Jane Austen's novels have been widely read and discussed, but one topic that is rarely studied is her use of speech. In this volume, writers from around the world consider Austen's sometimes playful, always witty and significant use of dialogue. Features contributions from Juliet McMaster, Isobel Grundy, Linda Bree, Gary Kelly, Jan Fergus, Jocelyn Harris, Kay Young and others.

Bruce Stovel (1941–2007) was Professor of English at the University of Alberta, specializing in eighteenth-century literature and the English novel. He co-edited two collections of essays on Austen and contributed to The Cambridge Companion to Jane Austen. Stovel's passion for teaching, literature, and blues music was celebrated in the recent collection, Jane Austen Sings the Blues.

Bruce Stovel's profile page

Lynn Weinlos Gregg teaches high-school English in Edmonton and has been for many years a Jane Austen enthusiast.

Lynn Weinlos' profile page

"The Talk in Jane Austen should intrigue any 'lay' Austen reader, who wants to revisit the novels with fresh eyes, or simply join in 'conversation' with other passionate fans." Paula Simons, The Edmonton Journal

"The Talk in Jane Austen is an imposing collection of articulate and insightful essays contributed by a variety of learned contributors, each of whom examines Jane Austen's memorable and classic novels....The Talk in Jane Austen is thoughtful and thought-provoking in its analysis....[V]ery highly recommended reading for Jane Austen enthusiasts." Library Bookwatch

".genuinely groundbreaking essays from always-dependable sources: Juliet McMaster on the precise linguistic techniques that comprise the conversational aggressiveness of Mrs. Elton in Emma, and Gary Kelly on the suggestive analogy between imperial rule and the novelistic narrator, whose style and voice provide a standard against which all other voices in the story are measured." D.L. Patey, CHOICE