内容简介
Publishedin1811,SenseandSensibilityhasdelightedgenerationsofreaderswithitsmasterfullycraftedportraitoftwosisters,ElinorandMarianneDashwood.Forcedtoleavetheirhomeaftertheirfather'sdeath,ElinorandMariannemustrelyonmakinggoodmarriagesastheirmeansofsupport.Butunscrupulouscads,meddlesomematriarchs,andvariousguilelessandartfulwomenimpingeontheirchancesforloveandhappiness.ThenovelistElizabethBowenwrote,"Thetechniqueof[JaneAusten'snovels]isbeyondpraise....Hermasteryoftheartshechose,orthatchoseher,iscomplete."ThisModernLibraryPaperbackClassicseditioncontainsanewIntroductionbyPulitzerPrizefinalistDavidGates,inadditiontonewexplanatorynotes.
作者简介
JaneAustenwasborninSteventon,Hampshire,onDecember16,1775.Herfather,theReverendGeorgeAusten,wasrectorofSteventon,whereshespentherfirsttwenty-fiveyears,alongwithhersixbrothers(twoofthemlaternavalofficersintheNapoleonicwars)andheradoredsister,Cassandra.Shereadvoraciouslyfromanearlyage,countingamongherfavoritesthenovelsofSamuelRichardson,HenryFielding,andFannyBurney,andthepoetryofWilliamCowperandGeorgeCrabbe.Herfamilywaslivelyandaffectionateandtheyencouragedherprecociousliteraryefforts,theearliestdatingfromagetwelve,whichalreadydisplayedthebeginningsofhercomicstyle.Herfirstnovels,ElinorandMarianne(1796)andFirstImpressions(1797),werenotpublished.ThegothicparodyNorthangerAbbeywasacceptedforpublicationin1803butwasultimatelywithheldbythepublisher.In1801thefamilymovedtoBath,whereforfouryearsAustenwasabletoobservethefashionablewateringplacethatwouldlaterfigureprominentlyinherfiction.Austenwassociableinheryouth,andwasbrieflyengagedin1802.TwoyearslatershebeganworkonTheWatsons,anovelthatremainedunfinished.Afterthedeathofherfatherin1805,shelivedwithhermotherandsisterinSouthamptonforafewyearsbeforemovingwiththemtoacottageatChawtoninHampshire.Thiswouldbeherhomefortherestofherlife,andshewrotemanyofhernovelsinitsparlor.Shecontinuedtoreviseherearlierunpublishedwork,andin1811aversionofElinorandMariannewaspublishedasSenseandSensibility,followedtwoyearslaterbyPrideandPrejudice,areworkingofFirstImpressions.InthenextfewyearsshepublishedMansfieldPark(1814)andEmma(1816).Austenbecameillin1815,perhapswithAddison'sdisease,andshediedonJuly18,1817.Persuasion,herlastnovel,andtheearlierNorthangerAbbeyappearedthefollowingyear.Ofherlastdaysherbrotherwrote:'Shewrotewhilstshecouldholdapen,andwithapencilwhenapenwasbecometoolaborious.Thedayprecedingherdeathshecomposedsomestanzasrepletewithfancyandvigour.'AlthoughAustenreceivedsomepraisefromhercontemporaries—notablySirWalterScott,whodiscernedinherwork'theexquisitetouch,whichrendersordinarycommonplacethingsandcharactersinteresting,fromthetruthofthedescriptionandthesentiment'—herdetractorsincludedCharlotteBronte('veryincompleteandratherinsensible')andRalphWaldoEmerson('vulgarintone,sterileinartisticinvention'),andherbooksdidnotimmediatelyfindawidereadership.Theturninherreputationcamelateinthenineteenthcentury,andhasbeensucceededbyanenduringpopularityandwidespreadcriticalpraiseinthetwentieth.FromtheeBookedition.,,,
