Books

Handsomely bound in matching bindings by Riviere and Son (stamped) in quarter leather spines with raised bands and leather tips; with marble-paper covered boards. The spines are elaborately decorated and stamped in gold. Each spine bears two red moroccan leather labels stamped with "Jane Austen's Novels" and the title of each volume. Top edges gold as well. Very clean and tight throughout with marbled endpapers. This New Edition has the title page dates of 1885 (Pride and Prejudice, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park); and 1886 (Emma, Sense and Sensibility, A Memoir of the Author). Each volume has an engraved frontispiece with tissue guard. With the plain italic printed name of the previous owner on a small rectangle of white on the front paste-downs. A very solid and attractive set of Austen's novels, with uniform darkening to the leather spines, numerous scuff marks to the corners and edges of the leather tips; edge-rubbing, and a slight spine slant to two volumes. A charming set with the striking engravings, notably the portrait of Jane Austen in "A Memoir." Jane Austen (1775 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage in the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Her works critique the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Her use of biting irony, along with her realism and social commentary, have earned her acclaim among critics and scholars. With the publications of Sense and Sensibility(1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813),Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816), she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1818, and began another, eventually titled Sanditon, but died before its completion. She also left behind three volumes of juvenile writings in manuscript and another unfinished novel, The Watsons. Her six full-length novels have rarely been out of print, although they were published anonymously and brought her moderate success and little fame during her lifetime. A significant transition in her posthumous reputation occurred in 1833, when her novels were republished in Richard Bentley's Standard Novels series, illustrated by Ferdinand Pickering, and sold as a set. They gradually gained wider acclaim and popular readership. In 1869, fifty-two years after her death, her nephew's publication of A Memoir of Jane Austen introduced a compelling version of her writing career and supposedly uneventful life to an eager audience. (Wikipedia).

Emma Woodhouse is a young, beautiful, witty, and privileged woman in Regency England who, from the comfort of her large estate, amuses herself with matchmaking schemes for her friends and acquaintances. With no intention to marry herself, Emma's actions often backfire, causing distress among her circle and highlighting the societal challenges and limitations of the time. Despite her flaws and missteps, Emma experiences a journey of personal growth and self-awareness.