Synopses & Reviews
Jane Austen's work was a true triumph of the comic spirit--of deep comedy, rising from the heart of human life. In
A Fine Brush on Ivory, Richard Jenkyns takes us on an amiable tour of Austen's fictional world, opening a window on some of the great works of world literature.
Focusing largely on Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma, but with many diverting side trips to Austen's other novels, Jenkyns shines a loving light on the exquisite craftsmanship and profound moral imagination that informs her writing. Readers will find, for instance, a wonderful discussion of characterization in Austen. Jenkyns's insight into figures such as Mr. Bennett or Mrs. Norris is brilliant--particularly his portrait of the amusing, clever, always ironic Mr. Bennett, whose humor (Jenkyns shows) arises out of a deeply unhappy and disappointing marriage. The author pays due homage to Austen's unmatched skill with complex plotting--the beauty with which the primary plot and the various subplots are woven together--highlighting the infinite care she took to make each plot detail as natural and as plausible as possible. Perhaps most important, Jenkyns illuminates the heart of Austen's moral imagination: she is constantly aware, throughout her works, of the nearness of evil to the comfortable social surface. She knows that the socially acceptable sins may be truly cruel and vicious, knows that society can be red in tooth and claw, and yet she allows the pleasures of comedy and celebration to subordinate them.
Insightful and highly entertaining, A Fine Brush on Ivory captures the spirit and originality of Jane Austen's work. It will be a cherished keepsake or gift for her many fans.
Review
"The subtitle of his slim volume perhaps best sums up the theme: this is indeed an appreciation of Austen and her work. This theme is carried out with gusto. Jenkyns contends early on that there is hardly another novelist of whom one may so readily say, 'That chapter, that paragraph, that sentence is a moment of genius'... Highly recommended."--Library Journal
About the Author
Richard Jenkyns is Professor of the Classical Tradition and Fellow of Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University.
Table of Contents
1. Beginnings
2. The Shape of Comedy
3. The Character of Character
4. A Park With a View
5. The Prisoner of Hartfield