What Matters in Jane Austen de John Mullan
Foi recentemente editado no Reino Unido um livro com o título: What Matters in Jane Austen, a autoria pertence a John Mullan.
Aqui vai a descrição retirada da Amazon:
Is there any sex in Austen? What do the characters call each other, and why? What are the right and wrong ways to propose marriage? And which important Austen characters never speak? In What Matters in Austen, John Mullan shows that you can best appreciate Jane Austen's brilliance by looking at the intriguing quirks and intricacies of her fiction - by asking and answering some very specific questions about what goes on in her novels, he reveals their devilish cleverness. In twenty-one short chapters, each of which answers a question prompted by Jane Austen's novels, Mullan illuminates the themes that matter most to the workings of the fiction. So the reader will discover when people had their meals and what shops they went to, how they addressed each other, who was allowed to write letters to whom, who owned coaches or pianos, how vicars got good livings and how wealth was inherited. What Matters in Austen explores the rituals and conventions of her fictional world in order to reveal her technical virtuosity and sheer daring as a novelist. Though not a book about Jane Austen's life, it uses biographical detail and telling passages from her letters to explain episodes in her novels; readers will find out, for example, what novels she read or how much money she had to live on or what she saw at the theatre. Inspired by an enthusiastic reader's curiosity, written with flair and based on a lifetime's study, What Matters in Austen will appeal to all those who love and enjoy Jane Austen's work.
Este livro, a julgar pela descrição será uma excelente leitura para todos nós amantes de Austen! Como não vivemos naquele tempo, alguns pormenores escapam-nos e por vezes nem sequer percebemos o quanto Jane Austen é brilhante.
O livro está no nono lugar do top Geral, publicado pelo jornal The Guardian. Vi esta informação na revista Ler deste mês, estou a partilhar para todos os interessados em Austen. Mais uma vez fica a questão porque será que este tipo de livros não chegam às editoras portuguesas? Porque será que temos continuamente de fazer o esforço de ler em inglês se queremos conhecer melhor algum escritor?