The Wit and Wisdom of Jane Austen

Book Review Sep 05, 2024

My review

3/5 stars

I was very kindly gifted this lovely little book by a family member who knows how much I love Jane Austen. The book is a collection of Jane Austen quotes organised by theme. The source material is pulled from her novels, her juvenelia and her personal letters.

I enjoyed reading through all of the nuggets that she left the world with, and seeing them themed together was an interesting way to take in the content. I did struggle with the flow of the quotes though. I imagine it's been designed as a book that you dip in and out of rather than something you read from cover to cover.

I liked that the book introduced me to some quotes that I wasn't previously aware of, but everything being out of context of it's wider content made it tricky to follow along with some of the intention.

A nice light read, but overall I found the formatting challenging.

Book blurb

A charming ebook full of Jane Austen’s wittiest and wisest thoughts and aphorisms.

As any schoolgirl knows, ‘It is a truth universally acnowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.’ (Pride and Prejudice). However, in a letter to a friend, Jane Austen issues a word of warning: ‘Anything is to be preferred or endured rather than marrying without affection’. For Jane Austen’s views on marriage, the family, money and society are not only ascerbic but both profound and subtle.

Dip into it or read THE WIT AND WISDOM OF JANE AUSTEN from cover to cover- and enjoy!