The Lost Books of Jane Austen

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The lost books of jane austen are a collection of cheap editions from the nineteenth century. They were used as soap wrappers for readers of a very working class status. The book was written by Im, who collected them and counted them to find out how they had been neglected. It's part of an unusual project that i think is quite beautiful in its own way.

Author and professor Janine Barchas of the University of Texas talks about her book, The Lost Books of Jane Austen, with EconTalk host Russ Roberts. The conversation explores Austen's enduring reputation, how the cheap reprints of her work allowed that reputation to thrive, the links between Shakespeare and Austen, how Austen has thrived despite the old-fashioned nature of her content, Colin Firth's shirt, and the virtue of studying literature.