
A Fine Brush on Ivory
An Appreciation of Jane Austen
Richard Jenkyns(Author)
Oxford University Press
Published in October 2004
Book
Hardback
240 pages
978-0-19-927661-5 (ISBN)
Description
What is it about Jane Austen's writing that brings such pleasure? There are good, even great novelists who are not good story-tellers, and there are highly gifted story-tellers who write thoroughly bad books. Jane Austen was both a very good story-teller and a great novelist. How did she do it? Was it all due to native talent? Or did she serve an apprenticeship to her craft, to learn from experience, and from the example of other writers? Richard Jenkyns' sparkling study delights in Austen's craft and wit. His deep reading of the novels illuminates the subtlety, depth and innovation that lies within them. He explores the development of her style, storytelling and characterization, her technical prowess, and her place in comparison with her contemporaries with a grace and wit worthy of the subject herself. All who read this book will come away with their admiration for Austen deepened, and their pleasure in her work enhanced.
Reviews / Votes
The book is written with great grace and elegance, and shows the development of [Austen's] genius as a storyteller. I felt that I knew a lot about her, but this book has given me new insights for which I'm grateful. P. D. James, Church Times Jenkyns is especially convincing when engaging critically, and at length, with D.W. Harding's famous distinction between 'character' and 'caricature' in the fiction... TLS A beautifully crafted essay. This is a small and elegant Christmas present for all enthusiasts. FT MagazineMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Oxford
United Kingdom
Target group
Anyone who has a passion for Jane Austen's books - general readers, students, and scholars
Dimensions
Height: 216 mm
Width: 138 mm
Thickness: 18 mm
Weight
369 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-19-927661-5 (9780199276615)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
RICHARD JENKYNS, Professor of the Classical Tradition, University of Oxford
Content
1. Beginnings; 2. The Shape of Comedy; 3. The Character of Character; 4. A Park With a View; 5. The Prisoner of Hartfield