I bought this book to brush up on my Jane Austen for a book club discussion. I've read all of the novels (some multiple times), and I've seen at least one film or television adaptation of each of them, but it's been a while for most of them.

This book has a little something for all types of Jane Austen enthusiasts, from those discovering her for the first time to students and scholars. The book did what I hoped it would do. The brief summaries of each novel refreshed my memory enough to prepare me for the book club event. However, the section that most piqued my interest deals with the television adaptation of one of the novels. After reading the book's short analysis of the function of music in the BBC/A&E's 1995 television presentation of Pride and Prejudice, I'm looking forward to my next opportunity to re-watch the video. What I learned from this piece will definitely inform my next viewing of the production, and I hope to carve out six hours to do this soon!

I gave this book 3 1/2 out of a possible 5 stars not because of the quality of its contents. I have no quibble with the book's contents, but rather with what it lacks. It's difficult for a single companion volume of slightly more than 200 pages to satisfy all of Austen's many fans. I imagine that each reader has his or her opinion on what a volume such as this should contain. As for me, I miss an index, a glossary of characters in Austen's novels, and a bibliography. (Although there are bibliographical references throughout the text, I would prefer a single point of information for quick reference.) This isn't a one-stop reference for all things Jane Austen, but it will nicely supplement other sources of this nature. ( )