cogner à la porte, mais la protagoniste se fiance, épouse et quitte la maison de ses parents avec l'étranger qui a cogné en 2 phrases), les personnages sont ridicules et prennent des décisions douteuses (la protagoniste et son amie sont hébergées chez un monsieur qu'elles connaissent à peine, décident de lui voler de l'argent et de persuader sa fille de se sauver avec un homme et s'indignent de ses accusations quand elles se font prendre) et les parents, selon la narration, n'ont jamais raison.
Jane Austen a beau être un génie de la littérature, à 15 ans, elle était une adolescente comme toutes les autres. J'ai adoré.
L'enchaînement des actions est rapide et bizarre (les personnages passent une page à se demander qui peut bien cogner à la porte, mais la protagoniste se fiance, épouse et quitte la maison de ses parents avec l'étranger qui a cogné en 2 phrases), les personnages sont ridicules et prennent des décisions douteuses (la protagoniste et son amie sont hébergées chez un monsieur qu'elles connaissent à peine, décident de lui voler de l'argent et de persuader sa fille de se sauver avec un homme et s'indignent de ses accusations quand elles se font prendre) et les parents, selon la narration, n'ont jamais raison.
Jane Austen a beau être un génie de la littérature, à 15 ans, elle était une adolescente comme toutes les autres. J'ai adoré.
September 1, 2018
If you're a Jane Austen fan and haven't read Love & Friendship yet, do so. It's an absolute hoot. Teenage Jane was a Sass Queen.
"It was too pathetic for the feelings of Sophia and myself--We fainted alternately on a Sofa."
(This edition isn't the one I had; I read mine in a collection)
"It was too pathetic for the feelings of Sophia and myself--We fainted alternately on a Sofa."
(This edition isn't the one I had; I read mine in a collection)
March 27, 2017
Aşa-zis roman epistolar. Povestea in sine nu se deduce prea bine, iar personajele sunt vag conturate.
January 3, 2022
Love and friendship written in a form of letters from heroine Laura to Marianne, the daughter of her friend Isabel. And now the most important part, is that Jane Austen wrote it at the age of 14!!!
First I considered it to be silly.. In compare to her other works.. But when I found out in what age she wrote it.. Damn!!
Although I wasn’t impressed by this small novella.. I give a credit to it!
First I considered it to be silly.. In compare to her other works.. But when I found out in what age she wrote it.. Damn!!
Although I wasn’t impressed by this small novella.. I give a credit to it!
November 11, 2011
This collection of Jane Austen's juvenilia incudes the titular story, "Lesley Castle" (both of which are experiments in the epistolary novel form), "The History of England", "First Act of a Comedy" and various fictional letters.
All of the works in the collection are worth reading. "Love and Freindship", with its multiple deaths, illegitimacy and fainting fits, is a very silly satire on the sensibility evident in novels of the period. "Lesley Castle" is rather more confusing because of its multiple writers and recipients of letters, but is also evidence of Austen's gift for poking fun at the ridiculous. "The History of England" is a wonderfully exuberant race through a number of the kings and queens of England ostensibly told to praise Mary, Queen of Scots and to criticise Elizabeth I. I found it laugh-out-loud funny and in some respects it reminded me of the equally silly but very entertaining 1066 and All That: A Memorable History of England). In the various letters, characters appear who have names or characteristics which are recognisably those of characters who figure in Austen's mature works. There is a Lady Greville, for example, who is a clear precursor to Lady Catherine de Burgh. A Willoughby, a Crawford and a Musgrove also make appearances.
Overall, this a quick, undemanding and very entertaining read. For readers who appreciate Jane Austen's novels, it is fascinating to see her gift for wit and satire, her lively mind and her sense of the ridiculous so evident in her teenage writings. It is said that Austen used to read her works aloud to her family and it is easy to imagine how much laughter there must have been in the Austen household when Jane shared some of these very silly, but very funny works with her parents and siblings.
July 30, 2025
This was my first time reading any of Jane Austen’s juvenilia (besides
Lady Susan
) and I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
Love & Freindship
5 stars. Okay, I was not prepared for this. It’s hysterical. Austen is clearly lampooning popular romance novels of the time, with all their drama and poor morals. But I think there’s almost some fourteen-year-old poor writing involved, which is quite encouraging to me because it’s very similar to what I was writing at fourteen. The very first letters made me laugh out loud, with the wildly drawn out knocking scene, and I must have looked crazy that week, walking through my neighbourhood and laughing aloud. Because that wasn’t the only funny part! The romance was ludicrous, and the characters all acted absolutely idiotically. Austen’s sarcasm as she portrayed them stealing virtuously and refusing to marry on principal because their parents told them too… it was just killing, especially when contracted, as aforementioned, to popular romances. The ending is particularly hilarious with the ridiculous deaths and Sophia’s parting instruction…
“My beloved Laura (said she to me a few Hours before she died) take warning from my unhappy End and avoid the imprudent conduct which had occasioned it... Beware of fainting-fits... Though at the time they may be refreshing and agreable yet beleive me they will in the end, if too often repeated and at improper seasons, prove destructive to your Constitution... My fate will teach you this.. I die a Martyr to my greif for the loss of Augustus.. One fatal swoon has cost me my Life.. Beware of swoons Dear Laura.... A frenzy fit is not one quarter so pernicious; it is an exercise to the Body and if not too violent, is I dare say conducive to Health in its consequences—Run mad as often as you chuse; but do not faint—”
These were the last words she ever addressed to me.. It was her dieing Advice to her afflicted Laura, who has ever most faithfully adhered to it.
I have to give this a solid 5 stars. It’s just too funny.
Lesley Castle: An Unfinished Novel in Letters
3 stars. I didn’t find this one quite as amusing, or hugely interesting, because it was a little more serious than the first story. But it was funny, and I wish it had been finished after all!
The History of England: From the reign of Henry the 4th to the death of Charles the 1st, by a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian
5 stars. As a history buff—an English history buff—I adored this. SO many inside jokes (as inside as history can get, anyhow) and so palpably sarcastic. I couldn't stop laughing. It was glorious.
A Collection of Letters + The Female Philosopher
3 stars. Amusing and sarcastic, as always, but not hugely interesting. There’s bits and pieces that are quite delightful but overall the stories didn’t make much impression on me. I enjoyed seeing names from Austen’s future works though!
The First Act of a Comedy
3.5 stars. I don’t know what Austen was going for here but absolutely unhinged, and straight-up FUNNY. I like to think she wrote it for her siblings to put on and amuse the family.
A Letter from a Young Lady + A Tour Through Wales
3 stars. The first letter is quite startling and bleeds sarcasm. The second one was silly, but not quite as striking.
A Tale
3 stars. Super short but quite unhinged. Try it.
Henry & Eliza
3 stars. I had no idea why this is called Henry & Eliza, because I couldn't find a Henry at all. (Eventually, after rereading, I realized Cecil's first name was actually Henry, but that hardly figures in the story, so I don't feel that I'm much to blame for the oversight.) Anyways, in typical Austen juvenilia style, it's a satirical parody full of sharp humour and shrewd ridicule. Rather too silly for my taste, but rather amusing still.
Frederic & Elfrida
3 stars. I feel sorry for Jane that her early writings are available to the world, but on the other hands she might be pleased to know they're still amusing people. This is an absolutely wild little story, evidently sarcastic, full of double engagements, suicide, death threats, and fainting fits, reading like a parody of the terrible novels Catherine Morland would read!
Jack & Alice
2.7 stars (3/10 hearts). This was probably my least favourite of all Austen's juvenilia. While I know it's deeply satirical, Alice and her never-ending drinking really bugged me. Also, I couldn't figure out who Jack was. There were some really funny lines though, and I loved the ridicule Austen gives to the funny little British town names. ;P
Edgar & Emma
3 stars. This is a very short little juvenilia story, but pretty funny, and deeply parodical. I was particularly amused by all the children's names and how Mrs. Wilmot casually goes through all her children's wildly varying locations—it reminds me of my own early writing!
Evelyn
3 stars. This was almost too ridiculous to bear! It's the story of a young man who falls madly in love with a village, and meets some overly generous people who are simply thrilled to give him their house (and eldest daughter as wife), and then his crazy adventures. I enjoyed seeing a glimpse of Austen's early manuscripts, including spelling, erasing, and abbreviations, and, as usual, there was some good humour.
The Three Sisters
3 stars. This reminded me a little of Pride & Prejudice, somehow... like a grotesque parody or something. Austen did a good job satirizing marriages, specifically those solely for money and status. I enjoyed the humour, as always.
Catherine, or, The Bower
3 stars. I actually found this one somewhat long and boring, but probably only because I expected it to be short. It felt like an early parody of Northanger Abbey in some things, though there was no Henry Tilney to make things better. I did quite enjoy the satirical portrayal of dandified gentlemen of the period, and the humour; also this story was quite well developed for a juvenilia and the characters were rather amusing.
I don’t know what Austen would think of us reading these now, but I assure her I’m so glad we can. They’re hilarious, and super clever, and quite inspiring to the young writer. I’m so glad I read these.
Love & Freindship
5 stars. Okay, I was not prepared for this. It’s hysterical. Austen is clearly lampooning popular romance novels of the time, with all their drama and poor morals. But I think there’s almost some fourteen-year-old poor writing involved, which is quite encouraging to me because it’s very similar to what I was writing at fourteen. The very first letters made me laugh out loud, with the wildly drawn out knocking scene, and I must have looked crazy that week, walking through my neighbourhood and laughing aloud. Because that wasn’t the only funny part! The romance was ludicrous, and the characters all acted absolutely idiotically. Austen’s sarcasm as she portrayed them stealing virtuously and refusing to marry on principal because their parents told them too… it was just killing, especially when contracted, as aforementioned, to popular romances. The ending is particularly hilarious with the ridiculous deaths and Sophia’s parting instruction…
“My beloved Laura (said she to me a few Hours before she died) take warning from my unhappy End and avoid the imprudent conduct which had occasioned it... Beware of fainting-fits... Though at the time they may be refreshing and agreable yet beleive me they will in the end, if too often repeated and at improper seasons, prove destructive to your Constitution... My fate will teach you this.. I die a Martyr to my greif for the loss of Augustus.. One fatal swoon has cost me my Life.. Beware of swoons Dear Laura.... A frenzy fit is not one quarter so pernicious; it is an exercise to the Body and if not too violent, is I dare say conducive to Health in its consequences—Run mad as often as you chuse; but do not faint—”
These were the last words she ever addressed to me.. It was her dieing Advice to her afflicted Laura, who has ever most faithfully adhered to it.
I have to give this a solid 5 stars. It’s just too funny.
Lesley Castle: An Unfinished Novel in Letters
3 stars. I didn’t find this one quite as amusing, or hugely interesting, because it was a little more serious than the first story. But it was funny, and I wish it had been finished after all!
The History of England: From the reign of Henry the 4th to the death of Charles the 1st, by a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian
5 stars. As a history buff—an English history buff—I adored this. SO many inside jokes (as inside as history can get, anyhow) and so palpably sarcastic. I couldn't stop laughing. It was glorious.
A Collection of Letters + The Female Philosopher
3 stars. Amusing and sarcastic, as always, but not hugely interesting. There’s bits and pieces that are quite delightful but overall the stories didn’t make much impression on me. I enjoyed seeing names from Austen’s future works though!
The First Act of a Comedy
3.5 stars. I don’t know what Austen was going for here but absolutely unhinged, and straight-up FUNNY. I like to think she wrote it for her siblings to put on and amuse the family.
A Letter from a Young Lady + A Tour Through Wales
3 stars. The first letter is quite startling and bleeds sarcasm. The second one was silly, but not quite as striking.
A Tale
3 stars. Super short but quite unhinged. Try it.
Henry & Eliza
3 stars. I had no idea why this is called Henry & Eliza, because I couldn't find a Henry at all. (Eventually, after rereading, I realized Cecil's first name was actually Henry, but that hardly figures in the story, so I don't feel that I'm much to blame for the oversight.) Anyways, in typical Austen juvenilia style, it's a satirical parody full of sharp humour and shrewd ridicule. Rather too silly for my taste, but rather amusing still.
Frederic & Elfrida
3 stars. I feel sorry for Jane that her early writings are available to the world, but on the other hands she might be pleased to know they're still amusing people. This is an absolutely wild little story, evidently sarcastic, full of double engagements, suicide, death threats, and fainting fits, reading like a parody of the terrible novels Catherine Morland would read!
Jack & Alice
2.7 stars (3/10 hearts). This was probably my least favourite of all Austen's juvenilia. While I know it's deeply satirical, Alice and her never-ending drinking really bugged me. Also, I couldn't figure out who Jack was. There were some really funny lines though, and I loved the ridicule Austen gives to the funny little British town names. ;P
Edgar & Emma
3 stars. This is a very short little juvenilia story, but pretty funny, and deeply parodical. I was particularly amused by all the children's names and how Mrs. Wilmot casually goes through all her children's wildly varying locations—it reminds me of my own early writing!
Evelyn
3 stars. This was almost too ridiculous to bear! It's the story of a young man who falls madly in love with a village, and meets some overly generous people who are simply thrilled to give him their house (and eldest daughter as wife), and then his crazy adventures. I enjoyed seeing a glimpse of Austen's early manuscripts, including spelling, erasing, and abbreviations, and, as usual, there was some good humour.
The Three Sisters
3 stars. This reminded me a little of Pride & Prejudice, somehow... like a grotesque parody or something. Austen did a good job satirizing marriages, specifically those solely for money and status. I enjoyed the humour, as always.
Catherine, or, The Bower
3 stars. I actually found this one somewhat long and boring, but probably only because I expected it to be short. It felt like an early parody of Northanger Abbey in some things, though there was no Henry Tilney to make things better. I did quite enjoy the satirical portrayal of dandified gentlemen of the period, and the humour; also this story was quite well developed for a juvenilia and the characters were rather amusing.
I don’t know what Austen would think of us reading these now, but I assure her I’m so glad we can. They’re hilarious, and super clever, and quite inspiring to the young writer. I’m so glad I read these.
June 30, 2016
This is another one of Janu Austen's short stories told in the form of letters. This was written when Austen was much younger and I think this really shows in the quality of the writing.
There seemed to be very little plot to this story and I found it very boring. Despite being really short it is a very slow read as so little happens. You can really tell that this was written by a younger Austen as it feels very immature. The characters seemed to do a lot of giggling and fainting and came off as very immature and not like the main characters we are used to seeing in Austen's books.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this novel as it is not of the same standard as Austen's other works although that is to be expected as she wrote this when she was very young.
There seemed to be very little plot to this story and I found it very boring. Despite being really short it is a very slow read as so little happens. You can really tell that this was written by a younger Austen as it feels very immature. The characters seemed to do a lot of giggling and fainting and came off as very immature and not like the main characters we are used to seeing in Austen's books.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this novel as it is not of the same standard as Austen's other works although that is to be expected as she wrote this when she was very young.
November 16, 2016
«onde aprendeste tamanho despropósito e palavreado? Suspeito que tenhas andado a ler romances!»
Quando penso que Jane Austen escreveu este livro com apenas 15 anos e pondero na audácia e inteligência envolvidas em tal feito, na sua capacidade de ver mais além, de ultrapassar convenções e conveniências sociais, expondo-as ao ridículo, parece-me que não merece menos de cinco estrelas. No entanto, olhando para o livro objectivamente, pelo trabalho literário que é, não me parece justo passar das três estrelas.
Amor e Amizade é uma sátira que realça a hipocrisia da adolescência e toda a (complexa) manipulação envolvida. Diverti-me com a narrativa, estou satisfeita por ter mais um livro de Jane Austen terminado, mas não é um livro que recomende livremente.
Quando penso que Jane Austen escreveu este livro com apenas 15 anos e pondero na audácia e inteligência envolvidas em tal feito, na sua capacidade de ver mais além, de ultrapassar convenções e conveniências sociais, expondo-as ao ridículo, parece-me que não merece menos de cinco estrelas. No entanto, olhando para o livro objectivamente, pelo trabalho literário que é, não me parece justo passar das três estrelas.
Amor e Amizade é uma sátira que realça a hipocrisia da adolescência e toda a (complexa) manipulação envolvida. Diverti-me com a narrativa, estou satisfeita por ter mais um livro de Jane Austen terminado, mas não é um livro que recomende livremente.
April 7, 2018
I was going to give this two and a half stars but it's Jane Austen (I know that's cheating a bit). While this novel was not her best ("Emma" "Pride & Prejudice") it was certainly not her worst ("Lady Susan"). There are some humorous parts with extremely clever dialogue which reminds the reader as to why Jane Austen is the literary icon that she is. While I wouldn't highly recommend this one it was a decent read and anyone who is an avid Jane Austen fan such as myself will appreciate it.
May 23, 2017
I don't think I've ever read something so stupid.
November 25, 2025
"I glory in the Act—. It is my greatest boast that I have incurred the displeasure of my Father!”
〰️
"Ah! what could we do but what we did! We sighed and fainted on the sofa."
This feels like a Shakespeare monologue.
Austen’s early satire is unhinged in the best way.
Laura faints like it’s her part-time job, logic dies on page one, and every emotion is dialed up to “dramatic Victorian peacock.” It’s Austen mocking every over-the-top sentimental novel before her, and honestly? She eats. Pure nonsense, pure comedy, pure genius.
In addition to that each letter gets longer and longer.
The story is true to Austen's description-“Deceived in Freindship and Betrayed in Love.”
〰️
"Ah! what could we do but what we did! We sighed and fainted on the sofa."
This feels like a Shakespeare monologue.
Austen’s early satire is unhinged in the best way.
Laura faints like it’s her part-time job, logic dies on page one, and every emotion is dialed up to “dramatic Victorian peacock.” It’s Austen mocking every over-the-top sentimental novel before her, and honestly? She eats. Pure nonsense, pure comedy, pure genius.
In addition to that each letter gets longer and longer.
The story is true to Austen's description-“Deceived in Freindship and Betrayed in Love.”
March 25, 2018
I've always seen Jane Austen as an intimidating author, not from her style but by how everyone raves about her. She is the supposed grandmother of romantic drama, better known as chick lit, and most people say she is their favourite author for a number of reasons. I have never read anything of hers before nor have I seen any of the movie adaptions from her works, I did dabble in Emma for my High School course but at the time I found the book so thick that I knew there was no way I was going to be able to get through it at sixteen (I can even quote my teacher, "I was made to read this book in High School and I hated the thing, it wasn't until I went back to it in my adult life, maybe more than ten years later, that I truly felt I could appreciate Emma"). I have set myself a personal challenge this year to complete a number of specific books, and I have chosen Emma to be the one 'I should have read in school'. Before I tackle it though, I needed to know if I could do it, so I did some research on how best to start with Jane Austen and found this.
Love And Freindship (Not Love and Friendship - but we'll let the Goodreads librarians continue to argue this) is such a delightful read, It's hilarious! The character is such a drama queen you want to slap your forehead at all of her antics, but how she tells her story and brushes over things in her ansy pansy way is what makes this such a great book. Jane Austen makes fun of the cliches of romantic fiction centuries before they were ever considered cliche, she's a genius! Do you remember the fainting damsel trope? well, I do say it appears on almost every page.
I took away a star for the execution of the letters. I just didn't understand who was writing to who in the initial stages and it was rather confusing. Once the narrative starts however, it runs much better although still in letter form.
The character Laura is asked to write about her life in a serious of letters to her best friends daughter, more or less to warn her about the harshness of the world from a woman who has "simply had it the worst". She details how she fell in love and was LITERALLY married to the man of her dreams from their second sentence, how she's whisked away to his abode, only to have his sister hate her, then her husband dies! Conveniently her parents die three weeks after she is married and gone so naturally there should be money left to her, or is there? The antics that this woman and her 'best friend, not best friend' Sophie get up to on their quest are hilarious! They need money but they can't bare to carry a large sum around so will just spend it on silver buckles. The ending is gold, so I won't spoil it here, I'll only say that the mind of this then fourteen-year-old author is a gifted mind indeed. I may actually be able to sit through the two-page description of Emma's bouquet of flowers now.
Love And Freindship (Not Love and Friendship - but we'll let the Goodreads librarians continue to argue this) is such a delightful read, It's hilarious! The character is such a drama queen you want to slap your forehead at all of her antics, but how she tells her story and brushes over things in her ansy pansy way is what makes this such a great book. Jane Austen makes fun of the cliches of romantic fiction centuries before they were ever considered cliche, she's a genius! Do you remember the fainting damsel trope? well, I do say it appears on almost every page.
I took away a star for the execution of the letters. I just didn't understand who was writing to who in the initial stages and it was rather confusing. Once the narrative starts however, it runs much better although still in letter form.
The character Laura is asked to write about her life in a serious of letters to her best friends daughter, more or less to warn her about the harshness of the world from a woman who has "simply had it the worst". She details how she fell in love and was LITERALLY married to the man of her dreams from their second sentence, how she's whisked away to his abode, only to have his sister hate her, then her husband dies! Conveniently her parents die three weeks after she is married and gone so naturally there should be money left to her, or is there? The antics that this woman and her 'best friend, not best friend' Sophie get up to on their quest are hilarious! They need money but they can't bare to carry a large sum around so will just spend it on silver buckles. The ending is gold, so I won't spoil it here, I'll only say that the mind of this then fourteen-year-old author is a gifted mind indeed. I may actually be able to sit through the two-page description of Emma's bouquet of flowers now.
November 4, 2016
“This was too cruel, to unexpected a Blow to our Gentle Sensibility - we could not support it - we could only faint.”
I think I sprained both eyeballs from rolling them so hard and so frequently at this story. Which was most likely the point. Ms. Austen’s objective in writing this story at the tender age of fifteen was to convey that, for the most part, teenagers are kind of terrible. Or at least, that’s what I got from it. She made her point and made it well, but I can’t say that I enjoyed this story as much as the other five I’ve read by her. Lady Susan was a tasteful comedy of errors; Love and Freindship was over the top. The dramedy was strong with this one.
And no, I didn’t spell the title wrong.
I think I sprained both eyeballs from rolling them so hard and so frequently at this story. Which was most likely the point. Ms. Austen’s objective in writing this story at the tender age of fifteen was to convey that, for the most part, teenagers are kind of terrible. Or at least, that’s what I got from it. She made her point and made it well, but I can’t say that I enjoyed this story as much as the other five I’ve read by her. Lady Susan was a tasteful comedy of errors; Love and Freindship was over the top. The dramedy was strong with this one.
And no, I didn’t spell the title wrong.
February 12, 2022
aiii la jane adolescent<33 follia absoluta! esbojarrada! òbviament no és la seva obra magna però és tan ella aaaa irònica i seca com sempre (literalment m’ha fet riure en veu alta) <3 realment, és tornar a llegir a aquesta dona i tornar a sentir-se viva, suposo. és que EL DRAMA. ningú ho fa com ella.
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June 23, 2025You know how people talk about the Gospel of Mark and it's "immediately"s and how the action moves so fast?
I felt like that with Love and Friendship. Everything was impossibly immediate ... but it was also silly - immediate love, immediate bosom friends, immediate travel .... There are no breaks in the action as told in letters.
A very fun romp. Silly and very teenage sarcasm and wit.
I read this as part of my review of Austen for the 250th anniversary of her birth in 2025 via The Complete Brontë Sisters and Jane Austen Collection: 14 Novels, Short Stories, Letters, & Poetry.
I felt like that with Love and Friendship. Everything was impossibly immediate ... but it was also silly - immediate love, immediate bosom friends, immediate travel .... There are no breaks in the action as told in letters.
A very fun romp. Silly and very teenage sarcasm and wit.
I read this as part of my review of Austen for the 250th anniversary of her birth in 2025 via The Complete Brontë Sisters and Jane Austen Collection: 14 Novels, Short Stories, Letters, & Poetry.
February 22, 2022
I'm so lucky I didn't read this in middle school so my one sided rivalry with Mary "Reinvented Horror at 19 Years Old" Shelley wasn't made worse by knowing Austen was somehow a master of satire even younger? Genuinely laughed out loud multiple times while reading a classic which almost never happens to me.
Anyways, then the reviewer fainted.
Anyways, then the reviewer fainted.
June 21, 2021
Despite this being short, it was super good and I liked it.
February 5, 2018
When I consider that Jane Austen wasn't even 15 years old yet when she wrote this, it is an amazing book. It doesn't take long to catch onto the fact that this is biting SATIRE- from a 14-year-old!- mocking over-melodramatic romance novels.
It starts as a letter from Isabel to her dear friend Laura, begging her to disclose the unhappy story of her life to her daughter Marianne as a cautionary tale. Laura complies in a series of letters to Marianne, and a more convoluted life history would be hard to imagine.
A recurrent theme throughout the letters indicates that the circumstance least likely to result in compliance from an offspring is for a father to suggest marriage to someone. So, although Edward's father wishes him to marry Lady Dorothea, Edward immediately runs off and marries Laura instead. When his sister Augusta also disapproves, the couple go to the home of his best friend, Augustus, who is married to Sophia. Sophia and Laura become close friends. The two ladies spend much of the rest of the book fainting and swooning and running mad over one tragedy or another.
I couldn't keep up with the bizarre weaving and bobbing of the plot, with numerous characters appearing and disappearing and then reappearing later in unlikely circumstances. It's all very Tragic and Sorrowful and surely Miss Marianne will have learned to walk the Strait and Narrow after reading all the Horrible Things that happened to Laura and her friends during this period of her life.
This is by no means up to the quality of Jane Austen's most revered works. I expect she would be mortified to know that it was ever published, since it was composed as an amusement for only her immediate family to read. Her sharp sense of humor shines through, as does her clever dialogue. However, it demonstrates only the author's potential, not her mastery.
It starts as a letter from Isabel to her dear friend Laura, begging her to disclose the unhappy story of her life to her daughter Marianne as a cautionary tale. Laura complies in a series of letters to Marianne, and a more convoluted life history would be hard to imagine.
A recurrent theme throughout the letters indicates that the circumstance least likely to result in compliance from an offspring is for a father to suggest marriage to someone. So, although Edward's father wishes him to marry Lady Dorothea, Edward immediately runs off and marries Laura instead. When his sister Augusta also disapproves, the couple go to the home of his best friend, Augustus, who is married to Sophia. Sophia and Laura become close friends. The two ladies spend much of the rest of the book fainting and swooning and running mad over one tragedy or another.
I couldn't keep up with the bizarre weaving and bobbing of the plot, with numerous characters appearing and disappearing and then reappearing later in unlikely circumstances. It's all very Tragic and Sorrowful and surely Miss Marianne will have learned to walk the Strait and Narrow after reading all the Horrible Things that happened to Laura and her friends during this period of her life.
This is by no means up to the quality of Jane Austen's most revered works. I expect she would be mortified to know that it was ever published, since it was composed as an amusement for only her immediate family to read. Her sharp sense of humor shines through, as does her clever dialogue. However, it demonstrates only the author's potential, not her mastery.
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