The Worlds of Jane Austen invites readers to see one of Britain’s most beloved authors in a completely new light. Far from the quiet world of country houses and tea parties, Austen lived through revolution, war and major social change, and her sharp, observant fiction reveals just how engaged she was with the issues of her time.
This lively and accessible guide explores the people, politics and places that shaped Austen’s life and work. It features expert insight from bestselling author Helena Kelly alongside over 150 photographs, artworks and illustrations that bring her world vividly to life.
Whether you are discovering Austen for the first time or returning to her novels with fresh eyes, The Worlds of Jane Austen is the perfect companion for curious readers, literature lovers and admirers of classic storytelling.
Helena Kellyholds a doctorate in English Literature from Oxford, where she has also taught from time to time and where she is about to return for a visiting scholarship at the Oxford Centre for Life Writing at Wolfson College.
She is the author ofThe Life and Lies of Charles Dickens(November 2023), already praised by Kirkus Reviews as ‘a literary bio that deftly untangles truth from untruth’, and ofJane Austen, the Secret Radical(2016), hailed as ‘a sublime piece of literary detective work’ (The Observer) and ‘an interpretive coup that is dazzling and dizzying’ (The New Yorker).
Chapter 1: The Rectory
Chapter 2: Revolution
Chapter 3: Army and Navy
Chapter 4: Give a Girl an Education
Chapter 5: City
Chapter 6: Countryside
Chapter 7: Seaside
Chapter 8: Empire and Slavery
Chapter 9: Legacies
Chapter 10: Austenmania
Chapter 11: Present Day
End Notes
Index
Picture Credits
Acknowledgements
“Kelly brilliantly reconstructs the tumultuous world lÓ+
![The Worlds of Jane Austen: The Influences and Inspiration Behind the Novels [Hardcover]](/itemImage/2/0/2/2/2_6949624.jpg "The Worlds of Jane Austen: The Influences and Inspiration Behind the Novels [Hardcover]")