Was Jane Austen the best-selling novelist of her time? Are all her novels romances? Did they depict the traditional world of the aristocracy? Is Austen’s writing easy to understand? Well into the 21st century, Jane Austen continues to be one of the most compelling novelists in all English literature. Authors Claudia L. Johnson and Clara Tuite joins us to discuss the accepted beliefs ― both true and untrue ―that have most influenced our readings of Austen. 

Claudia L. Johnson received her PhD from Princeton in 1981, was chair of the department of English from 2004-2012, and presently serves as the Murray Professor of English. Clara Tuite is a Professor of Culture and Communication at the University of Melbourne. She specializes in eighteenth and nineteenth-century literature and cultural history, with a focus on the historical, cultural, and social contexts of Romantic literature.