Introduction

Jane Austen our contemporary.

Posted: 1 March 2008 (printer-friendly permalink)

Discussion:  (huh?)

These introductory chapters explore some of the most important critical studies of both the modern novel and Austen’s writing and is divided into three chapters.  The chapter on Sentimental Novels looks at the philosophical battleground that surrounded the development of the 18^th century novel, especially as they related to some of the sharp ethical problems exercising novelists and critics, problems that interested Austen and are of interest to us.  The Austen Criticism (I) and Austen Criticism (II) chapters look at the philosophical debates that run through all Austen criticism and argues that the novels must not be critiqued in isolation: any conclusion about the author’s intent that is not supported by all the novels should be treated with much suspicion, especially if it is contradicted by any of one of the novels.  It is the aim of this book to show that it is possible to find a clear and coherent philosophy that covers all of the novels.  The reader may skip or skim parts of the introduction but a familiarity with its material  will be needed to verify the arguments at the core of the book.

Copyright © 2007 Chris Dornan
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