For so many of us a Jane Austen novel is much more than the epitome of a great read. It is a delight and a solace, a challenge and a reward, and perhaps even an obsession. For two centuries Austen has enthralled readers. Few other authors can claim as many fans or as much devotion. So why are we so fascinated with her novels? What is it about her prose that has made Jane Austen so universally beloved?
Send an e-mail to rhpg@randomhouse.com and explain (in 500-1000 words) the significance Jane Austen has had on the literary world and in your own life, and you will be entered for the chance to win a signed copy of A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen, along with The Complete Novels of Jane Austen, volume 1 and The Complete Novels of Jane Austen, volume 2.
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I have always been fascinated by Jane Austen. The character imagery and the detail were always intriguing.
Because she’s brilliant, fun, understated, and always relevant. My students love her too!
Her social politics so brilliantly shed light on how people act toward each other even from hundreds of years in the past! She had unquestionable insight into human nature.