Memoir of Jane Austen

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By Listen TheBook Posted on May 30, 2023

In Category - *Non-fiction, Biography & Autobiography

Authors: James Edward Austen-Leigh In Year : 1870

Book Language: English

Audiobook: Memoir of Jane Austen

Preface and Chapter 1: Introductory Remarks--Birth of Jane Austen--Her Family
Chapter 2: Description of Steventon--Life at Steventon--Changes of Habits and Customs in the last Century
Chapter 3: Early Compositions--Friends at Ashe--A very Old Letter--Lines on the Death of Mrs. Lefroy--Observations on Jane Austen's Letter-writing--Letters
Chapter 4: Removal from Steventon--Residence at Bath and at Southampton--Settling at Chawton
Chapter 5: Description of Jane Austen's person, character, and tastes
Chapter 6: Habits of Composition resumed after a long interval--First publication--The interest taken by the Author in the success of her Works
Chapter 7: Seclusion from the literary world--Notice from the Prince Regent--Correspondence with Mr. Clarke--Suggestions to alter her style of writing
Chapter 8: Slow growth of her fame--Ill success of first attempts at publication--Two Reviews of her works contrasted
Chapter 9: Opinions expressed by eminent persons--Opinions of others of less eminence--Opinion of American readers
Chapter 10: Observations on the Novels
Chapter 11: Declining health of Jane Austen--Elasticity of her spirits--Her resignation and humility--Her death
Chapter 12: The cancelled Chapter of 'Persuasion'
Chapter 13: The last work
Chapter 14: Postscript

"The Memoir of my Aunt, Jane Austen, has been received with more favour than I had ventured to expect. The notices taken of it in the periodical press, as well as letters addressed to me by many with whom I am not personally acquainted, show that an unabated interest is still taken in every particular that can be told about her. I am thus encouraged not only to offer a Second Edition of the Memoir, but also to enlarge it with some additional matter which I might have scrupled to intrude on the public if they had not thus seemed to call for it. In the present Edition, the narrative is somewhat enlarged, and a few more letters are added; with a short specimen of her childish stories. The cancelled chapter of ‘Persuasion’ is given, in compliance with wishes both publicly and privately expressed. A fragment of a story entitled ‘The Watsons’ is printed; p. iii and extracts are given from a novel which she had begun a few months before her death; but the chief addition is a short tale never before published, called ‘Lady Susan.’ {0a} I regret that the little which I have been able to add could not appear in my First Edition; as much of it was either unknown to me, or not at my command, when I first published; and I hope that I may claim some indulgent allowance for the difficulty of recovering little facts and feelings which had been merged half a century deep in oblivion." - James Edward Austen-Leigh in the Preface to Memoir of Jane Austen