It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen’s works continue to be loved even after more than 200 years of her death.
Austen’s work offers unique insights into the Regency era. It provides a commentary on class, gender, and societal norms of the time, delivered with a blend of sharp wit and biting irony. She wrote about the mundane situations of everyday life remarkably, using dry humor, making even the drawing rooms of landed gentry in the English countryside intriguing, which is why her work is often categorized as a “comedy of manners”. Her novels continued to be studied by literary scholars all over the world and have inspired countless on-screen adaptations and reimaginings, and her characters have become pop culture icons.
Let’s delve into Jane Austen’s six major novels in order of their publication, each renowned for its character-driven narratives and engaging entertainment. As she insightfully observed, “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
Table of Contents
Sense and Sensibility(1811)
Sense and Sensibility was Jane Austen’s first published novel, released under the pseudonym A Lady. The novel centers on the lives of three Dashwood sisters and their mother, who are left to fend for themselves after the death of their father, Mr. Dashwood. They are removed from their comfortable childhood home and forced to move to the cottage of a distant relative.
Marianne Dashwood, the second eldest daughter, has high romantic notions and wears her heart on her sleeve. When she falls in love with John Willoughby, she tends to be guided by her emotions, without caring for social norms, exposing herself to social scrutiny. Elinor, on the other hand, is the epitome of prudence to rationality, always approaching situations with logic and reason, but secretly struggles to conceal her feelings for Edward Ferrars.
As both sisters tackle their parallel romantic relationships with different approaches and experience heartbreaks, they come to realize that personal happiness can only be achieved with the right balance between sense and sensibility.
Pride and Prejudice (1813)
Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s most beloved work and one of the most studied novels in English literature. Austen called this engaging novel “her own darling child” and remarked that the charming and intelligent Elizabeth Bennet is her favorite heroine.
The novel revolves around the Bennet family, particularly Elizabeth Bennet, who lives in the countryside of Hertfordshire. Set in the regency era, where the preeminent thought of women was marriage, and with their estate being entailed on to a distant male relative, the Bennet sisters are in no way financially secure. Mrs. Bennet is determined to secure husbands for all five of her daughters, and when a wealthy gentleman, Mr. Bingley settles in the neighborhood, she is filled with hope. However, Elizabeth, a quick-witted and headstrong woman, plans to marry for love.
When she encounters Bingley’s friend, Mr. Darcy, a wealthy and aristocratic gentleman, at a ball, she forms a decided opinion that he is arrogant and vain, deeply offended when he refuses to dance with her. As they continue to run into each other, Mr. Darcy begins to be drawn towards her. Over time, she comes to realize that her pride may have prejudiced her opinions of him.
With memorable characters, humor, and witty writing, this novel offers a captivating reading experience, along with a sharp observation of the Regency-era society.
Mansfield Park (1814)
Mansfield Park is Jane Austen’s third published novel and follows the life of Fanny Price, a timid and virtuous girl. At the young age of 10, she is sent to live with her wealthy uncle and his family at Mansfield Park when her parents are unable to adequately provide for her. When she is mistreated by all her cousins, she finds solace in the company of the second eldest cousin, Edmund Bertram. As they grow up, their friendship deepens into a romantic attachment
But everything changes with the arrival of the Crawford siblings, a sophisticated and wealthy family from London, whose flirtatious and morally ambiguous behavior stirs up complications in the household.
Fanny manages to maintain her moral integrity amidst the scandals, hypocrisy, and temptations of the wealthy society, demonstrating her resilience and steadfast principles.
Emma (1815)
This was the last published novel in Austen’s lifetime. In one of her letters to her sister, Austen wrote “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like“.
This novel is set in the fictional village of Highbury and follows the spoiled and pampered Emma Woodhouse, who holds herself in high regard. Seemingly immune to any romantic pursuits, she devotes herself to playing a matchmaker for others, and meddles in other people’s lives, believing she is doing them a favor. She is universally admired and everyone is blind to her flaws, with the sole exception of Mr. Knightley, a sensible and mature family friend who critiques her misguided judgment, serving as her moral compass.
When she befriends a naive and impressionable Harriet Smith, from a poor background with unknown parentage, she sets out to improve her life by finding suitable prospects for her. However, things get complicated when her own heart is on the line. After a series of blunders and mishaps, she comes to realize her own shortcomings and discovers her feelings for Mr. Knightly.
Emma is set apart from other heroines as she is complex and flawed, and as a result, most human, something that was not common in the novels of Austen’s time. This humorous novel provides insights into the rigid class structure of the Regency society and delves into the themes of morality, growth, and the dangers of vanity.
Northanger Abbey (1818)
Originally written between 1798 and 1799, Northanger Abbey was published posthumously and offers commentary on the reading habits and literature of her time. Northanger Abbey is a parody of gothic novels and revolves around the life of Catherine Morland, a naive and fanciful woman with a vivid imagination, who is extremely fond of gothic novels.
When Catherine accompanies her wealthy neighbors on their visit to the bath, she encounters handsome and charming Henry Tilney there and develops feelings for him. The Tilneys invite Catherine to stay at their grand estate of Northanger Abbey. Catherine learns that Mrs. Tilney died a few years ago from a severe illness. This revelation, combined with the ancient and foreboding atmosphere of the abbey, and the secret locked doors, allows her imagination to run wild. This leads her to harbor horrible ideas that Mr. Tilney either locked her up or murdered her. She sets on to unravel the mystery, blurring the lines between reality and fiction.
As the story unfolds, Catherine becomes more mature and learns to perceive the world realistically, beyond the dramatic lens of her gothic novels. Austen’s satirical wit and playful comedy make this novel a captivating read.
Persuasion (1818)
Published posthumously, Persuasion was Jane Austen’s final completed manuscript, revealing her most profound emotional insight and featuring her most mature heroine. The novel revolves around the themes of second chances and enduring love and highlights Austen’s critique of the class system in Regency England.
Eight years before the story begins, Anne Eliott broke off her engagement with the love of her life, Frederick Wentworth, after being persuaded by her friends and family that he was unworthy and could not provide her financial security. Now, 27 years old, already considered past the prime age of marriage, she lives her life with a deep sense of regret and longing for him.
However, her misery doesn’t end here as her family further complicates her life. Because of her spendthrift father, they are forced to rent their home and relocate to Bath where she encounters Wentworth again, who is now a wealthy captain in the navy and an eligible bachelor. This reunion brings Anne’s long-buried feelings to the surface and she is faced with the harsh reality that he still resents her for spurning his love. As they are thrown together into the social world of bath, they find a way back to each other.
If your insatiable need for Jane Austen’s work doesn’t end here, she also left behind a few unfinished manuscripts and her juvenilia, a compilation of stories she wrote in her youth as fireside entertainment for her friends and family.
