Nevertheless, we have decided that Austen is the best. And maybe she is, in some ways. But if we’re using comparison as a tool for rating authors, it’s not difficult to flip that narrative. Austen paints with a smaller palette than Burney. She is not as moving as Radcliffe. She is less daring than Lennox. She has less conviction than Hannah More. She is less philosophical than Smith. She is not as witty as Inchbald. She doesn’t have as much heart as Piozzi. She lacks the depth of wisdom of Edgeworth. But does that change my love for Austen? Of course not. When we use comparison as a way to
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