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Jane Austen in 50 Words cover
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Pre-order. Available Oct 16 2025
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Description

What does Jane Austen mean when she writes approvingly of a character's 'gentility' and 'delicacy', or critically of another's 'indolence' and 'impertinence'? What are her characters doing when they take the measure of a person's 'air' and 'address'? These questions and more are answered in this Janeite treasure trove, which examines the distinctive language woven through Austen's signature stories.

Much of the language used in Austen's time has either fallen out of common use or changed valence in significant and surprising ways. Maria Frawley takes 50 of those words - words that are integral to the fabric of Austen's fiction - and explores them in short, accessible and lively entries.

With juicy morsels for lifelong Austen lovers as well as new students of the great writer, Frawley offers new perspectives on Austen's world, giving readers the tools to better understand her novels individually and as a whole.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements
Introduction

Address (and Air)
Agreeable, agreeableness
Amiable, amiability
Approbation
Character
Civility
Claim
Complaisance
Condescension
Consequence
Constancy
Countenance
Delicacy
Disposition
Ease
Elegance
Enthusiasm
Esteem
Exertion
Fancy
Felicity
Folly
Gentility
Gratitude
Honour
Impertinence
Improvement
Indifference
Indolence
Interest
Intimacy
Liberality
Liveliness
Manner
Natural
Obstinate
Persuasion
Propriety
Prudence
Recommendation
Reproach
Reserve
Sense
Sensibility
Society
Solicitude
Spirit
Understanding
Vanity (and Pride)
Worth

Works Cited
Index

Product details

Bloomsbury Academic Test
Published Oct 16 2025
Format Ebook (PDF)
Edition 1st
Extent 216
ISBN 9781350528222
Imprint Bloomsbury Academic
Publisher Bloomsbury Publishing

About the contributors

Author

Maria Frawley

Maria Frawley is a Professor of English at the Geo…

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