Where to Start With Jane Austen Books: A Reading Guide & Reviews
Jane Austen became a revered classic novelist through the years, leaving readers curious about where to start, and if her books are worth reading. In this guide, we will answer all of those questions through these detailed story analyses.
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What order to read Jane Austen's books?
We suggest reading the books in the order they were released.
But, if you don’t want to read her entire catalog, yet want a taste of her prose, start with Pride and Prejudice. These books don’t have to be read in any sequential order by any means.
From this analysis of Jane Austen’s work, you will notice that it is the most famous of her works, and for good reason.
If you want to grab the collection of the specific books we discuss in this post, here’s the link!
Sense and Sensibility (1811)
Pride and Prejudice (1813)
Mansfield Park (1814)
Emma (1815)
Northanger Abbey (1817)
Persuasion (1817)
*highlighted are the books review below.
About the Author
Jane Austen (1775-1817)
Jane Austen was a novelist in the 18th century. Her books solely focused on societal observations of women and marriage.
*Some of the contents within these book reviews include spoilers.
Jane Austen books we review in this article:
Sense and Sensibility
Pride and Prejudice
Sense and Sensibility
Book Review & Analysis
184 Pages | Classic Fiction | Jane Austen | 1811 Edition, Garden City, NY
Summary:
Two sisters embark on a parallel journey into romance. The older sister, Elinor, is sensible and doesn’t understand how to navigate love, while Marianne lives with her heart, but leaves herself open to gossip. They must learn both sense and sensibility to find love within their society.
Structure
Jane Austen’s prose can feel like a stream of consciousness, making the pace feel slower. This can be the style choice as an effect she’s trying to create around her characters, or her education and culture. Although a portion of the plot felt a little contrived, Jane Austen hits all the major story beats, which gives a reader the satisfaction of reading her books.
The themes of Sense and Sensibility are within its title. Let’s explore them.
Theme:
Sense
Elinor represents sense. She hides her emotions, never speaks out of turn, and is practical in her day-to-day life. Elinor doesn’t live from her heart but from her head. So, when she discovers the man she’s falling for is engaged, she doesn’t say anything.
Austen’s perspective is that having sense is proper within their world—a world where women marry for status and economic stability. But, these qualities make Elinor untrustworthy and unemotional because she represses everything.
"'By feeling it was my duty. — My promise to Lucy, obliged me to be secret. I owed it to her, therefore, to avoid giving any hint of the truth; and I owed it to my family and friends, not to create in them a solicitude about me, which it could not be in my power to satisfy.'"
Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
Elinor explains further why she never shared this heartache with her sister:
"'...Lucy does not want sense, and that is the foundation on which every thing good may be built."
Sense and Sensibility, Jane Austen
Sensibility
Marianne represents sensibility because she lives with her heart. Her nature is to be more emotionally sensitive. Although Marianne shows extreme heartache, she also reveals sincere love.
Austen depicts this character as too emotional and often melodramatic, leaving Marianne exposed to innuendo within the story. Marianne’s arc is to become more like Elinor: to gain sense.
Character transformation:
Austen shows that Elinor has sense but doesn’t live with sensibility, which causes her to not find romance until she does. Jane Austen gives both Marianne and Elinor a character arc.
While it feels like Marianne discovers a true growth out loud, Elinor’s transformation is subtle. Elinor continues to be cautious with her heart and words. But, her growth happens at the end of the story when she cries, finally releasing the emotions that have been bottled up.
Austen is comparing two similar romantic journeys, one through sense, and the other sensibility. The overarching truth expresses that you can't find true love without having both sense and sensibility.
Rating
★★★
Pride and Prejudice
Book Review & Analysis
Arcturus Publishing Limited 2021 Edition
352 pages | Classic Romance | Jane Austen
Summary:
In rural 19th century England, the Bennet family’s mother seeks suitable marriages for her five daughters while their father mocks the quest. When she learns that a young and rich man named Charles Bingley is staying nearby in Netherfield Park, she schemes to pair him with her eldest daughter, Jane. The two naturally find a spark at a ball.
Shortly after an introduction to his friend, Mr. Darcy, the second eldest daughter, Elizabeth, detests him. His snobbish demeanor proves him to be too proud; he also refuses to dance with her at the ball. The story revolves around Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s troubled romance because they are full of pride and prejudices that they must ultimately overcome.
Structure:
The novel Pride and Prejudice is broken into three parts. Initially, we follow Jane’s romance with the sought-after Mr. Bingley. Then we move into Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy’s relationship, which is a slow progression because each has their own prejudices against the other. In the third volume, we witness the youngest sister, Lydia elope with a man who may not actually love her. Each romance receives a resolution. Although we weave through many romances, the bloodline is of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy.
The structure is quite similar to what we call a mini-series today.
Before this novel became what it is today, Austen originally titled it First Impressions but changed it to express the themes within this story: Pride and Prejudice.
Themes: Prejudice and Pride
Austen shows the elite class holding prejudices against the middle to low class, while humorously putting into the limelight the transgressions and recklessness of the lower classes.
Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are in a different hierarchy within their society. Because of that, they initially hold prejudices against each other, ultimately leading to a longer courtship and confusing emotions.
Elizabeth has a lot of pride; she holds herself in high regard while being extremely witty and intellectual.
"'There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me.'"
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Elizabeth doesn't submit to societal rules and believes she sees through its facade. But, she has judgments of her own that she's blind to, and assumes that all rich people are snobs. Mr. Darcy refusing to dance with her only concretes this opinion she holds; she blames his pride and wealth on his actions.
Mr. Darcy is aware of his placement in society, causing him to seem arrogant.
"He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and every body hoped that he would never come there again."
Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen
Later in the novel, we learn from his staff that he is the least prideful man in the entire cast. He doesn't allow his wealth to change him. We find out that he is simply socially awkward. Mr. Darcy gives his money away to help Elizabeth and her family when they are in desperate need.
Character Transformation
One could infer that Elizabeth is both prideful and prejudiced within this story, which she overcomes by the end.
Elizabeth’s character arc progresses through the story well as she realizes she holds both pride and prejudices against Mr. Darcy, which she understands when she’s on the verge of losing him.
Elizabeth fulfills a character transformation through the course of this story that is truly satisfying to any reader, while, Mr. Darcy’s arc is a little short-lived. When Elizabeth refuses his hand, he understands his prejudice against her is the root of what pushed her away. He immediately alters his demeanor because he loves her, and witnesses her true nature.
The main idea of this story is for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcey to overcome their pride and prejudices, which they ultimately do by the end, making this story engaging.
However, I love what this story is expressing about romance: improve yourself on the inside before you bring another person into your radius.
Within Pride and Prejudice, most characters have their own pride and prejudices against someone within this novel. The entire society is built on family connections, finances, and status. This is the deciding factor of who they marry— it's the essence of the story. This is a major theme in most of Jane Austen’s books because it was contemporary for her time.
Rating
★★★
If you want to watch the film before diving into this novel, we recommend watching the 2005 film adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. It’s beautifully shot, and Keira Knightley gives an amazing performance!
Summary:
Emma plays the town matchmaker. While finding her good friend Harriet a suitable partner, Emma realizes that she knows less about love, and her meddling needs to stop.
Book Review:
Coming soon…
Is Jane Austen worth reading?
That is your choice.
If you want to read her work to get an idea of what her writing style is like, start with Pride and Prejudice. And if it turns out, you enjoy her work, read the rest within the order they were released. Otherwise, you may not like her work, and there’s nothing wrong with that! It’s not for everyone.
Never force yourself to read a book you don’t enjoy just because others tell you to. These book analyses should give you a good indication as to whether you want to embark on the journey.
Happy reading!
Are you a Jane Austen fan? Tell us in the comments below.
