Wicked Wit of Jane Austen

by Jane Austen, Dominique Enright

The Wicked Wit of Jane Austen is an absorbing collection of Jane Austen's sharpest, most profound and amusing observations -- on human nature, money, marriage, life and society -- taken from her novels and also from her extremely entertaining letters. Easy to dip in to and highly quotable, this beautifully decorated volume will delight all Austen devotees, as well as readers less familiar with her life and work.

Genres: Nonfiction, Classics, Biography, Regency, Humor, Reference, History

162 pages, Hardcover

First published October 2, 2002

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

[Rosh · Rating 3 out of 5]

In a Nutshell: A compilation of some of Jane Austen’s shrewd quotes and observations from her published writings and personal correspondence. Will work better if you are a devout Janeite as context is quite important in getting the best from this collection.

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With 2025 being the 250th year of Jane Austen’s birth, there are some wonderful new releases that commemorate the contributions of this intelligent writer to the literary world. However, this isn't a new book but the latest edition of a book first published in 2002 and republished several times since. (Mine is supposedly a revised edition, but I am not sure about what exactly has been revised.)

As I’m one of Austen’s biggest fans, I grabbed the chance to read this as soon as I saw the cover and the title. Seeing a collection that claimed to honour her “wicked wit” stirred every bit of my curiosity.! Having read and loved all six of her novels (only four of which were published in her lifetime), her novella ‘Lady Susan’, and her two unfinished works ‘The Watsons’ and ‘Sanditon’, I always get annoyed when certain “readers” dismiss Austen’s work as classic romances. While romance (or to be more accurate, love) plays a role in all of her books, her prime focus is always more practical and even satirical, subtly ridiculing the mores of the society she was raised in. Those who have read her ‘Juvenilia’, a collection of the stories she wrote between the ages of eleven to seventeen, will even be aware of how mischievous her younger self was. We get a glimpse of some of her best witticisms in this compilation.

‘Wit’ has two meanings: astuteness and funniness. While there can be an overlap in these two traits, they aren’t synonymous. This book contains both, with a slight tilt towards the former. So when the title promises you the ‘Wicked Wit of Jane Austen’, you need to remember that this book is more an ode to her sharp intellect than her funny bone, which is also evident in the content but not the mainstay of the writing.

The book begins with an ‘Introduction to Austen’, a delight for Austen fans and a useful informative piece to those who know little to nothing about her. Next up is the Dramatis Personae, containing a list of the recipients of Austen’s letters and their exact relation to her. Only after this strong foundation does the main content begin.

This book compiles several observations made by Austen in her early works, her novels, and her letters to her family, especially to her elder sister Cassandra. (I wonder how Austen would have felt if she knew that the letters she wrote in confidence are now subject to public opinion and analysis.) The quotes from her personal correspondence best reveal her snarky side, which all of us have in private but don’t reveal to outsiders.

The observations are segregated into chapters based on commonality of themes, such as Austen’s thoughts on London vs. Bath, on ballgowns and parties, on the monarchs of her time, and so on. The first section, titled ‘Early Exuberances’ presents lines taken from ‘Juvenilia’. I think this was a poor decision. These quotes have nothing in common except that they were written by her in the initial days of her writing journey. Most readers have not even heard of ‘Juvenilia’, and of those who have, many might not have read it. So these quotes don’t create a great impact as they feel incomplete without the contextual background.

Austen was at her best when she wrote about the double standards of the society around her, be it in matters of marriage or wealth or gender or even reading preferences. These quotes are also present in the book but only later. It is up to us to decide whether Austen was being serious, mocking or ironic in these quotes, but whatever the case, these quotes were the best to read. I enjoyed revisiting many of my favourite Austen lines, including this one from ‘Northanger Abbey’: “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who hast not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” 😁

That said, without context, it is difficult to understand and appreciate Austen’s brilliant character detailing. This especially applies to the quotes taken from her popular novels. I best enjoyed the lines where I remembered the scene the quote was taken from. Viewed in isolation, many remarks lose their impact.

All in all, while I do love the thought behind this collection, I feel like the title indicates something different, and the lack of context hinders those unfamiliar with Austen’s works. I liked the book enough, but I didn’t love it as much as I thought I would, mainly because of the content from Juvenilia and her letters feeling incomplete. (And partly because I am not really a “book of quotations” person, but that’s a ME problem, and not a BOOK problem.)

This book is strictly for hardcore Janeites who would enjoy reading her quotes at random. This might also work as a good gift for your beloved English teachers.

3 stars.


My thanks to Michael O'Mara Limited for providing the DRC of “The Wicked Wit of Jane Austen” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.


Leaving you with this amazing quote that I had forgotten:
“The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and everyday confirms my belief of the inconsistencies of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.”
- Written by Jane Austen in ‘Pride & Prejudice’ in 1813. Valid even today in 2025.


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[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a free copy of, The Wicked Wit of Jane Austen, by Dominique Enright, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Jane Austen sure had a lot of opinions about everything, and was not shy about writing them in letters. I learned a whole new side of Jane Austen, this was an intriguing read.

[Leslie · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a treat! Laugh out loud funny. The bits from her letters are funny and left me wanting more. I gotta find a copy of her letters. I am so glad to learn that she was so fiesty and cranky.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent book! There are quotes and parts of letters that Jane wrote to family and friends, especially her sister Cassandra. Jane was quite interesting in her speech and letter writing. Jane wrote 6 novels, which only 4 were published during her lifetime. Jane loved dry irony and in this book we can see it in her letters to all family members. Jane had also made a big impact on Walter Scott who wrote -- "she had a talent for describing the involvements and feelings and characters of ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful I ever met with." Jane died in 1817, only 41 years old. It was thought her illness was Addison's disease, or lymphoma, or Hodgkin's disease. Regardless, Jane fought long and uncomplainingly.

Here are a few comments from her letters to Cassandra 'RE: Another Stupid Party' --

"There were only twelve dancers, of which I danced nine, and was merely prevented from dancing the rest by want of a partner . . . "

"I had the comfort of finding out the other evening who all the fat girls with short noses were that disturbed me at the 1st H. ball. They all prove to be Miss Atkinsons of Enham."

"She was nothing more than a mere good tempered, civil and obliging young woman; as such we could scarcely dislike her-- she was only an Object of Contempt."

"My black cap was openly admired by Mrs. Lefroy, and secretly I imagine by everybody else in the room."

"My hair was at least tidy, which was all my ambition."

"Walter Scott has no business to write novels, especially good ones. It is not fair. He has fame and profit enough as a poet, and should not be taking the bread out of the mouths of other people."

"Single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor -- which is one very strong argument in favour of matrimony."

"At length the day is come on which I am to flirt my last with Tom Lefroy, and when you receive this it will be over. My tears flow at the melancholy idea."

"I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal."

"If Mrs. Freeman is anywhere above the ground give my best compliments to her."

(On arriving in London --)
"Here I am once more in this scene of dissipation and vice, and I begin already to find my morals corrupted."

"You deserve a longer letter than this; but it is my unhappy fate seldom to treat people so well as they deserve."

[Steve Mitchener · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a most lazily written book. In fact that is the point. It is not written. It is cut and pasted. With copyright duration long expired, the works and private correspondence of Jane Austen are open season for anyone wishing to publish extracts to a gullible public. Although collected into chapters of vague similarity, the author has added nothing by way of commentary. On the plus side, we see interesting snippets made by Jane on topics such as the publication of a novel, the Peninsula War or marriage of a loved one, but without context they are virtually meaningless. Don’t be fooled by the attractive sleeve and buy this as a gift (mea culpa), walk to the other end of the gift-shop and buy them a Jane Austen tea towel instead.

[Literary Redhead · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adored this collection of fabulous Austen quotes and excerpts from her books and letters. A great addition to any Janeites' personal library, and a wonderful gift for fans of the still wildly popular author.

[Debalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

An extra star because I love Austen's humour. Two less because I did not like the organisation, or rather the fact that it was organised. I would have just loved to read the quotes by themselves with no attempt at classification done. I felt the writer knew the hazard and did it anyway at the insistence of the editor, because whatever happens blame the editor.

So, 5+1-2=4 stars! :)

The chuckles were quality chuckles, and the ending was sad, very very sad. She is no more. I wish she would have lived more and written more. But such is life.

Happy reading! :)

[Wayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concerning Miss Jane Austen

VULGAR IN TONE,
STERILE IN ARTISTIC INVENTION,
IMPRISIONED IN THE WRETCHED CONVENTIONS OF ENGLISH SOCIETY,

WITHOUT...GENIUS
...WIT
...OR KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD.

NEVER WAS A LIFE SO PINCHED AND NARROW

THE ONE PROBLEM IN THE MIND OF THE WRITER.......IS MARRIAGEBLENESS


Somehow it is refreshing to read Something Other,
even though one feels that Ralph Waldo Emmerson
is wide of the mark.
Charlotte Bronte had No Time for Miss Austen either.
So, was it Fashion that led these to condemn, Us in contrast to Overpraise perhaps??

In LANGUAGE this has over 200 years of Contrast
to the wit of the Algonquin Club of New York and Today.

eg.Jane writing to her sister Cassandra
21st January 1801.
"Expect a most agreeable letter, for not being overburdened with subject
(having nothing at all to say), I shall have to check my genius from beginning to end."

On the Peninsular War - ie.Spain.
(in which Wellington defeated Napoleon and Goya
did his "Disasters of War " with their horrific
scenes of death and carnage)

"How horrible it is to have so many people killed !
And what a blessing that one cares for none of them!"

(Miss Austen WAS aware of her Times, Mr.Emmerson. And realistic! )

"Mrs Hall was brought to bed yesterday of a dead child,
some weeks before she expected, owing to a fright.
I suppose she happened unawares to look at her husband."
17-18 November, 1798
(A tongue like a lemon with a knife stuck through it??)

There are many quotes from the novels here.
The novels are not just about romantic marriages;
there is desperation and philosophical resignation
to bitter realities too.
Most of us do not live "happily ever after"
or quite in the way we had hoped.
The novels and juvenalia are "far more serious than
their surface appearance would lead us to expect" to
quote David Cecil.

The portrait used to grace the cover is NOT that
drawn from life by Jane's sister Cassandra.
It is very rarely used.
It has too much of the lemon in it.
Read mainly for her Mills and Boom romance strain,
so the portrait has similar qualities.
It is a forgery.
Some who read the novels make themselves a forgery.
How Jane would lambast them with her wit.
Although they are most probably in the books!!!

[Rose Servitova · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. I actually used it for research as I'm working on an Austen project at present. It reminds me how incredibly sharp Austen was and there were few as witty as her. I highly recommend this read.

[Andrea Hickman Walker · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was expecting more than just a book of quotations.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoy Jane Austen's novels. I did not enjoy this collection of quotes as much, I find I would rather be reading a novel or her letters and stumble across the gold rather than having it plucked out for me.

[Munaza · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed Jane’s letters to Cassandra the most, but at times it was a little boring in my opinion. Austen is amazingly funny and witty but i felt the majority of the quotes in this book besides her letters didn’t truly capture that. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Alice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Si l'on me demandait de parler de la plume de Jane Austen (comment ça j'en parle déjà tout le temps??), le premier trait que j'évoquerais serait sans aucun doute son humour. Et ça tombe bien, c'est exactement ce que ce livre met en avant. Ce n'est pas une austenerie à proprement parlé puisque ce n'est pas un roman, une suite, une réécriture ou tout ce que vous voudrez d'autre, mais bien un recueil de citations drôles ou pleines d'esprit tirées des livres ou des lettres de Jane Austen. Pour une fois, c'est donc bel et bien la plume de notre chère Jane que nous retrouvons, et c'est bien agréable. C'est le genre de livre qu'il faut absolument avoir dans sa collection, que vous allez lire et relire, surligner peut-être, corner, recopier. Certains passages vous seront sans aucun doute familiers mais vous y découvrirez également quelques nouvelles perles. En bref, on ne se lasse pas de Jane Austen, non?

Et si, vous l'avez compris, je suis déjà particulièrement contente que les éditions Payot aient choisi de traduire ce petit opus, je le suis encore plus que Dominique Enright soit allé puiser dans les lettres trop méconnues de Jane Austen. C'est sûrement là qu'elle est encore la plus drôle et parfois la plus acide également. Je ne vous mettrai qu'un extrait parce que sinon je risquerai d'énumérer tout le livre mais à lui seul, il résume si bien tout l'esprit de ce grand auteur:



"Mrs Hall, de Sherborne, a accouché hier d'un enfant mort-né, quelques semaines avant son terme, en raison d'une grande frayeur. Je suppose qu'elle regardé son mari par inadvertance."

A Cassandra, 27-28 Octobre 1798.



Comme les livres parfaits sont rares, j'ai quand même quelques petits regrets, par rapport à cet ouvrage, que je vous énumère rapidement:

Tout d'abord, cette couverture que je trouve vraiment peu attrayante, surtout si on la compare à la version anglaise. C'est bien dommage.
J'ai également des réserves sur le titre. L'original évoquait plus son esprit que son humour et certaines citations ne sont pas forcément amusantes (même si toujours pleines d'esprits). Du coup, si on s'attend à rire à toutes les lignes, ce n'est pas forcément le cas.
Mon dernier bémol se porte sur le fait d'avoir mélangé les citations extraites de ses livres, de celles extraites de ses lettres. Je trouve qu'il y a une énorme différence entre faire dire quelque chose à des personnages fictifs et l'avoir réellement dit dans l'une de ses lettres. Certaines impertinences de Jane Austen qui montrent particulièrement bien son caractère méritent d'être distinguées et se perdent un peu au milieu des mots de Jane, Lizzy ou encore Mr Bennet je trouve.


http://janeausten.hautetfort.com/arch...

[Sophia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Do you ever have the urge to quote someone and you can remember a portion, but not enough? This happens to me all the time because I have a memory like a sieve and I particular get irked when it happens with Jane Austen my favorite Author. I know there are tools to remedy this weakness, but I just hadn't availed myself of them yet until I received this one.

Personally, I think it was worth it for the introduction alone with its nice long, but simple piece about Jane Austen's life. The quotes are compiled from her novels, letters, and diaries so there is a wide variety that cover many situations. And when it came to the variety, the compiler, Dominique Enright, organized them into topical order with each section having an introduction. Thank you!!!

This is no frightening tome of Encyclopedia Britannica length, but its very nice just for a pleasant perusal of Jane Austen's words on various subjects. I can most definitely recommend it for Jane Austen fans.

[Georgia Griffan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this insight into Austen's life, particularly her close relationship with her sister Cassandra. It is basically a book of Jane Austen quotes from her novels as well as letters to Cassandra, arranged by topic. Some quotations will be familiar to the reader, such as "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." others I had never come across before like, "I will not say that your mulberry-trees are dead, but I am afraid they are not alive." (from a letter to Cassandra).

[Emily Pankhurst · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rated 3.5

The book gave a nice overview of Jane Austen's life and gave a good idea of what a few of the close people in her life were like.

The book opened with a summary of her life and explained who the recipients of the letters were. It was then split into sections with various quotes from her books and letters relating to the title of the section. The quotes chosen made me smile and I got a good insight into her true thoughts and feelings on the community that she was surrounded by and how she then represented those thoughts in her novels.

The different sections of the book gave nice snapshots into different parts of general life. It amused me how relevant Jane Austen's thoughts still were. I think that we do still judge each other in exactly the same way and even though some things have changed, her thoughts and feelings could still be applied today.

The quotes from the letters that were included mentioned real people and that fascinated me, especially as her thoughts and feelings about these people were then represented in her novels. It showed how close to real life the novels were.

You could easily tell which quotes were from real letters and which were taken from novels as they were clearly labeled at the end of the quote. I also liked that dates were included.

Each of the sections weren't overly long, so it was quite easy to dip in and out of.

By the end of the book I felt like I knew Jane Austen a little bit better and the society that she lived in. It was a good snapshot in time.

Overall a nice book that allowed you to see a bit more into the life and times of Jane Austen through her words.

[Rachel N · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting collection of quotes from Jane Austen, both from her books and personal letters, separated into subject areas like marriage and friendship. There’s a short biography at the start which provides some context, especially for the letters to her sister, and it’s interesting to see her mor personal thoughts but this is not a detailed look at her life and writing. That is not a criticism though – her writing is full of wonderful quotes and it’s lovely to see them gathered like this in a little book which is perfect to dip in and out of.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy in return for an honest review.

[tortoise dreams · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is that sort of gift book of quotes, perfect for the Jane Austen fan in your life and suitable for any occasion. Better than average for the species as Enright has included more snippets than expected from Austen's letters, especially to her sister Cassandra, making for a more well-rounded collection. The old favorite bits from her novels are also here and welcome. Always clever, Jane would've been fun to have lunch with. She comes off as quite the party girl, a gossip, and what a cat. But this was before reality television so what else was there to do? From letters to her sister: "Your silence on the subect of our ball makes me suppose your curiosity too great for words," "I give you joy of our new nephew, and hope if he ever comes to be hanged it will not be till we are too old to care about it," "I will not say that your mulberry-trees are dead, but I am afraid they are not alive." [4★]

[A Bookworm Crafts · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book presents quotations from Jane Austen's early writings, her published novels, and her correspondance. They are divided into thematic chapters such as balls, gowns and other fashions, books and writing, the marriage market, etc.

While I always find pleasure in reading Jane Austen's writing, there is no context or commentary on the quotes and the whole book feels rather empty as a result.

A recommended read for fans of Jane Austen and quotes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Michael O'Mara for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

A typical piece of publishing aimed at the coffee table, or the doctor's reception room. The quotes from the well-known books lack context, and though they reveal the sharp wit, they don't engage in the way they do in the books themselves.
The quotes from letters seem focused on Austen's critical view; her warmth is missing from many of them.
The best thing about the book is that it sends you back to Austen's novels themselves in order to read the rest of what goes on in them.

[Chris Chanona · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good collection of Jane Austen’s thoughts, arranged thematically. Quotes come from her letters and her novels. A must for Janeites I would think.
I have all her novels, a couple of biographies and her Letters but I like the way this is arranged. I read an ARC which as a document does not resemble the final book. I will look out for the book on publication to add to my collection.
Highly recommeded.

[Matt J · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jane Austen obviously has some great quotes and a sharp sense of humor. That being said, she only wrote a small handful of books, so most of these quotes come out of personal letters.

Without the context of her works or the situation, these quotes seem to fall flat. So far, this is the worst book of the “Wicked Wit” collection.

[Gayle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The inimitable Jane Austen had much to say about almost everything. In this compact volume, DE collects quotations from JA's books, letters, and other writings, organizes them by topic, and wraps them up into a compact volume suitable for perusal when the reader is so inclined. I enjoyed this.

[Bonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun. The compiler draws a lot from the Juvenilia and letters, which is a different and sharper side to Austen than most of us think of. A fun and quick reference book!

[Lotte Houghton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Austen was such a snarky biyatch in her letters to her sister and I love it.

[caroline · Rating 3 out of 5]

girlboss !

[Leanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun trip with Jane.

[MARYAM · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5
I honestly did not expect to like it, but I did. It was fun, I really enjoyed it.

[Lullaby · Rating 2 out of 5]

“Think only of the past as it’s remembrance gives you pleasure”

[gabriela · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5