I have to confess that it was tricky for me to get into this book-the academic tone kept holding me back abit. However,while reading chapter one about Elizabeth Shackleton's varied correspondance,I found a hook that drew me closer to it. Just in the sections where her letters to various tradespeople are detailed,it occurred to me that alot of the letters could've been her version of a Filofax. The fact she had to maintain friendly but not too friendly relationships("Betty Hartley Shopkeeper")to keep things flowing is very much what alot of women do today,in the workplace.

One of the reasons that we enjoy JA's works is that she spoke of universal truths-many of us at times can relate to Lizzie Bennett,Emma Woodhouse or,even Henry Tilney. The more that I read this book,the more similarites I see to our times. I'm in the midst of "Love & Duty"(where the statement"Only take care that you fall in love with a man of good fortune" is apparently all too true!)and the marital negotiations between Robert Parker & Elizabeth Parker sound somewhat similar to some of these "reality" shows where one side schemes to win over the other.