She lived in an age distinguished by its literary intimacies and exchanges; we cannot think of the so-called Romantic period without thinking of the networks of friendship among its leading writers. Jane Austen knew not a single notable author, even distantly. ... There are a couple of poignant passages in her letters where she looks forward to the possibility of meeting the poet George Crabbe -- then acknowledges that she has missed her chance of doing so. In his memoir, Henry Austen recalls a planned meeting with the French novelist and intellectual Germaine de Staël, which duly never took place.
from What Matters in Jane Austen? Twenty Crucial Puzzles Solved,
by John Mullan
by John Mullan
{We don't know if this is really a portrait of J.A. or not, but it suits my purposes. :)}
3 comments:
This book is on my Christmas list! I can't believe neither of our library systems has it.
Hi, Lisa May! It's a wonderful book! I'm reading it through NetGalley, though - I think it's coming out here in January. So maybe they will?
I was reading an excerpt of this in a Sunday paper a week or two ago and added it to the wishlist there and then. I love literary detective books. :)
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