Synopses & Reviews
In her first published novel,
Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen presents us with the subtle portraits of two contrasting but equally compelling heroines. For sensible Elinor Dashwood and her impetuous younger sister Marianne the prospect of marrying the men they love appears remote. In a world ruled by money and self-interest, the Dashwood sisters have neither fortune nor connections. Concerned for others and for social proprieties, Elinor is ill-equipped to compete with self-centered fortune-hunters like Lucy Steele, while Marianne's unswerving belief in the truth of her own feelings makes her more dangerously susceptible to the designs of unscrupulous men.
Through her heroines' parallel experiences of love, loss, and hope, Jane Austen offers a powerful analysis of the ways in which women's lives were shaped by the claustrophobic society in which they had to survive. This revised edition contains new notes, appendices, chronology, and bibliography.
Review
"Excellent intro.--readable, thoughtful."--Robin Feuer Miller,
Brandeis University"A superb scholarly text with a thought-provoking introduction. This is the finest text available. Attractively presented, the price is right and the introduction is genuinely useful for students. Excellent scholarly apparatus: incisive but not cumbersome."--Dr. A.G. Hunter, Curry College
"Excellent but not overwhelming notes, superb introductions, intelligent decisions on textual issues. I especially like the readable type and the reasonable margins for notes!"--David Holloway, Portland State University
"Doody's useful introduction . . . clarif[ies] the complexities of Austen's irony for today's readers."--Thomas A. King, Brandeis University
"Excellent intro. with a helpful bibliography. Convenient size, easy-to-read print, affordable."--Janice Cooke, University of New Orleans
"A very attractive presentation of a classical text."--Justus Rosenberg, Bard College
"An excellent value for the cost."--Ellen M. Casey, Ph.D., University of Scranton
"A most commendable publication that all undergraduates will appreciate and all graduates will esteem."--Dr. Andreas K. Poulakidas, Ball State University
"A very enlightening introductory section and an excellent selective bibliography."--Robert O'Connor, North Dakota State University
"Excellent edition."--Dr. Anne Burley, Towson State University
Synopsis
This glossary offers an introduction to Spanish culture and society, and a route-map to further study. Designed specifically with undergraduates in mind, it contains around 400 short and accessible explanations of the key words, events, figures and concepts in Spain since 1939. From
"Almodovar" and "Basque" to "Xunta de Galicia" and "zarzuela," Spanish Culture and Society gives an interdisciplinary overview of Spanish culture and society, and offers directions for further reading. Covering politics, popular culture, private life, cultural institutions and significant events,
the entries are fully cross-referenced and assume no prior knowledge, making this an essential reference for students of Spanish culture in the Humanities and Social Sciences.
About the Author
Margaret Anne Doody has edited and introduced many texts for OWC and Penguin, including novels by Frances Burney and Charlotte Lennox. She is the editor of Austen's
Catharine and Other Writings in OWC. She is the author of
The True Story of the Novel (HarperCollines/Fontana 1998) and novels featuring the detective Aristotle. Claire Lamont has edited novels by Walter Scott and Austen for OWC and Penguin. She is the textual editor of Penguin's edition of Jane Austen's novels.