Reference Reviews

Lawrence Looks at Books

Critical Companion to Jane Austen: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work. William Baker. 644p. New York: Facts on File, 2008. 978-0-8160-6416-8. $75.

Critical Companion to Jane Austen: A Literary Reference to Her Life and Work With her penetrating portraits of human nature and delicate social dramas, the novels of Jane Austen have commanded an appreciative audience for nearly two centuries. While critics have often equivocated about the quality of her work, her fans among the reading public have placed her novels among the most widely read works of English literature. In recent years, her realistic characters have enjoyed spectacular popularity in book, film and television adaptations. This literary companion closely examines the works at the base of this phenomenon, and provides both the novice and the seasoned reader with considerable insight into Austen's universe of characters. The survey commences with a biographical investigation of the author's personal life and career. The heart of the guide consists of critical analyses of the six major novels and dozens of minor works and juvenilia. Each entry outlines the composition and publication history of a work. A brief synopsis sketches the setting and action of each story. Detailed critical commentary illuminates stylistic elements and meaning in the narrative, on a chapter by chapter basis. Numerous subentries describe the roles of hundreds of figures who populate Austen's vision of Regency England. Selective bibliographies enumerate critical editions and secondary works. A selection of 82 topical entries explores critical reception, related family figures, contemporary writers and common themes in Austen's novels. Supplemental materials include a chronology of Jane Austen's life and bibliographies of her scholarly editions and criticism. The result is an excellent guide for "Janeites" in academic, public and high school libraries.
—John R.M. Lawrence