Love and Friendship and Other Writings

by Jane Austen

These inventive and entertaining pieces display the genesis of the 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 and the series of vignettes known as A Collection of Letters. Taken together, these pieces display all the wry humour, shrewd observation and satirical insight of Emma or Pride and Prejudice.

Genres: Classics, Romance, Fiction, Short Stories, Literature, Humor

173 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2010

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

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jane Austen. You may have heard of her. She wrote a book called Pride and Prejudice, later made famous by dashing actor Colin Firth and his wet shirt. Many Americans still want her autograph and others ask questions as to whether she might be enjoyed by male readers, the answer to which may seriously cause me concerns regarding my sexual and gender identity.

Austen refuses to throw any Conan the Barbarian-like bones to her male readership, who are going to have to take it on trust that their penis won't fall off after perusal of these satirical delights, written for no-one but her family, who were appreciative enough to provide illustrations. I am sure they were also appreciative enough that their Jane was something of a genius and that these miniature works, whilst notably unpolished, moved from brilliant all-out satire on the literary conventions of the day (Love and Freindship, the volume's highlight, much obliged to the constant swoons and shocking multiple sudden deaths) through a notorious takedown of historical method (A History of England), towards the subtler novelistic style that she would perfect as an adult. Catharine comes to a crashing halt after 30 pages but as a first attempt shows a lot of style and finesse.

Reading this volume makes me weep for my teenage self who could barely construct a sentence, despite similar as-yet-still-unrealised ambition. It also makes me weep for the cult of Jane Austen who still think that mother of chick lit is something of an empowering label. One likes to imagine what Jane Austen would have said about the work of Stephanie Meyer or Jodi Piccoult, amongst close acquaintances. "A lot of fucking shite", or something a little more biting, I imagine.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

Free download available at Project Gutenberg.

CONTENTS

LOVE AND FREINDSHIP


LETTER the FIRST From ISABEL to LAURA

LETTER 2nd LAURA to ISABEL

LETTER 3rd LAURA to MARIANNE

LETTER 4th Laura to MARIANNE

LETTER 5th LAURA to MARIANNE

LETTER 6th LAURA to MARIANNE

LETTER 7th LAURA to MARIANNE

LETTER 8th LAURA to MARIANNE, in continuation

LETTER the 9th From the same to the same

LETTER 10th LAURA in continuation

LETTER 11th LAURA in continuation

LETTER the 12th LAURA in continuation

LETTER the 13th LAURA in continuation

LETTER the 14th LAURA in continuation

LETTER the 15th LAURA in continuation.


AN UNFINISHED NOVEL IN LETTERS

LESLEY CASTLE

LETTER the FIRST is from Miss MARGARET LESLEY to Miss CHARLOTTE

LETTER the SECOND From Miss C. LUTTERELL to Miss M. LESLEY in answer.

LETTER the THIRD From Miss MARGARET LESLEY to Miss C. LUTTERELL Lesley

LETTER the FOURTH From Miss C. LUTTERELL to Miss M. LESLEY Bristol

LETTER the FIFTH Miss MARGARET LESLEY to Miss CHARLOTTE LUTTERELL

LETTER the SIXTH LADY LESLEY to Miss CHARLOTTE LUTTERELL Lesley-Castle

LETTER the SEVENTH From Miss C. LUTTERELL to Miss M. LESLEY Bristol

LETTER the EIGHTH Miss LUTTERELL to Mrs MARLOWE Bristol April 4th

LETTER the NINTH Mrs MARLOWE to Miss LUTTERELL Grosvenor Street, April

LETTER the TENTH From Miss MARGARET LESLEY to Miss CHARLOTTE LUTTERELL


THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND


A COLLECTION OF LETTERS

To Miss COOPER

LETTER the FIRST From a MOTHER to her FREIND.

LETTER the SECOND From a YOUNG LADY crossed in Love to her freind

LETTER the THIRD From a YOUNG LADY in distressed Circumstances

LETTER the FOURTH From a YOUNG LADY rather impertinent to her freind

LETTER the FIFTH From a YOUNG LADY very much in love to her Freind


THE FEMALE PHILOSOPHER


THE FIRST ACT OF A COMEDY


A LETTER from a YOUNG LADY, whose feelings being too strong

A TOUR THROUGH WALES—in a LETTER from a YOUNG LADY—


A TALE.

[Shoma]

I borrowed this book from my sister, who's the genuine Jane Austen fan (although I did discover it in the first place when out book shopping). I wanted to give Pride and Prejudice and Emma another shot, but before that, I thought I'd have a look at Ms. Austen's juvenilia.

Love and Friendship is a wildly over the top, epistolary satire which starts off with a plot hole - why couldn't Isabel tell Marianne Laura's story if she knew it as well? In any case, the letters are a fun excuse for Ms. Austen to plunge her heroines into a series of unfortunate events (I think we might have found the Baudelaire orphans' ancestors).

I wish the other works were more complete. In Lesley Castle, Charlotte's preoccupations with cooking wedding feasts and then disposing of them as well as her usage of random Italian words when applauding her sister's piano-playing were hilarious and I would have liked to read more of it. The Three Sisters would have been a promising story as well. I didn't like Catharine, or the Bower as much as the others but I would have liked to know how it ends: despite James Edward Austen's addition, it feels decidedly incomplete. A History of England was interesting in that it showed that Ms. Austen was capable of writing beyond the insular, social romances that she is best known for. And it was fun to discover what might be early drafts of characters and storylines in A Collection of Letters.

This book makes me wonder what Ms. Austen might have written had she lived longer. Despite the differences I had with her writing in the past, I'm sure that they would have been worth reading.

[Claire C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Home girl Jane, wrote these around the age of 15. Which is awesome.

This collection of short stories is *chef’s kiss* and despite her vernacular, feel accurate to the writings of such a young girl. The “History of England” section felt like juicy gossip from a teenager, which made it hilarious - every italicized word and parentheses statement cracked me up.

All of the short stories were extremely well written and so good. It makes sense why her later works are so well loved. Would recommend giving it a try if you like Austen’s work.

[Helen Kennedy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I like her novels better.

[Sleeperagent · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love and Friendship 4*
Lesley Castle 4.5*
A History of England 3.5*

[Poppy · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is frightfully obvious that "Love and Friendship" was written by Jane Austen in her youth; her youth shines through the pages in, as the blurb says, the downright silliness of the letters.

I admit that I didn't finish this book. I got about halfway through and found myself thinking of the other books I had to read, my attention wavering as I read in each letter. Nevertheless, it was sweet, promising, and silly. Kind of what you would expect from a 14 year old. There is charm in the writing, a hint of what she would later become as an author. I have no doubt that I will one day finish the last half of this book, but not today.

[Sandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

My edition of this book included several short stories (most of them told through letters) and also a short biography on Jane. All of these stories are interesting, because you can follow Jane's progress as a writer (especially compared to he later work). The young Jane was rather outspoken, and these pieces are satires on society, done in a rather harsh but witty way. My two favourite pieces were probably Catherine and The History Of England - the latter being surprising, since I didn't agree with her point of view at all.

Nice little book for Jane fans.

[Nat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't like this as much as I hoped I would. For one, I generally don't like epistolary novels, they always lack something, especially when I know that it's Jane Austens brilliant commentary that is missing! I also found the characterisations and plots so extremely on the nose. They didn't feel sly, subtle or witty, but rather heavy.
Some stories in here did make me laugh though, especially the History. I would absolutely love to introduce a historical article with one of her quotes!

[Malin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not her finest work.
"The Three Sisters" was my favourite as it was funny. Too bad it was short and unfinished though.

[Cindy's Booked · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweetly written and yet absurdly funny. Very Jane Austen.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ungdomlig och rolig, man märker att det är en ung Austen som skriver.

[Morgan's Endless Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Austen's satire and wit are on full display in this collection! Though the storyline is not nearly as developed as in her full-length novels, this was still very entertaining!