Famous Jane Austen Novels

Jane Austen novels are considered some of the best English literature from the late 1700s to the early 1800s. Austen was a witty, intelligent and well-educated woman. During her lifetime, she published novels under the pseudonym, "A Lady." It wasn't until after her death that her name even appeared on her published work.

Austen is known for her humor, social commentaries and masterful characters. She focused on the art of conversation, allowing settings and scenery to be described naturally in the course of character dialogue. Her best-known novels are Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice and Emma.

Sense and Sensibility
Austen's 1811 novel, Sense and Sensibility, was her first formally published work. The tale begins with the impoverished Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters, Elinor, Marianne and Margaret. The family moves from their home to stay with relatives, much to Elinor's dismay, as she has a secret crush on the local gentleman Edward Ferrars.

The Dashwood family meets two women who also happen to be distant relatives. One of the women, Lucy, tells Elinor that she is secretly engaged to Edward. When Edward's mother learns of the engagement, she flies into a rage and disinherits Edward, leaving his fortune to his younger brother, Robert. Lucy quickly changes her preference and becomes engaged to Robert instead, which leaves Edward free to marry Elinor.

Pride and Prejudice
Austen's 1813 novel, Pride and Prejudice, is aptly titled. The story revolves around the pride and prejudices of humans. The Bennets are a poor and proud family with five daughters in need of good marriage arrangements. When a wealthy young gentleman rents a home nearby, Mrs. Bennet sees it as the perfect opportunity to marry off her daughters. Though Jane Bennet and the gentleman seem to hit it off, Jane's sister, Elizabeth and the gentleman's friend, Darcy, do not.

Through lies, humiliations and arguments, the poor Bennet family and the wealthy gentleman's family and friends display their overall pride and prejudices concerning social class. Though Elizabeth refuses the first proposal of marriage from Darcy, both characters grow as people and realize their love for one another. In the end, Elizabeth and Darcy marry.

Emma
Austen's 1816 novel, Emma, was her longest and most complicated story. Emma is an intelligent and arrogant young woman who fancies herself a matchmaker. She sets her sites on helping her friend, Harriet, find a suitable husband. However, her first match results in disaster. She also advises Harriet to refuse the proposal of an honest farmer. Emma's dear friend, Mr. Knightley, scolds her for her arrogance and meddling. Undeterred, Emma goes on to find a new match for Harriet.

Though Emma spends ample time flirting with a new visitor, Frank, she decides he is best suited for Harriet. When Harriet confides her affection for a gentleman, Emma assumes she has matched her friend with Frank. However, Frank has his own plans and marries the sweet and poor Jane. When Emma learns that Harriet was in love with Mr. Knightley, not Frank, Emma realizes that she too has affections for Knightly. Harriet ends up happily married to the honest farmer and Emma marries Mr. Knightley.