Why are we so fascinated with Jane Austen s novels? Why is Austen so universally beloved? The essayists in this volume offer their thoughts on the delightful puzzle of Austen s popularity. Classic and contemporary writers novelists, essayists, journalists, scholars, and a filmmaker discuss the tricks and treasures of Austen s novels, from her witty dialogue, to the arc and sweep of her story lines, to her prescriptions for life and love.
Virginia Woolf examines Austen s maturation as an artist and speculates on how her writing would have changed had she lived another twenty years, while...

Why Shakespeare? What explains our continued fascination with his poems and plays? In "Living with Shakespeare, "Susannah Carson invites forty actors, directors, scholars, and writers to reflect on why his work is still such a vital part of our culture.
We hear from James Earl Jones on reclaiming Othello as a tragic hero, Julie Taymor on turning Prospero into Prospera, Camille Paglia on teaching the plays to actors, F. Murray Abraham on gaining an audience s sympathy for Shylock, Sir Ben Kingsley on communicating Shakespeare s ideas through performance, Germaine Greer on the playwright s...