Jane Austen and Food.(Brief Article)

Now that so many works of purely literary criticism exist, analysing and discussing the plots, construction, and characters of Jane Austen's novels in the most minute detail, it is very welcome indeed to read studies written from freshet, broader viewpoints. Such studies take as their subject-matter some particular facet of the social history of the period, which can be illustrated by reference to the novels and to JA's own letters; in turn, detailed consideration of the historical background gives a deeper meaning to what may otherwise seem to be merely casual or unimportant comments in JA's texts. In recent years there have been specialist monographs dealing with music, …