Jane Austen
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Jane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage for the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Her works are an implicit critique of the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Her deft use of social commentary, realism and biting irony have earned her acclaim among critics and scholars.
Portrait, c. 1810
Church of St Nicholas in Steventon, as depicted in A Memoir of Jane Austen
Steventon parsonage, as depicted in A Memoir of Jane Austen, was in a valley and surrounded by meadows.
Portrait of Henry IV. Declaredly written by "a partial, prejudiced, & ignorant Historian", The History of England was illustrated by Austen's sister, Cassandra (c. 1790).
Sense and Sensibility
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Sense and Sensibility is the first novel by the English author Jane Austen, published in 1811. It was published anonymously; By A Lady appears on the title page where the author's name might have been. It tells the story of the Dashwood sisters, Elinor and Marianne as they come of age. They have an older half-brother, John, and a younger sister, Margaret.
Title page from the original 1811 edition
A 19th-century illustration by Hugh Thomson showing Willoughby cutting a lock of Marianne's hair
The three volumes of the first edition of Sense and Sensibility, 1811