The Cinematic Jane Austen: Essays on the Filmic Sensibility of the Novels

The novels of Jane Austen are typified by their comedic power, often most powerfully demonstrated by the singular voice of their narrators. Yet what makes them arresting novels can also produce a less than satisfactory transformation to the world of cinema, where the voice of a narrator often becomes obtrusive. This work argues that despite the difficulties in adapting Austen's writing for the screen, there have been many successes. Each author examines Austen's texts for their inherent cinematic features, analyzing the use of these features in film versions of the novels.