Love and Friendship by Jane Austen
This Collection of Early Work Reveals Wit, Intelligence, and Humour
Jun 29, 2009
The collection begins with “Love and Friendship,” an epistolary novel that shows Austen’s famous wit, even at an early age. In true British fashion, she describes the ancestry of the heroine, Laura:
“My Father was a native of Ireland and an inhabitant of Wales; my Mother was the natural Daughter [sic] of a Scotch Peer by an italian Opera-girl [sic] – I was born in Spain and received my Education at a Convent in France [sic].”
The collection of writings is filled with quaint spellings, odd capitalisations, and sometimes misspellings, as in “freind” vs. “friend.”
- “Love and Friendship” is the story of Laura and her instant marriage to a young nobleman: “The noble Youth informed us that his name was Lindsay – for particular reasons however I shall conceal it under that of Talbot.”
- The humour is juvenile, as when Laura’s family holds a long discussion as to whether or not there was a knock on the door, and then they discuss whether or not it should be answered.
- Her humour is shown in exaggerated actions and characterisations, as in instant marriages and friendships: “She was all sensibility and Feeling. We flew into each others arms and after having exchanged vows of mutual Freindship for the rest of our Lives, instantly unfolded to each other the most inward secrets of our Hearts.” [sic]
The History of England
This history, written by “a partial, prejudiced, and ignorant historian,” in the author’s own words, also is part of the work and is addressed to her sister, Cassandra. There is a note that there will be very few specific dates included, and true to her word, the history certainly lacks specificity.
What it does not lack, however, is wit and humour.
- “Henry the 4th ascended the throne of England much to his own satisfaction in the year 1399…”
- “During (Henry the 5th’s) reign, Lord Cobham was burnt alive, but I forget what for.”
- “Many were the people who fell martyrs to the protestant Religion [sic] during (Mary’s) reign; I suppose not fewer than a dozen.”
This history, with a professed an unapologetic dislike of Elizabeth I, is dated Saturday, Nov. 26 1791, making Jane Austen just 16 when she wrote it.
A Collection of Letters
This collection is addressed to Jane Austen’s cousin, Miss Cooper with typical Austen-style humour and wit:
“…with Caution and Care I Commend to your Charitable Criticism this Clever Collection of Curious Comments, which have been Carefully Culled, Collected and Classed by your Comical Cousin.” [sic]
The First Act of a Comedy
This addition to the entire collection contains stage directions, lively dialogue, and characters with names such as Popgun and Pistoletta.
There are also additional assorted scraps of letters and a short story in this collection.
The Value of Love and Friendship
Indeed, the true value of Love and Friendship is for people who feel close to Jane Austen and love her other writings. It is a chance to experience early writings of the author, and it is fascinating to watch her development as a writer.
Comparing this work even to the later Lady Susan, another epistolary novel, and then moving forward to the simple love story but complex portrait of human emotion that is the novel Persuasion, readers can see how the author’s natural perception sharpened and her powers of making the mundane seem magnificent grew to be, if not her greatest strength, then certainly one of her gifts that keep people coming back to her writing again and again.
Jane Austen’s work never seems to grow old or tired. It is a wonderful way to escape to what seems to be a less hurried and harried time, a world where there is time to pick flowers and dress for dinner.
The charm of Love and Friendship may not be appreciated by all, but for those who visit Jane Austen’s world of Regency England often, it is a delightful compilation of early writings that will amuse and captivate.
Source: Love and Friendship, by Jane Austen, Wildside Press, 2004, ISBN 0-8095-8993-1.
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