Love and Friendship: Annotated edition which includes Lesley Castle, A History of England, The Three Sisters, Catharine, A Collection of Letters and Lady Susan

by Jane Austen

These inventive and entertaining pieces display the early sparkles of wit and imagination of Jane Austen's mature fiction. Written when she was only in her teens, they are by turns amusing, acerbic and occasionally downright silly.
'Love and Friendship' and 'Lesley Castle' provide parodies of the gentry and the fashionable idea of sensibility of the time. 'A History of England' supplies us with a lively chronicle of English monarchic history. Also included in this collection are 'The Three Sisters', 'Catharine', the series of vignettes known as 'A Collection of Letters' and 'Lady Susan', an epistolary story which was recently adapted for the cinema. Taken together, these pieces display all the wry humour, shrewd observation and satirical insight of Emma or Pride and Prejudice.

Genres: Classics, Fiction, Short Stories, Romance, Adult, 18th Century, Historical Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

Published August 22, 2017

About the author

Jane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment upon the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage for the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Her works are an implicit critique of the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Her deft use of social commentary, realism and biting irony have earned her acclaim among critics and scholars.

The anonymously published Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1816), were a modest success but brought her little fame in her lifetime. She wrote two other novels—Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1817—and began another, eventually titled Sanditon, but died before its completion. She also left behind three volumes of juvenile writings in manuscript, the short epistolary novel Lady Susan, and the unfinished novel The Watsons.
Since her death Austen's novels have rarely been out of print. A significant transition in her reputation occurred in 1833, when they were republished in Richard Bentley's Standard Novels series (illustrated by Ferdinand Pickering and sold as a set). They gradually gained wide acclaim and popular readership. In 1869, fifty-two years after her death, her nephew's publication of A Memoir of Jane Austen introduced a compelling version of her writing career and supposedly uneventful life to an eager audience. Her work has inspired a large number of critical essays and has been included in many literary anthologies. Her novels have also inspired many films, including 1940's Pride and Prejudice, 1995's Sense and Sensibility and 2016's Love & Friendship.

Reviews

[midnightfaerie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Letter The FIRST is from
Mrs. M Faerie to M. Goodreads
Janry 1st -- 2016

My Dearest M. Goodreads,

I write this to you not in praise of a worthy book - though it is indeed worthy - but instead as a dire warning. I cannot in good conscience give you this warning beforehand, instead, for you to fully understand the necessity of said warning, I must start at the beginning.

My day began like most others, awakening in the Fae Manor to a quiet house long before the sun would kiss the clouds. But today, I was determined to put from my mind the chaos that was the abhorrent mess of a house that so vexed me brought about by my children and husband. Instead, I thought upon the precious time so allotted me this morn and sat before the hearth with this book, after starting a fire. My list of unread tomes were great, but these particular letters called to me in their brevity and in the hope of making progress of such said list for not only the sake of progress. Little more than one hundred pages, it could be said that I achieved that goal.

Miss Jane Austen in all her sensibility and charms makes good on her promise to entertain in all her somewhat five and ten years. So much so, that I, myself, felt as if I were once again of the same age. What only could be called a "true teenagers drama" of this age is readily apparent in these letters. From all the "misfortunes and adventures" to be had in life, to all the circumstances that one should "avoid the imputation of Obstinacy", these letters address it. Not only does Miss Austen pull you into her world of scandalous behavior and the sheer enjoyment of her writing but with the intensity of dramatic events, will leave your sensibilities being most severely tried. I, myself, felt faint quite often and had to revive myself justly thereafter. But herein is the warning. For those who have not the stern disposition of my fortitude, I implore you, leave this book alone! For as one of the characters shows us by continued fainting after the death of her beloved, doing so, especially in the chillings of the night air can cause violent pain in delicate limbs which will lead to death! Said character even uses her dying breath and last words to warn her best friend to beware the fainting spells, especially in one who has a gentle nature like herself! Well I steeled myself at this most important warning, and resolved not to be so affected in disposition to such maladies. I am happy to say I made it through the letters which I am enclosing, without further mishap.

But, dear reader, I leave you with this last bit of advice as well from an old woman of my one and forty years - Beware of fainting-fits whilst reading these letters!

In all good conscience it can now be said that I did all I could to diminish the probability of destruction to any and all constitutions. I am justified in the writing of this letter and refuse to be a martyr to my sorrow should you perish in the same manner. I wash my hands of the situation and will return to the fireside to continue with a different set of letters. Perhaps some continued reading of Wrath of Dragons, the fifth book in the series of George R. R. Martin, will be better for my disposition.

Affectionately yours,
M. Faerie

N.B. I must also make quick note of the history section of these letters. I concur with Miss Austen in her opinion that history is not at all droll but instead dull, lacking in affection and excitement, and with not enough women. Her account of a history lesson, although lacking in dates, points out sufficient information of the time. Another woman in my stature and age might say they find this passage highly amusing and very accurate of a viewpoint of a girl of this age, however, I will not deign to agree with this opinion, in that it is more desirable from an outwards appearance to coincide with Miss Austen's beliefs.

[Cal Jeannette · Rating 3 out of 5]

In order to enjoy this book, you have to know a few things. First, Jane Austen wrote this compilation of short stories between the age of 11-18 to entertain her family. The main stories were written when Jane was 14-15 years old. Moreover, the "Laura" story was written as a parody of the romantic notions of the time. I say this b/c when I started the book, I found the characters to be silly, foolish, overly-emotional, overly-dramatic nitwits. I couldn't believe this was Jane Austen, so I did some quick research. Having discovered that the characters were a parody of the cult of "sensibility" (susceptibility to feelings, emotionalism, sentimentalism), I enjoyed the stories much more. As one website put it: "Violent and overt emotions substitute for morality and common sense. Characters who have this "sensibility" fall into each other's arms weeping the first time they ever meet, and on suffering any misfortune are too preoocupied with indulging their emotions to take any effective action. They use their fine feelings as the excuse for any misdeeds, and despise characters without such feelings." Knowing the historical and cultural context made me truly enjoy and appreciate all of the stories. Quite clever and funny for such a young writer. A quick and fun read for Jane Austen fans.

[Mariah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This ain’t it chief.
Stick with the classic novels.

[Vaishali · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a rule, I'm confounded by Austen novels, but decided to pick up one of her shortest and give it a whirl. Mistake! I didn't get this one either: I found it heart-wrenchingly tragic, but per Wikipedia she wrote it at age 14 to mock romance books.

I henceforth return to relishing Austen via British cinema, and blame my sappiness here straight on Bollywood :)

[Martha · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane Austen's juvenilia. The first of them written at age 14. The sharp eye for what's really happening, the ear for dialog, the unfailing BS meter, the wit that goes to the bone, the rapier-edged turns of phrase, the snobs, the buccaneers, the fortune-hunting jilters, even the names that will reappear attached to some of the most memorable characters in Eng lit--Dashwood, Annesley, Crawford, Willoughby. You can glimpse the incipient Lady Catherine, Lydia Bennett, Mrs. John Dashwood, lots of fun.

A short book. All epistolary--some just single letters--as Faye Weldon says in the intro, they're short stories all by themselves. Fascinating to think about how Austen decided she could get closer to what she wanted when she changed the first epistolary draft of P&P into an omniscient author narrative. And put in a few characters of principle and sense around whom the chaos could swirl. Don't you wish we had a diary that explained some of that.

If you know Austen and want to see how she got started, this is a great find.

[Jersy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have probably enjoyed this more if I was more familiar with 18th century literature, which these pieces are satire of.
There were some stories I found to be really funny and enjoyable, like The Three Sisters, History of England and Frederic and Elfrida, but for some of the stories, I just failed to see the point. A lot of them are unfinished, too, so that is also a reason they didn't totally work for me.
However, all of the stories had at the very least some lines that made me smile and Austen's writing is already really good.
My edition also has wonderful extra material about her life and works, which I loved but won't influence my rating of the actual book.

Not a book for everyone, but if you're a fan of Austen and/or 18th century literature, it's worth checking out.

[Lita · Rating 3 out of 5]

No writer has become truly great without a lot of practice runs. If you want to know what Jane Austen was writing in her teens, this book is a must-read. It's a collection of various shorter and longer pieces - stories that sometimes seem over-the-top exaggerations of societal and individual happenings. Although we can clearly see the wit and wisdom of the writer she is to become, these works are much more silly and naive. It's an interesting read that might be useful for aspiring young writers. 

[Daiva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I guess I would give it 3 stars if it was any other author. But for Jane Austen... I just can't force myself to do it. So let's call this very strong 3 and give it 4 :) Cheating I know.

[Franci · Rating 4 out of 5]

#49 of 2021

[Ana · Rating 3 out of 5]

After being a little disappointed with Austen's The Beautifull Cassandra, I was hesitant to try her more of her juvenilia, but this collection alleviated that fear. I can assure you dear, sensible readers that all three stories are delightfully bonkers.

In Love and Friendship , our heroine Laura marries Edward against his father’s wishes, thus forcing the lovers to run away. Laura’s fate is overwrought with the dangers of loving and swooning too much so naturally several sudden and inexplicable deaths ensue. I was personally affected with the fate of Augustus, friend to Edward and husband to Sophia. When the two best friends reunite, Laura remarks:

Never did I see such an affecting Scene as was the meeting of Edward and Augustus.
"My Life! my Soul!" (exclaimed the former) "My adorable angel!" (replied the latter) as they flew into each other's arms. It was too pathetic for the feelings of Sophia and myself—We fainted alternately on a sofa.

I can’t help but feel that Austen’s talents would have been better served by presenting the backstory of this friendship, but alas ‘twas not to be.

Mary, the heroine of The Three Sisters , ways the pros and cons of accepting an offer from a detestable, rich man, who threatens to propose to her sisters should she refuse him.

Finally, on a more serious note, A Collection of Letters show five stories through letters regarding horrid chaperones, tyrannical relations, courtship and elopement.

[Marcus Gasques · Rating 4 out of 5]

Três fatos surpreendentes acompanham a leitura desse pequeno livro, composto de textos escritos no estilo epistolar. As histórias são contadas através da troca de cartas entre os personagens, ou apenas pela reunião das mensagens enviadas por um deles a outro.

A primeira é que Jane Austen era apenas uma adolescente quando escreveu essa obra. A segunda é que os manuscritos ficaram inéditos por décadas, até que um parente decidiu por sua publicação. Por fim, parece incrível que, naquela idade, a autora já tivesse uma visão tão crítica das hipocrisias da sociedade. Ela é impiedosa ao retratar o comportamento fútil de homens e mulheres de seu tempo.

Ri muito durante a leitura. Pena que os contos deixem espaços vazios, situações inconclusas e tenham desfechos abruptos. Mas é uma leitura essencial para conhecer as bases da grande autora que Jane Austen viria a ser.

[Petra · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing Emma, I really wanted to read more Austen's brilliant writing and decided to reread this collection of her juvenilia. These hilarious little stories, told in letter form, never bring me down. They are definitely a good pick when wanting to laugh and enjoy a little, thrilling adventure. It is incredible how witty Jane Austen already was in her teenage years and I always enjoy going back to these little stories. These stories were actually my introduction to Jane Austen when I was younger and I really think if you haven't ever read anything by Jane Austen, this might be a fun and easy way to get to know her better as a writer.

[Kuszma · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tegnapi Austen-értékelésemet Gilmore girls-szel kezdtem, ma meg a közgazdász Pikettyvel nyitok, hisz így szimmetrikus. Hogy jön ide ez az úr? Hát úgy, hogy amikor a XVIII-XIX. század Angliájának gazdaságáról beszél, Piketty egyik legfőbb hivatkozási pontja Austen kisasszony, mert a regényeiben található összegek alapján elképesztően pontosan le lehet képezni a mikrovilág gazdasági viszonyait – tökéletesen ábrázolja, hogy él a tanító évi 20 fontból, és mennyit jelent évi 3000 font évjáradék. Ami kiválóan illusztrálja, milyen mindent látó szemmel elemezte környezetét Austen, és milyen pontosan jelenítette meg azokat regényeiben. Persze ez a „mindent látás” azért viszonylagos, hiszen csak az úriemberek és úriasszonyok világára terjedt ki, az inast már nem látta olyan élesen, a parasztot pedig szinte egyáltalán nem – de így is elmondhatjuk róla, hogy a maga rendkívül széles, sokszínű osztályskáláján (ami a segédlelkésztől a Lordig terjedt) szinte mindent megfigyelt, ami megfigyelésre érdemes. Látta az eladó lányok szinte rezervátumi elzártságát, amiből csak egy jó házassággal lehetett kiszökni, a kérők szimpátiájáért vívott selymes háborúkat, és látta az urakat is, akik bizonytalanul tévelyegnek a romantikus szobabelsőkben, és fejben számolgatják, hogy a szív szerelme megér-e 500 fontnyi hozományt. Látta a szertartásosság komikumát, a hazugságba merevedett formákat, és úgy írta le őket, ahogy talán senki. Ebben a kötetben mindaz, amit észrevett, a groteszk humor görbe tükrében van megtörve: mondhatnánk, a korai Jane Austen a késői Jane Austen paródiája – de nem erről van szó. Inkább arról, ahogy az évek során a kritika eszközei hogyan lesznek körmönfontabbak, mélyebbek, kifinomultabbak – a szem ugyanolyan éles, de az író közben még jobb lett. De ez a kötet is jószerével hibátlan – ha a Catharine közben elismerően bólogattam, a Szerelem és barátság kifejezetten lelkesített, megvett kilóra. Ó, ha Jane kisasszony nem szűk negyven évet töltött volna itt e földön, mily csodásan bölcs regényekkel lennénk gazdagabbak.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Although I’m a long time aficionado of Miss Austen’s novels, I’d never before read this slim volume, which is a collection of the author’s early work (aged between 11 and 18!), first published in 1922. The writing inevitably lacks some of the polish of her better-known work, but I felt was still worthy of a 5-star review in light of her age when she wrote it, and the fact that the stories had me laughing out loud with their finely-tuned acerbic wit. Also the fact that Austen herself never edited and prepared these stories for publication, instead they were found in their relatively raw form among her private papers after her death. There are clear precursors to her future writing - one wonders whether Pride and Prejudice might have more closely resembled the title story - Austen’s original version was charmingly misspelled “Love and Freindship” - had the later novel been written from Lydia’s perspective, rather than Elizabeth’s. Similarly, “Three Sisters” foreshadows the discomfort in the Bennet household once Mr Collins voices his intention to marry one of the daughters. Familiar names pop up here and there - Dashwood, Musgrove etc. - and we se glimpses of the character and plot formations to come. I also thoroughly enjoyed Fay Weldon’s forward to the Hesperus edition, in which she points out that, with these works Austen appears to have successfully debuted the short story a good 50 years before Poe officially did the same. A short read (slightly under 100 pages), but well worth seeking out and enjoying.

[Sam Chase · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3 stars

Run mad as often as you choose, but do not faint!

What a fun little look into young Jane Austen! The sarcasm is certainly stronger and less subtle here than any of her full-fledged novels, and it was such a fun experience. However, that excess of sarcasm - and, perhaps, the fact that it was primarily an epistolary novel - prevented me from really becoming invested in any of the characters. That's why I ended up ranking this 3 stars.

Fay Weldon's foreword was a perfect addition, and definitely got me excited to get into the stories. Her notes about how some of the personalities described in the letters would later become signature, full-fledged, Austen favorites was very interesting. A lot of the names here, too, are later seen in Austen's novels.

Overall, this was just a fun little insight into a teenage Austen's mind, and a hint of the wonderful author she would soon become.

[Nur Banu Simsek · Rating 4 out of 5]

14-year-old Austen was truly amazing to read. An old-time parody of love stories, with Austen's exaggerated wit and snark, every letter was full of laughs and glimpses into her later comical characters like Kitty and Mrs.Bennet.

And of course, I couldn't help but be sad about how Austen and Wilde never got to know each other personally. Great satirists who would have been on the same quirky caliber. Can you imagine?

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was a nice fun read.

[Pedro Moreira · Rating 4 out of 5]

tinha esquecido de como os românticos são engraçados e esquisitos

[M.G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Austen, já na adolescência, mostrando indícios da autora que ela se tornaria. É incrível que ela escreveu esse livro com apenas 14-15 anos! Eu já comecei o livro sabendo que era uma das primeiras obras dela, que ela escreveu muito nova, então eu não estava esperando uma história nível Persuasão. Já tendo isso em mente, eu consegui me diverti e muito com a leitura.

[Igor Galvão · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chatinho demais.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

μ άρεσε πολύ το πρώτο διήγημα ή αλλιώς πως η 15χρονη Ωστιν τρολάρει! Τα άλλα δύο ήταν μέτρια

[Renita · Rating 4 out of 5]

14 year old Jane is a funny writer, not as clever as her best classics obviously, but she was well on her way...

[Vika · Rating 3 out of 5]

15yo jane austen, holding a gun: do any of you ladies possess dEliCatE fEeLiNgS and rEfiNeD sEnSiBiLiTiEs? does anyone want to faint on the sofa?!

[marxiana]

primeiro que eu leio dessa querida.
acho que colocado no contexto da época esse livro representa o auge da provocação (e realmente tem uns momentinhos engraçados)
teria amado estudar ele em aula

[Meredith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This little volume of early Jane Austen stories has Love and Freindship, the Three Sisters, and some letters (fictional letters, not ones she was actually writing to communicate with people). If you're not already a Jane Austen fan, I don't know if you'll become one from reading this, but if you are, it's really fun to read what she wrote as a teen and see how her works changed as she aged but also seeing some things that are familiar to her books.

[Neve Regler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I should likely pretence this review by saying that this is the first book of Austen's that I have read and it certainly will not be the last. Perhaps it is odd that I began with her juvenile works however, I am new to the world of classics and wanted something that would be rather simple. However, it is important to note that whilst all of the stories in this edition of 'Love and Friendship' had simple stories, the complexity of meaning was undeniable and her talent of course shone through.
(I must note some mistakes within this edition of 'Love and Friendship'; this has nothing to do with Austen's work. As I have borrowed this from a library, someone who borrowed it before myself corrected a date that I would have otherwise have believe to be true as I was not then well versed on the dates of Austen's life. In the foreword it said 'Pride and Prejudice' was written in 1822 when, of course, Austen had passed; this novel was in actuality written in 1812. There was also another mistake in the biographical note- it said that Austen and her mother settled in Chawton in 1819 when, again, she had passed by this time, and she actually moved the Chawton in 1809. These mistakes were rather obvious and shows a lack of quality that is unfitting for a book that contains Austen's work.)
LOVE AND FRIENDSHIP review:
Austen wrote this short story at fourteen years old which truly struck me. As I said before, the story was not advanced yet the quality of the writing displays Austen's clear talent and passion for writing. I loved it. I read it as a satirical and unserious text, an insight into young Austen's mind viewing the world. Clearly, it was unrealistic that anywhere that Laura went, she would see people she knew as no coincidence in reality would ever bring everyone that she knew to Scotland when the story had begun in Wales. I liked the dialogue between Sophia and Laura that Laura recounted in her letters; I found the speech when they were beside the river particularly humorous. Philander and Gustavus' roles paid no role to the plot, not really, but their addition was amusing and their story about joining a theatre company made me laugh.
There was a line near the end that really struck me as Austen's unparalleled perception: 'could not help observing that the unsympathetic baronet offered it more on account of my being the widow of Edward than in being the refined and amiable Laura'. This is said when she speaks about Sir Edward, her late husband's father, giving her an annual allowance. In this mere sentence, Austen explores the insincerities of society and the unjustness of a system that favours titles over person. She also displays a self-assuredness through her character Laura who speaks highly of herself, a quality that was discouraged in women of Austen's time.
An interpretation I got also was perhaps the characters called Edward (there were two) were an exploration of young Austen into how she viewed her brother. This is of course only an inference but, upon learning that her elder brother was called Edward and there were two characters in 'Love and Friendship' by the name- one pleasant and the otehr not so much-, I thought that it could be Austen exploring her conflicting feelings about her sibling. One moment he is annoying, controlling and detestable but the next he is caring and loveable and sibling relationships are very intense at the age Austen was writing at so perhaps this could have influenced her.
THE THREE SISTERS review:
This short story arranged in letters was also written by Austen in her teens however slightly later than when she wrote 'Love and Friendship'. I absolutely adored it! The dynamics between the characters, especially the sisters, were so fun to read and rather surprising for such an era. The way that Mary speaks so openly about detesting Mr Watts and how she argues with him before the wedding is such an interesting thing to read and is rather unlike anything I have seen; it was satirical and funny, finding a funny side to the fate of a woman stepping into a loveless marriage.
What I realised after having read 'The Three Sisters' is that I loved that there wasn't truly a sense of entrapment for the girls. Though the mother seemed rather set on one of her daughters marrying Mr Watts she did not appear forceful and Mary's reasonings for putting herself into the postion of her union were light-hearted and petty. I enjoyed the power that Austen gave the women in this short story; they were strong and funny and fond of each other, everything that many sisters were and are.
More undeniably, Austen investigates sibling relations, more specifically between sisters. We see Sophia and Georgiana 'team up' in a way to get their sister to marry Mr Watts so they do not have to. This sounds malicious but their reasonings truly do not sound like they are; they truly believe that their sister will be happy to live her life with money in a marriage based on pride. And they do care for her as Sophia especially feels guilt over their deceit. Georgiana also picks up on when Mr Brudenell is only questioning Mary to laugh at her and that made me feel quite sad for Mary and also interesting to see how men have continued to use women as sources of amusement unbeknownst to the women to this day just as Austen wrote Mr Brudenell to in this text.
I am sad that the letters end rather abruptly! I would have loved to have had the wedding narrated but alas I cannot. It would have been rather amusing to see a marriage play out between a wife who so openly detested her husband before they were even married.
A COLLECTION OF LETTERS review:
Austen wrote this series of letters at age seventeen and I see the same level of maturity in these letters as was in the writing is 'The Three Sisters'. They had themes of youth, motherhood, love, embarrassment, loss and class. Each one of the five were of women to women and that shows the common and full theme of friendship. Female friendship. Austen portrayed that fluently throughout these works which was wholly refreshing.
The first letter gave an interesting perspective from a mother sending her children into society, the second was a letter penned from the perspective of a girl feeling confused by her feelings about a man who she had unbeknowst hoarded an affection towards who had just got engaged and exchanging her troubles with Miss Jane, the third is an account of a girl, Maria, being mistreated by an older woman of a larger fortune and the fifth was a girl wallowing is hopeless love and her story of how she fell into such a feeling.
One of the most noteable moment for me was in the second letter where the narrator says to Miss Jane- after Miss Jane questions if the story of her life was 'pathetic'- 'for when one is unhappy nothing is so delightful to one's sensations as to hear of equal misery.'. I suppose that is a depressing truth; it does soothe one when one is in distress to be informed of another person experiencing problems of the same nature. Humans' dislike to be individual especially when it comes to misfortune and another person experiencing ill fate that parallels your own makes you feel less alone. This quote encouraged much thought.

[Vanessa Leite · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leve, imprevisível e divertido!
Amor e Amizade traz esse lado (que eu não esperava) da Jane Austen.
Achei a tradução ótima, não sendo nada complicado de entender a narrativa.

Essa edição particular traz três histórias: Amor e Amizade, as Três Irmãs e uma Coletânea de cartas . Todas elas apresentadas de forma epistolar.

Amor e Amizade é a primeira e principal história desta edição, sendo também a mais imprevisível. Quem lê a primeira carta contida nessa história, não pode prever o desenvolvimento e seu final.

As Três Irmãs não é tão imprevisível mas é, também, divertida ao mesmo tempo que ironiza os motivos mais mesquinhos que rodeiam a tomada de decisão de um casamento na época.

Uma Coletânea de cartas é um bom passatempo para se envolver numa pequena história, quase com um conto, diferente a cada carta. É interessante porque reflete, de fato, a sociedade da época de Jane Austen.

Considerando que a Jane Austen escreveu esse livro, aproximadamente, aos 15 anos e, aparentemente, para entreter a sua família, achei legal e divertido.

Só achei que as histórias terminaram de forma abrupta demais, como se tivessem vivido além daquilo e alguém só parou de contar a história para nós. Mas, ao mesmo tempo, reflete o tipo de obra da autora (romances domésticos) e dá uma sensação de que os personagens perduram além do livro. Daria 4,5/5 se o goodreads permitisse!

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

‘Beware of the insipid vanities and idle dissipations of the metropolis of England; beware of the unmeaning luxuries of Bath, and of the stinking fish of Southampton.’

Collected in this slim volume are three works taken from Jane Austen’s juvenilia, written in her mid-teens. They belong to the genre termed epistolary fiction, with Austen supposedly inspired by the works of the 18th-century author Samuel Richardson and others; each narrative consists of written correspondence conducted between its fictional characters.

But the first work also takes the form of what might now be termed a novelette – in other words, light fiction a little longer than a short story but without any pretensions of being a novella let alone a novel. Moreover, it’s possible that Love and Friendship may have been ‘serialised’: the late Fay Weldon suggests here that the teenage Jane could have read the ‘letters’ aloud in instalments to amuse her family.

Ultimately, though, it’s a tremendously cheeky parody of social customs as well as certain literary tastes in the late 18th century. More than two centuries later it’s still possible to view it as trenchantly funny, provided the reader doesn’t view themselves as too sophisticated to be amused. But I’ve yet to even mention the other two offerings in this selection: are they on a par with the opening piece?

All three items – Love and Friendship (1790), The Three Sisters (?1791), and A Collection of Letters (1791) – are taken from two of the three notebooks in which Austen jotted her early fictions between the ages of 12 and 17, from 1787 to 1793. The first is like a farce, the second a social comedy, and the third a sequence of five one-act plays – several of which I think quite sophisticated – but they’re all told in effervescent epistles as if from various genteel and mostly young females.

As well as drama another medium that the trio of works reminds me of is the visual arts: Love and Friendship and The Three Sisters are reminiscent of William Hogarth’s moralising sequences ('A Harlot’s Progress', 'A Rake’s Progress' and 'Marriage à-la-mode') and at times the cartoons and caricatures Thomas Rowlandson and James Gillray specialised in; A Collection of Letters is more like a wall of miniature portraits which one examines closely for clues as to the nature of the sitter and the emotions they seemed to be conveying.

So much for impressions, but what of the subject matter? If I tell you the subtitle of the opening work is ‘Deceived in Friendship and Betrayed in Love’ that’s a good indication that the tale it tells will be eventful. Laura is an older woman who’s invited by Marianne’s mother to recount the details of her picaresque life.

‘You are this day fifty-five. If a woman may ever be said to be in safety from the determined perseverance of disagreeable lovers and the cruel persecutions of obstinate fathers, surely it must be at such a time of life.’

Laura proceeds to justify the thieving, lying and leeching off acquaintances perpetrated by herself and her friend Sophy by asserting they’re doing so with noble principles, in pursuance of true love. The reader may beg to differ.

The nature of Austen’s narrative is soon clear from Laura’s pen portrait of herself: “My father was a native of Ireland and an inhabitant of Wales; my mother was the natural daughter of a Scotch peer by an Italian opera-girl – I was born in Spain, and received my education at a convent in France.” The action moves from the wild Welsh countryside in the Vale of Usk via Middlesex to Scotland, and includes the deaths of lovers, fainting, acting, fainting, fortuitous meetings with distant relatives, and more fainting. If you’ve read Northanger Abbey (which Austen had begun under the title Susan in 1797/8) you’ll recognise the melodramatic motifs from the kinds of romances that Catherine Morland was so enamoured with.

No less humorous is The Three Sisters, but instead of the over-the-top Gothick of Love and Friendship we have a more domestic drama in which Mary Stanhope, who has received an offer of marriage from the older Mr Watts whom she despises, prevaricates about whether she’ll accept his offer or not while she weighs the change in status she will gain over her sisters and neighbours’ daughters.

‘He is quite an old man, about two and thirty, very plain – so plain that I cannot bear to look at him.’

One of her younger sisters, Georgiana, casts an altogether more sensible and considered eye on Mary’s foolish behaviours, including her demands concerning the décor of the carriage she will insist on if she decides to accept. The reported dialogues in The Three Sisters is at times on a par with those of Austen’s more mature novels, capturing the empty blatherings of this teenager as she ineptly attempts to negotiate conditions with her suitor, as well as the bemused observations of her sisters and the amused reactions of her supposed rivals and their male friend. This was a most delicious account describing the prelude to Mary Stanhope’s likely future life of domestic pother rather than bliss.

Finally, the five vignettes of A Collection: this is Jane in her own mid-teens exhibiting the range of moods and scenarios that were to characterise her later published novels. She alliteratively dedicated “this clever collection of curious comments” to her cousin Jane Cooper who, with Jane’s sister Cassandra, had survived school in Oxford and typhoid fever in Southampton. They purport to be from a mother not unlike Mrs Bennett, anxious about her two daughters ‘coming out’, and from young ladies variously described as ‘crossed in love’, ‘in distressed circumstances’, ‘rather impertinent’, or ‘very much in love’.

Each ‘letter’ is very different from its fellows; where one is witty, another is written by a deluded correspondent, and where one details the nastiness of a prototype Lady Catherine de Bourgh it’s followed by another revealing how over-inquisitiveness may lead to an embarrassing faux pas.

Fay Weldon’s introduction extolls the delights of this Hesperus Press selection, including examples of the “Wildean bons mots” that caused her to “fall about with delight at the sheer wickedness of what’s contained in this volume.” This edition modernises the spelling and adapts Austen’s paragraph formatting for modern readability; purists who may prefer the original texts can consult the versions offered in, say, the Oxford World’s Classics edition of Catherine and Other Writings (1993) edited by Margaret Anne Doody and Douglas Murray. But for convenience this volume is hard to beat.

[Wayne Kavanagh · Rating 3 out of 5]

As I was very recently studying Austen I thought it would make sense to read beyond her major works, just to see what else there was...

Love and Friendship is certainly juvenilia - its incredibly impressive that Austen wrote this at just fourteen. The story centres on Laura and the high drama of her life; fast moving events, appearances of unlikely characters and unforeseeable tragedies which leave Laura swooning frequently. Actually, it's really pretty funny when that happens. However, fans of Austen's major novels might be disappointed because Love and Friendship lacks the deep characterisation and overall finesse of style that Austen is known for. That said, it is short, amusing, and can be read in one sitting - if you want to read more than Austen's six novels then this is an entertaining place to start.

[Lauren Dierker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall Love and Friendship was enjoyable. The book is a collection of juvenile works by Jane Austen which sets the stories apart from her more traditional works like Pride and Prejudice. Most stories are told through a series of letters and, as a whole, the book is quite short. The stories are mostly humorous or satirical which can be fun, but there aren’t any main characters that I found use of loving or rooting for the way I did in Austen’s other words.

I “read” this book as an audiobook which in hindsight I believe was a bad choice. Listening to letters be read was at times confusing and flowed less well than a traditional book. I would recommend reading this.