Jane Austen's Letters 4th edition collected and edited by Deidre le Faye (Oxford University Press, £25) (From York Press)

Jane Austen's Letters 4th edition collected and edited by Deidre le Faye (Oxford University Press, £25)

9:10am Wednesday 18th January 2012 in Books By Bill Spence

WHAT an utter delight it is to enter the world of Regency England, away from the problems of the 21st century.

At a time of war with France, these letters give little mention to the politics of the day, and any military comment is simply applied to family members.

Jane Austen’s letters provide us with a wealth of detail concerning simple family matters from the birth of nieces and nephews to the new lace caps she has made and the acquaintances she meets; the balls she attends and the gossip she has heard.

As in her novels we see the sharp observations of character and her letters are filled with the same wit she applies to her writing but it is her touching correspondence with her sister Cassandra that gives us the most insight into Jane’s character.

The newly-updated biographical index makes it easy to check every person she names enabling the reader to get a richer experience of the society she mixed in and the topographical index reveals the changes of an English landscape.

Deidre le Faye gives us a new preface that gives details of the history of the great author’s letters. I got so entranced reading them that I forgot the meaning of time and went back to the computer very reluctantly.