The books in this series provide an introduction to the life and works of selected writers. Each book aims to develop a critical understanding of a writer's work, through a commentary on several texts which students are most likely to encounter. These are viewed in relation to the writer's life and literary career, and to the social and political context of the day. The series may be suitable as background reading for students of GCSE and Standard Grade in Scotland. This book considers the fiction of Jane Austen, examining some of her major works and placing them against the background of her life, both as a woman and a writer, and of the times in which she lived. The period was not a time of peace and stability, but of war in which society was already on the brink of great social change. Williams presents this as the backdrop to Austen's preoccupation with the issues of marriage, property, status and social class. "Pride and Prejudice" and "Northanger Abbey" give insights into her themes, moral purpose and method of storytelling. These are related to the fiction popular at the time. - from Amzon