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A review by captainjemima
Selected Letters by Jane Austen
Did not finish book.
The Selected Letters of Jane Austen are indeed charming and a joy to read. The reason I abandoned this book is because it is VERY long... There are 161 letters, all of which come with explanatory notes, so it's like reading an in-depth novel. Most of the allusions in the letters, you wouldn't get without reading the explanatory notes.
I love Jane Austen's works, and I felt that this book gave an interesting insight into her life and relationship with Cassandra, her sister, but at the same time I felt I could never really know Jane Austen because the letters she received in reply were never recovered. There was always this element of "Oh well, you know me!" between her sister and herself, which puts the reader on the outside, because we could never know her.
I love Jane Austen's works, and I felt that this book gave an interesting insight into her life and relationship with Cassandra, her sister, but at the same time I felt I could never really know Jane Austen because the letters she received in reply were never recovered. There was always this element of "Oh well, you know me!" between her sister and herself, which puts the reader on the outside, because we could never know her.