3.75⭐️ rounded up

What a delightful collection of Jane Austen’s juvenilia. Some of the writings were more entertaining than others. I especially enjoyed Jane’s farcical history of England, Lady Susan, and some of her novellas.

One of the most humorous quotes from this collection was this:

“Lovely and too charming Fair one, notwithstanding your forbidding squint, your greasy tresses and your swelling back, which are more frightful than imagination can paint or pen describe, I cannot refrain from expressing my raptures at the engaging Qualities of your Mind, which so amply atone for the Horror with which your first appearance must ever inspire the unwary visitor.”

I also liked the last letter in the book, which is attributed to her, and in which she humorously writes to a periodical author to tell him his stories need more women in them (that they haven’t got them is a ghastly oversight, of course, and the stories would be so much more interesting with ladies, as she illustrates). She concludes, “If you think fit to comply with this my injunction, you may expect to hear from me again, and perhaps I may even give you a little assistance; - but, if not - may your work be condemned to a pastry-cook’s shop, and may you always continue a bachelor, and be plagued with a maiden sister to keep house for you.”

I just find her utterly delightful and for the most part, I enjoyed the collection very much. ( )

Jane's Juvenilia, so this is not as polished and well thought out as her novels.
Letters done to amuse her family. There are parts where the humor really shines through. ( )

An omnibus of all of Jane Austen's writing as a youth, including Lady Susan, this was in many ways an eye opener. Austen's sly wit is often mentioned when discussing her 6 major novels, but her early writing is something else altogether; nothing sly about her writing here: it's full of Monty Python-esque humour, snark, farce and, in the case of Lady Susan outright, premeditated malice to a degree I wouldn't have ever thought Jane Austen likely to have written. All in all, a delightful discovery.

The book is laid out in the exact order Jane Austen's three notebooks were, which, with few exceptions, were in roughly chronological order. The progression of her writing and the evolution of maturity are evident and scheming malice aside, Lady Susan reads like Austen's later works.

I experienced a combination of dread and curiosity about these works; reading the writings of a juvenile runs the risk of tediousness. Fortunately what tediousness existed was contained in blessedly short stories and none of them were without entertainment value. Foremost, it was a genuine pleasure to find that my favorite author was, behind it all, someone I'd have loved being friends with and whose snark I would have greatly enjoyed. ( )

At this point I’ve read and reread all of Austen’s novels. Each time I dive into her work I discover new things to reflect upon. This was my first foray into her juvenilia and I was surprised to find her sharp wit and sense of humor were already developed. She clearly improved her character and plot development with age, but these early works still have her tone.

I’d already read Lady Susan, which is included her, but the rest was new to me. I have to say the Penguin Clothbound Classics edition was excellent. The introduction includes information about the pieces in the book and Austen’s life, which provides context and depth.

"A remarkable feature of the juvenilia is its ability to subvert limitations imposed on young women, especially in the field of education."

Each of the tales focuses more on a single plot point than on character development. There's the girl who accidentally gotten engaged to two different men, and then commits suicide because she felt so bad. Another flirts at a ball and is scandalized. There are also quite a few glimpses of her later novels. In "From a Young Lady crossed in Love to her freind" we meet a young woman who is overwhelmed with heartbreak when she is betrayed by a man named Willoughby, just like Sense and Sensibility.

Austen’s sense of humor is particularly obvious in “The History of England”. She declares it is written by "a partial, prejudiced, and ignorant Historian". It includes lines like…

"During his reign, Lord Cobham was burnt alive, but I forget what for."

Her dedications at the beginning of each story became one of my favorite parts of the book. They’re intentionally overly serious and very amusing.

BOTTOM LINE: Austen’s juvenilia is playful and fun, but it also shows the promise of the writer that she will become. I loved having the chance to learn more about one of my favorite authors through her early work. A must for any true Austen fan! ( )