What Matters in Jane Austen? - by John Mullan (Hardcover)

About the Book

From 'Is there Sex Before Marriage in Austen?' to 'Which important Austen characters never speak?' the Guardian Book Club columnist answers 21 apparently trivial questions that reveal deep and hidden truths about Jane Austen's fictional world

Book Synopsis

"An Austen lover's greatest wish is for more of her novels. This intimate guide to the world of her books in the next best thing." --The Atlantic

Marking the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth, What Matters in Jane Austen? solves the mysteries of Austen's fictional world.

Is there any sex in Jane Austen?
What are the right and wrong ways to propose marriage?
Which important characters never actually speak?

Jane Austen's novels have been a staple of the English canon since the nineteenth century. Yet critics of the time did not appreciate the true complexity of her work. Nothing, John Mullan argues, is accidental or coincidental in Austen. As Austen herself said, she wrote for readers who have "a great deal of ingenuity themselves."

What Matters in Jane Austen? gets to the heart of what it is that makes Austen's work so singular. In twenty chapters, answering questions her novels have posed for over two centuries, Mullan uncovers the hidden truth of an extraordinary fictional world and reveals the true brilliance--and underappreciated complexity--of Austen's work.

Jane Austen is the author of classics including Pride and Prejudice, Persuasion, and Sense and Sensibility. 2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Austen's birth, and this beautiful, insightful book is the perfect gift for every Austen fan.

Review Quotes

"Sends the reader back to the originals with fresh pleasure." --Tessa Hadley, The Guardian

"Delightful . . . Mullan's humorous guidebook encourages first-time Austen readers to pick up her novels and lovers of Austen to re-read for new details." --Publishers Weekly

"Highly entertaining . . . reveals a quite unexpected aspect to the novelist and her books." --Daily Mail

"A box of 20 literary chocolates for Austen fans to savor." --Kirkus Reviews

"An Austen lover's greatest wish is for more of her novels. This intimate guide to the world of her books in the next best thing." --The Atlantic

"Any new book on Jane Austen raises the urgent question, Would I get more pleasure from reading this than from re-reading my favourite Jane Austen novel? If you decide to give What Matters in Jane Austen a chance you'll know after a few pages that you've made the right choice." --John Carey, Sunday Times

"Mullan not only provides enlightening context, but also shows readers how to see Austen with fresh eyes, as a novelist of sentiment, and more importantly, remarkable artistic precision . . . Reading What Matters in Jane Austen? feels like both a return to the joys of Austen's fiction and a reminder of how much remains to be discovered." --The Compulsive Reader

"Mullan's close reading will provide serious fans with plenty of new insights for the next time they pick up one of Austen's books." --Booklist

"[Mullan] brings fresh new and insights into the literary details and truths found within Jane Austen's fiction." --Shelf Awareness

"2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Austen's birth, and, a beautiful, insightful study . . . by Professor John Mullan . . . is a timely and unreservedly recommended pick for personal, community and college/university library Literary Studies/Jane Austin collections and supplemental curriculum studies lists." --Midwest Book Review

"This collection of essays will delight. Mullan's intent is to reveal Austen's cleverness and revolutionary approach, and he succeeds, deftly sharing with readers his enthusiasm and knowledge gleaned from Austen scholarship in this enjoyable read. Fans will appreciate the clarity and perspective Mullan brings to a beloved author's works." --Library Journal

"[A] fine collection of essays . . . Like all good literary critics, he has the happy knack of making you read even familiar works with fresh eyes, and the essays in this book are among the best of their kind." --Daily Telegraph

"A detailed primer on Jane Austen's attitudes to sex, money, class and even the weather." --Sunday Times, "Must Reads"

"There is plenty to enjoy in this parade of Austen micro-knowledge." --Evening Standard

"Fascinating . . . If you love Jane Austen, you'll love this book too-it's almost as good as finding an unpublished novel." --The Lady

"I have never read a Jane Austen novel, but I plan to do so now! Apparently, I have been missing a rich and fascinating trove of novels that I have vastly underestimated. Don't make the same mistake. And read this book first!" --WTBF-AM/FM (Alabama)

About the Author

John Mullan is Lord Northcliffe Professor of Modern English Literature at University College London. He has published widely on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century literature, including The Artful Dickens (Bloomsbury, 2020). He has edited Jane Austen's Sense and Sensibility and Emma for Oxford World's Classics. He is also a broadcaster and journalist, writing on contemporary fiction for The Guardian. He has taught Austen to university students for over three decades and lectured widely to lovers of her fiction in both the UK and the US. He lives in London.