Jane Austen

1775 – 1817

Jane Austen was an English novelist whose six major novels—Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey, and Persuasion—offer pointed comic-realist studies of the English landed gentry and the constraints faced by women dependent on marriage for economic security. Her sharp irony, free indirect discourse, and acute social observation helped transition the English novel from 18th-century sensibility to 19th-century realism, and her works have remained continuously in print since her death and inspired countless adaptations. She published anonymously in her lifetime and earned modest income from her work; her authorship was publicly identified only after her death at age 41.

Last checked: May 10, 2026, 1:06 PM