Linda Bree has done a marvelous job in this superb new edition of Persuasion. The searching introduction, the informative notes, and most of all the illuminating selection of contextual material make Austen's well-known masterpiece come alive again as a compelling and unsettling new text. Bree clarifies subtleties of class structure, social criticism, and manners that elude many North American as well as British students. Newcomers and longtime admirers of this novel will find much to learn from and enjoy here. All in all, Bree's edition deepens and enriches our understanding of Persuasion. An impressive and admirable achievement! - Claudia L. Johnson, Princeton University
This splendid edition is ideal for both the student and the scholar of Austen. Always one of Austen's most fascinating novels, Persuasion is made eminently teachable and readable with this wonderful edition; reading it made me want to teach the novel again, soon, just so I can take advantage of Bree's fine work. - Catherine Ingrassia, Virginia Commonwealth University
Introduction
Acknowledgements
Jane Austen: A Brief Chronology
A Note on the Text
Persuasion
Appendix A: The Canceled Chapters of Persuasion
Appendix B: Biographical Notice of the Author
Appendix C: Extracts from Jane Austen's letters
Appendix D: From Thomas Gisborne, An Enquiry into the Duties of the Female Sex
Appendix E: From Priscilla Wakefield, Reflections on the Present Condition of the Female Sex
Appendix F: Extract from the Annual Register, London 1806
Appendix G: From James Thomson, The Seasons: A Poem
Appendix H: From Walter Scott, Marmion: A Tale of Flodden Field
Appendix I: From Lord Byron, The Giaour: A Fragment of a Turkish Tale
Select Bibliography