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Some Words of Jane Austen
Jane Austen’s readers continue to find delight in the justness of her moral and psychological discriminations. But for most readers, her values have been a phenomenon more felt than fully apprehended. In this book, Stuart M. Tave identifies and explains a number of the central concepts across Austen’s novels—examining how words like “odd,” “exertion,” and, of course, “sensibility,” hold the key to understanding the Regency author’s language of moral values. Tracing the force and function of these words from Sense and Sensibility to Persuasion , Tave invites us to consider the peculiar and subtle ways in which word choice informs the conduct, moral standing, and self-awareness of Austen’s remarkable characters.
- GenresNonfictionCriticism
First published January 1, 1973
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 23, 2019
2.5 stars
It was fine. Tave's analysis is less analysis and more plot summary and the occasional interesting observation. His interpretations of Austen's works are not exactly novel, and I could forgive them that if they were at least engaging or rigorously argued, but they weren't.
It was fine. Tave's analysis is less analysis and more plot summary and the occasional interesting observation. His interpretations of Austen's works are not exactly novel, and I could forgive them that if they were at least engaging or rigorously argued, but they weren't.
February 2, 2009
Favorite book EVER, and the best analysis of Austen's characters you will find. If you know your Austen, you will love this book if you can find a copy. Published in 1973 by University of Chicago Press, I have treasured it for over 30 years. I reread it about once a year and refer to it much more often than that.
November 6, 2022
This book is quite literally what it says in the title: a book about certain words that Jane Austen uses and how they fit into her entire oeuvre. If you're a Jane Austen devotee like me, you might find this book to be slightly superfluous, but I welcomed the chance to revisit her novels and characters and gained some slightly shifted perspectives on some of both. If you consider yourself a "sophisticated" or "learned" reader, much of what Tave writes about will have already been obvious to you. It is still a rewarding read, with an introductory chapter on Austen's purported "limitations" being the most rewarding bit. Tave argues that there is nothing confined or claustrophobic about Austen's social milieu, the setting for all of her characters, but rather Austen's genius can be defined as masterfully and creatively engaging her circumscribed social world in ways that only a truly gifted write could. Tave goes on through all of Austen's main characters, focusing on words like "sensibility", "mortify", "imagination", "exertion" and so on, to illustrate Austen's gift. Think of this as a way of imagining Austen's works as a kind of AEU, Austen Expanded Universe.
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January 28, 2024Precision of language yields depth of insight.
Tave's work attends with care to the extraordinary care with which Austen writes. Becoming more fully aware of her precision increases one's understanding of what she shows of human excellence and of human failing. Tave's is a work of love. Bravo!
Tave's work attends with care to the extraordinary care with which Austen writes. Becoming more fully aware of her precision increases one's understanding of what she shows of human excellence and of human failing. Tave's is a work of love. Bravo!
August 3, 2016
The finest book on Austen. Full stop. Also, one of the finest books on the moral life I have read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews