A Jane Austen encyclopedia

Perhaps the first modern novelist, Jane Austen (1775-1817) has left an indelible mark on the world of letters. This reference book is an accurate, comprehensive, and detailed guide to her life and works. The chronologies that begin the volume outline the principal events in her life and place her works within larger historical and literary contexts. The hundreds of alphabetically arranged entries that follow identify characters, discuss works and themes, and synthesize the vast body of criticism devoted to her writings. The volume concludes with extensive bibliographies of works by and about Austen.