Jane Austen's Novels

41. Read all of Jane Austen's novels.

After reading Pride and Prejudice in high school, I purchased the complete works of Jane Austen. I didn't pick it up until this summer.

Jane Austen wrote seven novels.  I will discuss each one briefly in order from least favorite to favorite.

7. Lady Susan

Instead of following a traditional format, Lady Susan is told in a series of letters.  It focuses on a woman named Susan whose only goal is to make a younger man fall in love with her.  Susan is a rare Austen character because she is not a likable character.  Her story was interesting but definitely not my favorite.

6. Mansfield Park

Fanny, the main character of the novel, is a very endearing character.  Born to a poor family, she is raised by her wealthy aunt and uncle.  She falls in love with one of the only characters who treats her well, her cousin Edmund.  Again, this was an interesting book, but it was not my favorite Austen novel.

5. Sense and Sensibility

After her husband dies, Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters are forced to live in a small cottage in the country.  Her oldest daughters, Elinor and Marianne, face several obstacles on their way to finding love.  While I liked reading about Elinor in particular, I thought the ending of the book was a bit rushed.

4. Persuasion

Anne falls in love with Wentworth but is forced to turn down his proposal because her family does not approve of his lowly status.  Years later, a chance encounter gives them a second chance at love.  I think Captain Wentworth is one of my favorite Austen male characters.  His letter at the end of the book was powerful and memorable.

3. Emma 

The title character believes that she is a good matchmaker and does her best to find her friend a good husband. Naturally, things do not go according to plan.  I wanted to hit Emma over the head with my book at a few points in the novel, but I found her more relatable than other Austen characters because she is confident that she knows what she wants in life.  Naturally, she is not right about this.

2. Northanger Abbey

I was a bit surprised at how much I enjoyed this book.  Catherine, a lover of Gothic novels, gets invited to stay at Northanger Abbey.  Because of her love of novels, she expects to find mystery and adventure at every turn, especially after hearing about a mysterious death.  I actually laughed out loud in places when reading this one.

1. Pride and Prejudice

I purposely read this book last because I knew it would still be my favorite.  I love seeing how Elizabeth Bennet's perception of Mr. Darcy changes over the course of the story.  Lizzie Bennet is certainly one of Austen's most outspoken female characters.  I love that.

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