Publisher's Synopsis
A Memoir of Jane Austen This biography of Jane Austen (1775-1817) was published in 1869 by her nephew James Edward Austen-Leigh. Austen-Leigh described his "dear Aunt Jane" as someone who wrote in her spare time and had no interest in being famous. Following the Victorian conventions of biography, it kept private information secret but family members disagreed over just how much should be revealed regarding Austen's romantic relationships. The Memoir introduced the public to the works of Jane Austen, generating interest in her novels in an era where her work had been read mainly by upper class, educated readers. Austen is known primarily for her novels which critique and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Her plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage in the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. With the publications of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815), she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1818, and began another, eventually titled Sanditon, but died before its completion. Austen has inspired a large number of critical essays and literary anthologies. Her use of biting irony, along with her realism and social commentary have earned her historical importance.
