Jane Austen: Seven Novels [Deluxe Edition] [Leather Bound]

Jane Austen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: 2007

In a publishing career that spanned less than a decade, Jane Austen used the romantic endeavours of her well-plotted characters as a stage from which to address issues of gender politics and class-consciousness rarely expressed in her day. The novels included in this beautiful leatherbound collection, "Sense and Sensibility", "Pride and Prejudice", "Mansfield Park", "Emma", "Northanger Abbey", "Persuasion" and "Lady Susan", represent all of Austen's mature work as a novelist and provide the reader with an introduction to the world she and her memorable characters inhabited. "Jane Austen: Seven Novels" is part of "Barnes & Noble"'s series of quality leatherbound volumes. Each title in the series presents a classic work in an attractively designed edition bound in genuine bonded leather. These books make elegant additions to any home library.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Jane Austen's delightful, carefully wrought novels of manners remain surprisingly relevant, nearly 200 years after they were first published. Her novels, including Pride and Prejudice and Emma, are those rare books that offer us a glimpse at the mores of a specific period while addressing the complexities of love, honour and responsibility that still intrigue us today.

Product Details

• Leather Bound: 1232 pages
• Publisher: Barnes and Noble (2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 143510319X
• ISBN-13: 978-1435103191
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.6 x 2.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.8 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #89,145 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.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful book but did not hold up, October 22, 2009

By 

J. Le "meow" (CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Jane Austen: Seven Novels (Leather Bound)

I bought this book as soon as I saw it. It is beautiful. The page edges are painted gold. There is an attached gold ribbon. Unlike most hardcover books, the book was not glued to the center of the hardcover backing/binding. The book is held in place by the first and last page of the book. After 1.5 weeks of on and off reading, the book tore from the hardcover. Such a disappointment... The content is of course fantastic.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Beautifully bound book though print is small, July 27, 2009

By 

Zimminkie "Zimminkie" (TX, USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Jane Austen: Seven Novels (Leather Bound)

I am grateful to have this collective edition, which I later found at my local B&N for a little less than I paid for it on this site. However, it is beautifully bound and contains seven of Austen's novels, including the "big six." The only complaints I have are: 1) Re. the book itself--the print is a bit smaller than my poor middle-aged eyes are comfortable with. I definitely need reading glasses with this one. 2) The seller wrapped this relatively weighty and lovely book VERY POORLY...a book of this quality should be properly wrapped and prevented from moving and bumping around during shipping...as a result, one edge of the front cover is slightly bent (no big deal, it's just the principle of the matter) and upon opening, the book is slightly coming apart from its binding (fixable and not new to B&N special edition books). From this Amazon seller, the book came wrapped in an over-sized, thinly bubble-lined envelope. Don't recommend sending any books, much less any precious items of literature in this manner. Otherwise, I wish there were other/more publishers out there who would put together, in beautiful binding, classic authors' collective works, and make it affordable to the public. B&N currently has this market cornered.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Book -Not practical, December 12, 2010

By 

justme - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jane Austen: Seven Novels (Leather Bound)

I love this book it gives the pleasure of being able to go back and revisit whichever novel i feel like rereading at the moment. It is very beautiful and very well made. The letters are a bit smaller than i would like but not too bad. I bought this on another popular auction site brand new for a very good price and it was packaged amazingly thus its condition when arrived was perfect.

The only con that i can see to this book is how heavy it is. It weighs about 4 pounds and its difficult to find a position in which it is comfortable to read. Ultimately some body part ends up in pain (neck,wrists,back). I am young so i thought id be able to handle it but no i can read about one hour intervals at a time. Also because of its size its not very practical to carry around to read in a spare moment.

I would definately recommend this book because i think its benefits definately out weigh everything else. Its affordable has stunning presentation and is from a wonderful author.