The Complete Novels (Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition) [Deckle Edge] [Roughcut]

Jane Austen (Author), Karen Joy Fowler (Introduction)

Book Description

Release date: March 28, 2006

Now in Penguin Classics-a treasure trove of Jane Austen's novels

View our Austen-mania feature page here.

Few novelists have conveyed the subtleties and nuances of their own social milieu with the wit and insight of Jane Austen. Here in one volume are her seven great novels: Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Persuasion, and Lady Susan. Through her vivacious and spirited heroines and their circle, Austen vividly portrays English middle-class life as the eighteenth century came to a close and the nineteenth century began. Each of the novels is a love story and a story about marriage—marriage for love, for financial security, for social status. But they are not romances; ironic, comic, and wise, they are masterly evocations of the society Jane Austen observed. This beautiful volume covers the literary career of one of England’s finest prose stylists of any century.

• A Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition with French flaps and luxurious packaging
• Features the definitive Penguin Classics texts recommended by the Jane Austen Society
• New introduction by bestselling author of The Jane Austen Book Club Karen Joy Fowler

@DarcyLover1815 How come I got so hot and sticky under my petticoat when I danced with Knightley? Best not to think about it. Not. At. All.

From Twitterature: The World's Greatest Books in Twenty Tweets or Less

Watch a Video featuring The Complete Novels

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Collected together in one volume, The Complete Novels show the development of Austen as a writer and social commentator. From the early optimism and youthful energy of Northanger Abbey to the quiet and subtle art of Persuasion, this collection reveals the breadth of one of the best loved novelists of all time. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

"Eight hours longer even than Naxos' complete Sherlock Holmes, this has got to be the audiobook box set of the decade! All six complete major novels are read here in mellifluous and engagingly vital voices which – however many times you listen – instantly draw you into Jane Austen's world." -- Rachel Redford, The Observer

"Together for the first time, the complete and unabridged audio recordings of Jane Austen’s novels handsomely presented in a boxed set. Counting 69 CDs and running over 83 hours, this is the Holy Grail of Austen audio book recording as only Naxos could present with superb readings by Juliet Stevenson, Emilia Fox, and Anna Bentinck. Included are Austen's six major novels, the novella Lady Susan and her unfinished novels Sanditon and The Watsons. This is definitely the essential collector’s item. 'Nuff said!" -- Laurel Ann, Austenprose.wordpress.com --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Roughcut: 1278 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics; Deluxe Paperback edition (March 28, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0143039504
• ISBN-13: 978-0143039501
• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 2.1 x 9.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (220 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #476,299 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Though the domain of Jane Austen's novels was as circumscribed as her life, her caustic wit and keen observation made her the equal of the greatest novelists in any language. Born the seventh child of the rector of Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16, 1775, she was educated mainly at home. At an early age she began writing sketches and satires of popular novels for her family's entertainment. As a clergyman's daughter from a well-connected family, she had an ample opportunity to study the habits of the middle class, the gentry, and the aristocracy. At twenty-one, she began a novel called "The First Impressions" an early version of Pride and Prejudice. In 1801, on her father's retirement, the family moved to the fashionable resort of Bath. Two years later she sold the first version of Northanger Abby to a London publisher, but the first of her novels to appear was Sense and Sensibility, published at her own expense in 1811. It was followed by Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1815). After her father died in 1805, the family first moved to Southampton then to Chawton Cottage in Hampshire. Despite this relative retirement, Jane Austen was still in touch with a wider world, mainly through her brothers; one had become a very rich country gentleman, another a London banker, and two were naval officers. Though her many novels were published anonymously, she had many early and devoted readers, among them the Prince Regent and Sir Walter Scott. In 1816, in declining health, Austen wrote Persuasion and revised Northanger Abby, Her last work, Sandition, was left unfinished at her death on July 18, 1817. She was buried in Winchester Cathedral. Austen's identity as an author was announced to the world posthumously by her brother Henry, who supervised the publication of Northanger Abby and Persuasion in 1818.

Amazon Author Rankbeta 

(What's this?)

#9 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics

#91 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary

#96 in Books > Romance > Historical

#9 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Classics

#91 in Books > Literature & Fiction > Literary

#96 in Books > Romance > Historical

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

256 of 264 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent Complete Edition -- Penguin Classics Deluxe May 3, 2006

By wm.penn

Format:Roughcut

There are several complete editions on Amazon of Austen's novels, so I thought I would write a review recommending this one (the Penguin Classics Deluxe Edition). It lays open in your hand, has nice paper and high-quality paperback binding and cover, and it has perfectly sized type and wide inside margins. Other than the substantial size and weight (though it is not nearly as inconvenient as quarto-sized complete editions, such as the classic Sherlock Holmes), it is a perfect volume for those who are more interested in reading Austen than admiring how she looks on the shelf.

By contrast, the Modern Library hardcover edition (which I compared in person at the bookstore) has such a narrow inside margin that the reader must strain to read bent text or to force the binding to open more and the paper to lay flatter. Otherwise, it was a nice edition. For me, they ruined it by this simple mistake.

The leather bound edition from the Library of Literary Classics is a nice idea, and I have not seen it in person. I did notice, however, that the table of contents shows how little space they manage to squeeze Austen's novels into. It has far fewer pages than the Penquin Classics Deluxe Edition. When previewing the pages of text, this seems apparent in the very small type. As I said, I have not seen it in person, so I may be wrong, but it looks like it might be a strain to read, whereas the Penguin is quite comfortable. Hopefully Penguin will provide preview images soon so potential buyers can "Look Inside" and compare for themselves.

It is wonderful that there are so many editions of Austen to choose from. The choice is personal and subjective. I will spend many, many hours reading mine, so I chose the one that I thought would be the most comfortable. I do not want to fight the book -- I want it to disappear so that my imagination may wander unhindered with Jane's characters. I hope you enjoy the novels, whichever edition you choose.

393 of 413 people found the following review helpful

1.0 out of 5 stars Commentary Regarding Quality of Book July 10, 2002

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

This review is regarding the quality of the 1994 hardcover edition published by Grammercy. I ordered this edition several weeks ago and was extremely disappointed to find it was poor quality. The binding is acceptable when new but after a week of light use, I already noticed deterioration on the front binding. Actually the binding is so poor that, if not careful, you could easily tear some of the front pages out. The paper quality is cheap and is the same used for mass media paperbacks expect slightly thinner. Overall, I was so dissatisfied with this edition that I returned it.

However, I would also like to make a recommendation. After returning the book, I was still looking for collection of Austen's works and happened to find a 1995 hardcover edition of this exact book by Grammercy. The edition costs five dollars more but the quality is ten times better. The book has a faux leather cover with gold trimmed pages and a ribbon bookmark. The paper quality in thin but polished, smoother and more refined. The binding is very durable and I have noticed no deterioration yet after a week of use.

If I had to a chance to redo my purchases, I would have skipped this edition completely and ordered the 1995 edition. If your interested in this edition, it can be found using search under ISBN # 0517147688

75 of 75 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book - except for minor details February 21, 2001

By A Customer

Format:Hardcover

As a devoted reader of Jane Austen's novels, I thought this book was the answer to my prayers. Except for Sanditon, it contains all her novels, and it has a pleasing presentation.

But there are some details in this book that can become quite bothering. As I read Pride and Prejudice, I noticed that an entire line of a dialog between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet (the main characters) is omitted, and frankly, it is difficult to follow the conversation without that particular line. There are also many other mistakes in the text (i.e. 'becausee'). If you are too particular about this kind of errors (like me), maybe you should choose another book. If you don't really care about these things, it is a good choice.