What are the right & wrong ways to propose marriage? What do the characters call each other & why? & which important Austen characters never speak? In twenty short chapters each of which answers a question prompted by Jane Austens novels John Mullan illuminates the themes that matter most to the workings of Austens fiction. Inspired by an enthusiastic readers curiosity based on a lifetimes study & written with flair & insight What Matters in Jane Austen? uncovers the hidden truth about an extraordinary fictional world.