The Life of the Author - Jane Austen

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This book offers a fresh perspective on Jane Austen's life through her letters, presenting a literary-biographical journey that reframes her well-known story with evidence. Author Catherine Delafield employs a non-linear approach, exploring three key frames of Austen's literary life: family, correspondents, and fiction. This method opens new pathways for interpreting life writing about one of England's most beloved novelists. Delafield examines various aspects of Austen's epistolary practice, highlighting how her letters, juvenile writings, and unpublished works intersect with both biography and fiction. The text emphasizes the evolving perception of women's correspondence as a personal record, particularly focusing on Cassandra Austen's role in editing her sister's letters. It begins with selected readings from Austen's letters and a discussion of the family's portrayal of her life. Subsequent chapters delve into her female correspondents, the structure and content of her letters, and how these elements reflect her lived experiences. The book also discusses the letters' role in supplementing Austen's fiction, framing them as conversations rather than mere autobiographical tools. It includes a chronology using letters as landmarks, tables of surviving letters, and family trees. This work is ideal for undergraduate and graduate courses on novels, women's writing, and life writing, as well as for general readers seeking new