This is an engaging account of the six most-read Austen novels. It provides a detailed critique of Northanger Abbey, Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, and Persuasion, linking the significance of the works from the past to the present day in the light of contemporary attitudes to women, tradition, and innovation. The book explores the influence of art, architecture, music, literature, theology, philosophy, history, and politics in the novels, and discusses both traditional and contemporary literary theory, examining Austen's use of wit and irony, and the nuances of her vocabulary.