With newspapers giving away her novels, Pride and Prejudice being voted the nation's top book and a new biopic in the cinemas, Jane Austen is riding the crest of a revival. But for those who've never picked up one of her books, what's the big deal?

nice little article -- for myself i'm a huge Austen fan - apart from Mansfield Park -- the keenest observer of human behaviour -- a perfect blend of mind and emotion -- yes she only wrote about a microcosm in a sense but her canvas is larger than may at first appear -- witty, intelligent and humane -- for myself anyone who dislikes Austen is frankly wrong