Today marks the anniversary of Jane Austen’s death in 1817 and it’s got us thinking about what an incredible legacy she left behind.
More than a century after her death at the age of just 42, austen remains one of the world’s most celebrated authors of all time; Her work continues to be revived with film adaptations, various prequels, sequels and versions in new and strange genres, and next year she will appear on the new £10 notes.
It’s an incredible legacy considering that his novels were originally published anonymously and had little success during his lifetime. today, his six major novels are rarely out of print.
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all of austen ‘s narratives revolve around the domestic life of landed gentry in the late 18th century, providing a female perspective on a male-dominated world through a lens that is romantic but realistic. austen‘s novels provide a succinct social history not without comment, criticism, and humor. her female characters in particular broke traditional molds and continue to be some of the most celebrated in literary history. despite the strict social restrictions placed on them, they are strong, funny, smart, bold, brave, and ultimately flawed in their own way, but, on the whole, they are all rewarded with the greatest triumph that the women of the time they could enjoy: a happy marriage.
but that’s not to say that each of austen‘s six major novels doesn’t have its own individual charms and merits. in fact, we’ve taken each of the six books and ranked them in order of overall brilliance. but do you agree?
6. mansfield park (1814)
Mansfield Park is Austen’s third published novel and perhaps the most controversial. The protagonist, Fanny Price, is plucked from the poverty of her family home to grow up as a companion to her wealthy cousins at Mansfield Park where she is acutely aware of her own humble background. In their father’s absence, her cousins befriend two new neighbours with a reckless taste for flirtation and the glamours of city life.
While modern audiences may not connect well with her, Fanny is a somewhat complex character. She is shy, virtuous, and morally upright, and while critics at the time praised her wholesomeness, even Austen’s mother found her “vapid.” However, as the novel progresses and Fanny finds herself isolated from even her only ally, Edmund, she demonstrates courage, integrity, and great strength of character, staying true to her own moral compass rather than obediently falling out of line with her cousins. .
“his own thoughts and reflections were usually his best companions”. – jane austen, mansfield park
5. northanger abbey (1818)
Published posthumously, Northanger Abbey is thought to have been written much earlier than her other manuscripts when Austen was quite young.
The novel is a parody of gothic fiction, and is believed to have been written as fireside entertainment for austen family and friends. austenaddresses the reader directly on several occasions, entering into satirical deliberations on the value and contemporary opinion of the novel as a medium.
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austen throws out all the fictional conventions of the 18th century, creating an ordinary heroine from a middle-class family who falls in love with the hero before even knowing who she is. Catherine Morland is an innocent 17-year-old girl obsessed with gothic thrillers who, while visiting Bath, meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney. When he and her sister invite her to visit her family’s estate, Northanger Abbey, Catherine’s imagination leads her to ghost stories and terrible suspicions about her father’s tyranny and Catherine’s untimely death. her mother.
4. sense and sensibility (1811)
Appearing under the simple pseudonym A Lady, Sense and Sensibility was Austen’s first published book. The novel’s plot follows the traditional boundaries of a Comedy of Manners, portraying the lives of two sisters who, after their father’s death, are removed from the wealth and luxury they’ve grown up with and move to a small cottage bestowed on their family by a distant relative.
“know your own happiness. you want nothing but patience, or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope. – jane austen, sense and sensibility
The youngest sister, Marianne, is deeply romantic and wears her heart on her sleeve, epitomizing the emotion of ‘sensibility’. She is perhaps more modern in her open impulsiveness compared to the restraint and good “sense” of the elderly Elinor, who demonstrates more concern for the social conventions of the time. both sisters inevitably meet a desirable prospect, and both are inevitably rejected in love despite their opposing approaches to courtship. It is unclear throughout the novel whether austen intended common sense or sensitivity to prevail, but the personal struggles marianne and elinor endure expose the flaws and benefits of being too closed or too open. .
3. Emma (1815)
Emma was the last novel to be published in Austen’s lifetime and deviates somewhat from the usual quest to secure marriage and financial security. Before beginning the novel Austen reportedly wrote: “I am going to take a heroine whom no one but myself will much like.”
emma woodhouse is ‘beautiful, smart and rich’ and her privilege sets her apart from the other austen heroines, not only in wealth, but also in the freedom not to marry. Emma declares that she never intends to marry, and in fact seems immune to romantic attractions despite the interest shown in her, choosing instead to play matchmaker to her friends, including the less fortunate Harriet, whom she chooses as a mate. .
despite her advantages in life, emma could be considered one of the most flawed and humane heroines of austen, as she is spoiled, headstrong and conceited. She openly struggles to live up to the expectations of patience and compassion due to the most needy members of her social circle, and frequently bemoans her obligations to the impoverished Jane Fairfax, much to the disappointment of her friend and brother-in-law. , sir knight. .
“rarely, very rarely, the complete truth belongs to any human revelation; it can rarely happen that something is not a little disguised or a little wrong. – jane austen, emma
2. persuasion (1818)
Austen’s final finished manuscript, Persuasion was published after her death and named by her brother Henry. It’s reported that Austen had often expressed deep concerns about how society applied persuasion and pressure on young women.
the protagonist, anne elliot, turns out to be a victim of such dangers. Having been persuaded by her friend Lady Russell to break off an engagement in her youth, we meet Anne as a faded beauty in her late twenties, already considered an old maid, still wracked with regret for refusing Fredrick Goingworth, who we learn is she is now a successful navy captain.
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It becomes clear that Anne’s suffering is not just romantic when we meet her reckless, wasteful and self-absorbed family, but she proves to be a believable heroine as a pillar of strength for the family in their frequent moments of crisis. she is forced to take on the responsibility of saving the family from financial ruin, persuading her father to rent his property, and hopes to curb his expensive social excursions by moving the family to a quiet country residence, but he and his Sister have other ideas, moving the family to Bath where they flourish in a vibrant society that includes none other than the recently returned Captain Goingworth.
“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were good ladies instead of rational creatures. none of us want to be in calm waters all their lives.”- jane austen, persuasion
Forced to mingle in society with the very man her family had deemed unsuitable eight years earlier, and whose broken heart remains her greatest regret, Anne’s suffering seems relentless as she watches the younger women of her own circle compete. by the attractions of goingworth. the reader suffers along with anne, whose circumstances closely mirror austen‘s own experience of love, but the author shows no mercy, practically toying with the reader in this “will they/won’t they” romance “. but persuasion cannot be reduced to a mere romance with austen‘s sharp social critiques that underpin the narrative throughout, it is as much a commentary on social history as it is a work of fiction.
1. pride and prejudice (1813)
Oh of course Pride and Prejudice takes the top spot! Well received at the time of publication, the novel’s popularity hasn’t dwindled with time. Quite the contrary, there remains a fascination among modern readers with Austen’s most famous novel, continuing to appear at the top of ‘most loved books’ lists.
The protagonist, Elizabeth Bennett, and her romantic hero, Mr. Darcy, remain central to this fascination. First impressions of the novel’s original title accurately pinpoint the crux of their tumultuous relationship.
like anne elliot, elizabeth seems unlucky for her family’s impropriety. The Bennetts, despite their various flaws, are one of the most beloved families in literature. being of middle income, the future of the five daughters is by no means secure with the inheritance bequeathed to the nearest male heir. Mr. Bennett’s quest for a quiet life borders on near abandonment, yet his intelligence and wit make his easygoing character endearing. The brash and overbearing Mrs. Bennett is comical in her vulgarity, but her devotion to the future of her daughters is undeniable. the eldest, jane, on whose beauty and grace all hopes of financial security are pinned, cannot be faulted, and yet she remains likable. Ella’s complete kindness provides the space for Elizabeth’s edge, her heroine’s cynicism and sharp wit make her an iconic female character in literary history.
The three youngest daughters disagree with her various ways, as they are too boring, too shameless, and too easy to handle, respectively, but it is Lydia’s behavior that threatens the family’s reputation and Eligibility. the other daughters, more seriously.
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The family relationships of the Bennetts are as central to the narrative as the love story between Elizabeth and Darcy, although it is the latter that produces the most memorable scenes and quotes in the novel.
“I have struggled in vain. It won’t. My feelings won’t be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” –Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice
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