Jane Austen Book summary

Jane Austen was born in England in 1775. Her father was a minister, and she had seven siblings. Her family enjoyed reading novels together, and Jane’s first writings were done for her family. Some of these were later re-written, and released publicly.  

She spent a few of her early years in school, but tuition costs prevented her from attending beyond age 10. However, she was able to learn multiple languages, and she taught herself how to play the piano. She was considered attractive, and well-adapted socially.

Austen never married. At age 20, while planning to marry, her fiance was moved far away by his family, who did not want him to marry into a lower financial class than his own (a theme we see hinted at in her work). A few years later, Jane was engaged to marry another wealthy man, but she retracted her agreement to marry him when she realized that she did not truly love him. While marriage for reasons other than love was common and accepted at the time, Austen’s personal belief that love should be the most important reason for marriage is reflected not only in her own life, but her writing as well.  

Jane published a number of novels over the course of her career, to include, “Sense and Sensibility,” and “Mansfield Park,“ a book that some feel is the first “modern” novel.  

She died in 1817, probably due to Addison’s Disease. While moderately successful as a writer during her lifetime, her works did not garner anything more than mild interest by literary critics until nearly 50 years after her death. However, her status has continued to grow ever since. Today, scholars study her works, college courses focus solely on the works of Austen, and her books continue to sell to a contemporary audience. Modern Hollywood has created a number of productions of her work, and continued reprints and adaptations keep the legacy of Jane Austen alive and well.