A Portrait of Jane Austen (Penguin Classic Biography S.) - Softcover

The late 18th century world in which Jane Austen lived was one that combined good sense, elegant manners, intelligence and piety with a liberal dash of spirited fun. Drawing on Jane Austen's letters, novels and other people's memories of her, David Cecil sets out to 'reconstruct and depict her living personality and to explore it in relation to her art'. The portrait that emerges is of a clear-sighted, observant, strong-minded woman whose witty and ironic representation of her own society has delighted millions of readers for centuries. More than a literary biography, this is also a valuable contribution to social history.

Lord David Cecil CH, Hon LLD, D Litt (1902-1986) was Goldsmith Professor of English Literature at Oxford University. He is the author of many books on 19th century literature, including THE YOUNG MELBOURNE and LORD M, THE STRICKEN DEER and HARDY AS A NOVELIST.