Jane Austen's richly textured worlds have enchanted readers for centuries and this neatly
organised playful book provides Austen enthusiasts and students alike with a unique insight
into the much-loved writer's way with words. Using a lively A-Z structure Greaney provides
fresh angles on familiar Austen themes (D is for dance M is for matchmaking) casts light on
under-examined corners of her imagination (R is for risk S is for servant) and shows how
current social and cultural concerns are re-shaping our understanding of her work (Q is for
queer W is for West Indies). Through this approach we learn how attention to the tiniest
linguistic detail in Austen's work can yield rewarding new perspectives on the achievements of
one of our most celebrated authors. Sharply focused on textual detail but broad in scope it
broaches questions that like Austen's work will intrigue delight and inspire: Why are
children so marginal in her storylines? Who is the best exponent of matchmaking in her fiction?
Why are many of her female characters - but none of her heroines - called Jane? Providing a new
close-up encounter with one of our most celebrated writers this book invites a renewed
appreciation of the infinite subtlety and endless re-readability of a body of writing in which
every word counts.
