Did you know Jane Austen completed just six novels in her lifetime?
When you think of English literature, the name Jane Austen readily springs to mind. Born in 1775 in Steventon, England into a close, educated family that encouraged reading and writing, Austen began composing stories as a teenager, observing village life, and differences in class and character with sharp wit.
While Austen’s actual birthdate was never recorded (they didn’t do much jotting down in those days – save for she and her quill) it is most commonly estimated that she was born December 16 – so, happy birthday, Jane!
Despite relationships being a core theme to her work, Jane Austen herself never married, valuing independence and family ties instead.
Austen’s health declined in her early forties, reportedly from Addison’s disease (which is where the adrenal glands do not produce enough essential hormones to keep the body going) and she died on July 18, 1817 in Winchester, aged forty-one.
Although only completing six novels, Austen remains one of the most influential writers in history. Here is a summary of her six famous stories in order of greatest sales.
Pride and Prejudice
Easily Austen’s best-selling novel with over 20 million copies sold worldwide, this is a timeless romantic comedy about a woman named Elizabeth Bennet who navigates love, family duty and social class in Regency England. A witty and enduring love story that skewers social pretensions and celebrates personal growth, its most popular modern adaptation would be the Bridget Jones Diary stories.
Sense and Sensibility
Austen’s first published novel, it is estimated to have sold around 10 million copies, the story is a heartfelt exploration of love, loss, and practicality through the differing temperaments of the Dashwood sisters, whose stories shift from their original home in Sussex – which they are forced to leave after their father’s death, to their modest new home in Devonshire, where most of the novel’s events take place.
Emma
A classic comedy of manners and errors in which a confident but misguided matchmaker. Emma Woodhouse eventually finds her own heart through humility. The story remains hugely popular and is frequently reprinted – used as a reference guide in high school English Lit classes the world over.
Mansfield Park
Noted for its moral complexity and debated themes, this novel follows Fanny Price’s quiet resilience in a wealthy family. It’s a more serious Austen novel that comments on moral strength as its protagonist negotiates family tensions and societal expectations.
Persuasion
Jane Austen’s final completed novel, this is often praised for its emotional depth. Mature heroine Anne Elliot experiences second chances when she reconnects with Captain Wentworth years after they were separated by circumstance. A story of reflection and picking up from where you left off even if things seem impossible.
Northanger Abbey
Austen’s sixth completed novel, this is a playful satire of gothic novels, following the naïve Catherine Morland as she navigates friendship, romance and imagination, learning to distinguish fantasy from reality while growing in maturity and self-knowledge. A little like going on dating apps today but with Ai doing the partner suggesting, lol.
Compiled by Lisa Andrews & Antonino Tati
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