| Synopsis: |
This is a unique edition of Jane Austen's early burlesques; Lesley Castle, inspired novella in letters, is not included in the Penguin edition of her juvenilia, and is presented here alongside A History of England, and Catharine. In it, she presents a series of outrageously superficial characters, brilliantly showcasing her comic genius. As Miss Margaret Lesley and Miss Charlotte Lutterell divulge their innermost secrets through a series of letters, each reveals where her true priorities lie: if a bridegroom is fatally wounded the night before his wedding, the first concern must inexorably be for the luxurious food that will be laid to waste. As one plot gives way to the next, and as the heroines exchange wisdom on adultery, elopement, divorce and remarriage, they increasingly become prey to the merciless and lambasting sword of Jane Austen's wit. 'Austen, it is safe to say, was some species of genius.' - from the Foreword by Zoe Heller |