Jane Austen in 50 Words
Bloomsbury Academic · Paperback · October 16, 2025
What does Jane Austen mean when she writes approvingly of a character's 'gentility' and 'delicacy', or critically of another's 'indolence' and 'impertinence'?
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- Who it’s for
- Maria Frawley explores 50 words in Austen’s fiction, tracing meanings that have changed or faded.
- Genres
- British & Irish Literary Criticism, Women Authors Criticism, 19th-Century Literary Criticism
- Published
- Bloomsbury Academic, October 16, 2025
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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'?
Continue reading
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.
Austen’s Changing Words
Maria Frawley explores 50 words in Austen’s fiction, tracing meanings that have changed or faded.
Come here for
- Short entries on 50 words woven through Austen’s fiction
- Explanations of terms whose meanings have shifted since Austen’s time
Expect
- Entries on words including “gentility,” “indolence,” “air,” and “address”
- Context for understanding Austen’s novels individually and as a whole
Where it sits
| Women Authors Criticism | 41% |
|---|---|
| 19th-Century Literary Criticism | 31% |
| British & Irish Literary Criticism | 30% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Creative Writing
- Authors
- Maria Frawley
- Publisher
- Bloomsbury Academic
- Published
- October 16, 2025
- Format
- Paperback
- Reading lane
- Creative Writing