Jane Austen is perhaps the best-loved of all English novelists. Her knowledge of human nature is remarkable, and her awareness of the importance of class, money and appearances makes her a peculiarly modern author. She addresses the politics of dating, courtship and mating with an incisive intelligence that both foreshadows and outstrips romantic novels of today. Her teasing novels of gentle worldliness have been brought to new audiences by modern film and television productions.
