This is academic research on quite a niche subject - the influence of theatre on Jane Austen's work - repackaged for unknown reasons as a book of universal insight into her genius. I would have loved this as a little study in its own right, perhaps just a short paper focusing solely on Mansfield Park and its references to plays that would have been familiar to its original audience, but it's padded out with both unnecessary details on regency theatre and especially with a pointless overview of the author's favourite adaptations.