Widely recognised as one of the greatest female letter writers in English, Jane Welsh Carlyle (1801-1866) possessed a famous sense of wit and irony, which, together with her keen observational skills, made her an important literary figure in her own right. This three-volume set of her letters, published in 1883 and annotated throughout by her husband Thomas Carlyle, represents a fine example of the letter-writing genre. The publication of the letters made a significant contribution to a growing acceptance and critical recognition of this often dismissed literary form. Through Jane's correspondence with her family and friends, the reader will be entertained by her amusing descriptions of everyday life, and will gain a revealing insight into the highs and lows of her marriage. Jane's letters were praised by Virginia Woolf for their 'incomparable brilliancy'.