"The Friendly Jane Austen" is the ultimate pop reference guide for die-hard Janeites and new converts to the Jane cult alike. It is a) chock full of information about Jane's life, times and novels and b) really fun to read. Take the Jane-type test. ("How do we love Jane? Let us count the ways") Hit the highlights of her juvenilia. Identify the great lines from each of her novels. Decide whether Fanny Price is a great heroine or an insufferable bore. Puzzle over what on earth Jane could have meant by the last line of Persuasion.

With quizzes aplenty, complete guides to every novel and favorite character, illustrations on nearly every spread, a complete filmography, a bibliography covering every Jane sequel, spinoff and mystery series, and interviews with Austen biographers, Fay Weldon and Miss Manners alike, "The Friendly Jane Austen" is an indispensable companion for the millions of fans who re-read Pride and Prejudice every year, own Sense & Sensibility on videotape, and watch Clueless for its Emma subtext. And for anyone with a loved one who asks, "Which Jane Austen novel should I read first?" this book is the newcomer's essential introduction.