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In her first published novel, Jane Austen presents us with the subtle portraits of two contrasting by equally compelling heroines. Through their parallel experiences of love, loss, and hope, she offers a powerful analysis of the ways in which women´s lives were shaped by the claustrophobic society in which they had to survive. This revised editions contains new notes, appendices, chronology, and bibliography.

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Jane Austen, geb. 1775 in Steventon (Hampshire) als Tochter eines Landpfarrers, ist die Schöpferin bedeutender klassischer Werke der englischen Literatur. Nach Meinung ihres Bruders führte sie ´ein ereignisloses Leben´. Sie starb 41-jährig, unverheiratet und kinderlos, an Tuberkulose. Ihre literarische Welt war die des englischen Landadels, deren wohl kaschierte Abgründe sie mit feiner Ironie und Satire entlarvte. Psychologisches Feingefühl und eine lebendige Sprache machen ihre scheinbar konventionellen Liebesgeschichten zu einer spannenden Lektüre.

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Born in 1775, Jane Austen published her many novels anonymously. Her work was not widely read until the late nineteenth century, and her fame only continued to grow from there. Known for her wit and sharp insight into social conventions, her novels about love, relationships, and society grow more popular year after year. She has earned her place in history as one of the most cherished writers in English literature.

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