The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen

Sep 21, 2026

Edited scholarly volume offering an up-to-date guide to Jane Austen’s works through two main lenses: her contemporary world and current critical discourse. Includes dedicated chapters on the novels, letters, and juvenile writings, alongside essays addressing religion, politics, class-consciousness, publishing practices, and domestic economy. Concludes with evaluations of Austen criticism’s history and her emergence as a literary cult figure, supported by a chronology and highlights of recent scholarship across diverse critical approaches.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryLiterature

FormatPDF

Pages269

Reading Time6 h 54 min

AccessFree to download

Contents

Chronology of Jane Austen's life

The professional woman writer

Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice

Mansfield Park, Emma, Persuasion

The short fiction

The letters

Class

Money

Religion and politics

Style

Jane Austen and literary traditions

Austen cults and cultures

Further reading

Index

# THE CAMBRIDGE COMPANION T0 JANE AUSTEN Edited by Edward Copelandand Juliet McMaster Leading scholars present a comprehensive and up-to-date guide toJane Austen's works in the contexts of her contemporary world,andof present-day critical discourse.Beside discussions of Austen's novelsand letters there are essays on religion,politics,class-consciousness,publishing practices,domestic economy,style in the novels and thesignificance of her juvenile works.A chronology provides biograph-ical information,and assessments of the history of Austen criticismhighlight the most recent studies in a vast field of critical diversity.Chronology of Austen's life DEIRDRE LE FAYEThe professional woman writer JAN FERGUsNorthanger Abbey,Sense and Sensibility,Pride and PrejudiceRACHELM.BROWNSTEIN Mansfield Park,Emma,Persuasion jOHN WILTSHIREThe short fiction MARGARETANNE DooDYThe letters CAROL HOULIHAN FLYNNClass JULIET MCMASTERMoney EDWARD COPELANDReligion and politics GARY KELLYStyle JoHN F.BURROws Jane Austen and literary traditions ISOBELGRUNDYAusten cults and cultures CLAUDIAL.JOHNSONFurther reading BRUCE STOVELCoverillustration:Samuel Colman,St James's Fair.By permission of Bristol Museums and Art GalleryCAMBRIDGEISBN 0-521-49867-8UNIVERSITY PRESS In The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen leading scholars from aroundthe world present Austen's works in two broad contexts:that of hercontemporary world,and that of present-day critical discourse.Besidediscussions of Austen's novels there are essays on religion,politics,class-consciousness,publishing practices,and domestic economy,which describethe world in which Austen lived and wrote.More traditional issues for literaryanalysis are then addressed:style in the novels,Austen's letters as literaryproductions,and the stylistic significance of her juvenile works.The volumeconcludes with assessments of the history of Austen criticism and the develop-ment of Austen as a literary cult-figure;it provides a chronology,andhighlights the most interesting recent studies of Austen in a vast field ofcontemporary critical diversity. # THE CAM BRID GECOMPA NION TO JANE AUSTEN # CAMBRIDGE COMPANIONS TO LITERATURE The Cambridge Companion to Danteedited by Rachel Jacoff The Cambridge Chaucer Companionedited by Piero Boitani and Jill Mann The Cambridge Companion to MedievalEnglish Theatreedited by Richard Beadle The Cambridge Companion to ShakespeareStudies edited by Stanley Wells The Cambridge Companion to EnglishRenaissance Drama edited by A.R.Braunmuller andMichael Hattaway The Cambridge Companion to EnglishPoetry,Donne to Marvelledited by Thomas N.Corns The Cambridge Companion to Miltonedited by Dennis Danielson The Cambridge Companion to BritishRomanticismedited by Stuart Curran The Cambridge Companion to James Joyceedited by Derek Attridge The Cambridge Companion to Ibsenedited by James McFarlane The Cambridge Companion to Brechtedited by Peter Thomason and Glendyr Sacks The Cambridge Companion to Old EnglishLiterature edited by Malcolm Godden andMichael Lapidge The Cambridge Companion to Beckettedited by John Pilling The Cambridge Companion to T.S.Eliotedited by A.David Moody The Cambridge Companion to RenaissanceHumanismedited by Jill Kraye The Cambridge Companion to JosephConrad edited by J.H.Stape The Cambridge Companion to Faulkneredited by Philip M.Weinstein The Cambridge Companion to Thoreauedited by Joel Myerson The Cambridge Companion to EdithWhartonedited by Millicent Bell The Cambridge Companion to Realism andNaturalismedited by Donald Pizer The Cambridge Companion to Twainedited by Forrest G.Robinson The Cambridge Companion to Whitmanedited by Ezra Greenspan The Cambridge Companion to Hemingwayedited by Scott Donaldson The Cambridge Companion to theEighteenth-Century Noveledited by John Richetti The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austenedited by Edward Copeland andJuliet McMaster THE CAMBRIDGECOMPANION TO # JANE AUSTEN EDITE

FAQs

What two broad contexts does the book use to study Jane Austen?

It examines Austen’s works both in the context of her contemporary world and in relation to present-day critical discourse.

Which topics beyond the novels are covered in the essays?

The essays address religion, politics, class-consciousness, publishing practices, domestic economy, and the significance of Austen’s juvenile works.

What supplementary materials does the volume include?

It includes a chronology of Austen’s life and assessments of the history of Austen criticism, highlighting recent studies.

Sep 21, 2026

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