Literary critics view Austen’s early work as a masterpiece of satire and wit-I read it with a comfort and humor that she’s just a Challenge B student writing a short story in the beautiful and ridiculous way that fourteen-year-olds do. Austen wrote Love and Friendshipwhen she was fourteen. In my adventures reading back through Jane Austen novels, I discovered more of her work that she wrote in her younger years. Maybe that was just my own experience, but then as I’ve read other short stories from other students, I find a similar theme in the struggle. Typically they are somewhat ridiculous and parents struggle with reining in that imagination. This can provide some conflict between parents and students as the eighth-grade mind sets to work at crafting a masterpiece. Students read classic short stories, and then they have the adventure of writing their own.

One of my favorite assignments in the Classical Conversations program is in the exposition strand of second semester Challenge B: short stories. Don't read this too seriously, or you may just be disappointed.īest life lesson of the book: too much swooning will kill you. It isn't morbid or sad, just quickly disposed of! Her fearlessness in penning this story reminds me of the beauty of a youthful perspective on the way the world works. If a character is no longer needed to advance the plot, they die. The ridiculousness ensues as Laura navigates meeting her in-laws, finding friends, and helping others along the way. A handsome young man shows up on her family's doorstep lamenting his awful arranged marriage and then falls in love with her! Since her father is conveniently a minister, they get married on the spot. Laura's adventures are wildly romantic and reflect her views of relationships in her day. That being said, I loved every minute of reading this story. Writing a novel at that age is impressive, but her youthful imagination does not read like her more famous novels. When reading this, it's important to keep in mind that Austen wrote this novel when she was 14. Through a series of letters, 55-year-old Laura shares her escapades in Love and Friendship with her best friend's daughter. Published by Read & Company Classics on August 10, 2018 Austen is a gem of an author that I am loving getting to know as I read more of her writings.

Understanding more about the author provides a richness of insight into her later works.

Love and Friendship is a treasure in that it gives us a glimpse into Austen's worldview as a young girl. As I've started reading more Austen, these early novels have been one of my favorite finds. I recently discovered that Jane Austen wrote some lesser known works when she was younger.

Love and Friendship by Jane Austen