'This delightful volume explains the whys and wherefores of our love affair with Jane Austen' ECONOMIST What explains our enduring fascination with Austen? Why, after 200 years, do her books still inspire such devotion? This book brings together thirty-three writers, past and present, on just what it is about Jane. Jay McInerny confesses to serial crushes on most of Austen's heroines, and celebrates her belief in true love. Amy Heckerling reveals how she transformed Emmainto the hit romantic comedy Clueless, and Martin Amis muses on Pride and Prejudiceas a divine comedy of love, while Fay Weldon wonders whether the 'bad' girls in Mansfield Parkhave more fun. Whether discussing Austen's gift for comedy, or why she would be an ideal dinner guest (although she wouldn't want to come), A Truth Universally Acknowledgedreminds us why we still love the author who wrote about life better than anyone else in the world. 'This is a call for both newcomers to the charms of Jane Austen and long-time 'Janeites' . . . an invitation for us to understand why we are so in her thrall' CHICAGO TRIBUNE
