Awe-inspiring literary legacy aside, one thing is for certain: Jane Austen could definitely hang. A new collection of some of her shorter works shows the writer in peak form, sharply mocking her social milieu with expert comedic timing:
The young Austen is hardly proper. She writes of drunkenness (in fact, she’s rather fond of the phrase “dead drunk”), seductions, and all kinds of bloody mayhem, with a tone of absolute cheer and goodwill. Each story has a particular dedication which leads us to understand that each was intended for a very specific recipient, to amuse.
