Contents
The classic of English literature, an unsurpassed master of the word, whose books are still in great demand, is Jane Austen.
Interestingly, contemporaries did not appreciate her work, believing that she was talking about ordinary people. Her works are very realistic and ordinary, they seemed boring to someone.
But later, in the XNUMXth century, Austin’s books were recognized as world classics. Critics, writers have repeatedly noted that her novels are complete and perfect, she was able to write interestingly about the simplest things. Her dialogues are good, the characters do not act, the writer has impeccable taste, which she never changes.
Unfortunately, Jane Austen lived only 41 years. She died of Addison’s disease without completing some of her writings. In the period from 1794 to 1816, she wrote 6 novels that made her famous. Her earlier works are parodies of books of that time.
10 Sense and Sensibility
Another title of this book is “Mind and Feelings”. It was first published in 1811. The main characters of this novel are two sisters who live with their mother and their youngest Margaret. They also have a half-begotten older brother, John, the only heir to their common father’s fortune.
Before Henry Dashwood dies, he asks John to take care of his sisters, his daughters. But he understands his will in his own way and leaves the widow and her children practically without a livelihood.
They are helped by a distant relative of Mrs. Dashwood, John Middleton, who invites the whole family to settle in a small cottage located on his estate. Young girls who are 19 and 16 years old at the beginning of the novel naturally dream of love.
But the older Elinor is more restrained and sensible, prefers not to flaunt her feelings. The younger Marianne is more passionate and romantic. Which of them will be able to find their happiness, what should be stronger, mind or feelings, you will learn from the book.
9. Pride and Prejudice
One of the best and famous works of the writer. Jane started working on it at the age of 21, but the publishers didn’t like the manuscript. It was gathering dust on the shelves for more than 15 years, was published only in 1813. After her first novel proved successful, the publishers agreed to publish it. The writer, before handing over the manuscript, revised it, creating a unique work: fun, spontaneous, but mature.
In the center of the story is the Bennet family, namely the elderly Bennet spouses and their 5 daughters. The family has small incomes, but they will disappear after the death of the father of the family, because. the income-producing estate must be inherited either by the son or by another male relative.
Mrs. Bennet believes that the successful marriage of her daughters can solve all their problems. And when the young and pleasant Mr. Bingley arrives at the neighboring estate, she understands that such a groom should not be missed.
Her eldest and most beautiful daughter, Jane, might be of interest to a wealthy neighbor. The main character of the book, Elizabeth, the second daughter of the Bennets, is not happy with the behavior of her relatives.
Her family, with the exception of Jane and Elizabeth herself, shows a complete lack of manners, in front of Mr. Bingley’s friend, the arrogant aristocrat Mr. Darcy.
Whether Bingley and Jane, who are in love with each other, will be together, whether Elizabeth and her sisters will be able to find a worthy couple, you will find out by reading the book or watching one of its many screen adaptations.
8. Mansfield Park
Vladimir Nabokov called this novel, published in 1814, a fairy tale, the main character of which, Fanny, is very similar to Cinderella. Some readers do not like her excessive prudence, but, nevertheless, one cannot but sympathize with her.
Fanny Price was born into a poor family. In order to somehow cope with the need, her mother sent the girl to her sister. She managed to successfully marry Baronet Thomas Bertram, and she was not opposed to sheltering her niece.
Lady Bertram also had children of her own, 2 sons, Tom and Edmund, and 2 daughters, Mary and Julia. Little Fanny, who missed her family, was supported by the youngest son of the family, Edmund. She later became friends with him.
The children have grown up. Edmund decided to become a priest, his sisters were thinking about marriage, and Tom was to inherit the family estate. Fanny, on the other hand, remained an indispensable assistant to Lady Bertram. Their quiet life changed when young and wealthy neighbors, brother and sister Crawford, arrived from London.
7. Emma
This novel was published in 1815. The main character is a young and wealthy girl Emma Woodhouse, who lives with her kind-hearted father. She has no mother, but was replaced by Miss Taylor, Emma’s governess. The girl became very attached to her mentor, but at the beginning of the book she was forced to part with her, because. Miss Taylor is married.
Emma has a lot of free time and almost no girlfriends. She does not aspire to marriage, because. believes that he cannot leave his sick father, although he suffers from hypochondria.
Left without her only friend, her governess, she decides to take patronage over Harriet Smith, a simple, modest girl brought up in a boarding house. Emma plans to marry her to a young and wealthy vicar. But things don’t turn out the way she expected.
6. reasoning
It was written in 1816 and published after the death of the writer. The main character of the novel is Ann Elliot. She lives with her father, Sir Walter Elliot, and her sister, Elizabeth. It is Elizabeth who is the mistress of the house and encourages her father’s unreasonable spending.
Anne was once in love with Frederick Wentworth, who answered her the same way. But her patroness, godmother Lady Russell, dissuaded her from this marriage, because. the young man was poor. The girl obeyed her and broke off the relationship.
It’s been 8 years. Her ex-fiance became a captain, earned money and acquired the necessary connections. But would he now look at Anne, the daughter of a ruined but still vain baronet?
5. Northanger Abbey
It was first published in 1817, after Austen’s death. The main character is 17-year-old Katherine Morland. She is naive, good-natured, modest, too frank, reads gothic novels with enthusiasm.
Wealthy neighbors take her with them to Bath. There her life becomes rich and interesting. A new girlfriend appears, the treacherous Isabella Thorpe, and, of course, an interesting young man, Henry Tinley, charmingly intelligent and a little sarcastic.
4. Love and friendship
Jane began to create at the age of 14. In 1790, one of her first stories, Love and Friendship, appeared. It is written in the form of letters that 2 women send to each other. This is a comic parody, where young Jane chuckles at her boring and sentimental heroines.
3. History of England
At the age of 15, Jane, after reading a book by Oliver Goldsmith, wrote her History of England. But this is not a serious work, but a kind of parody of school literature. There is little reliable information in the stories about the English monarchs. But most of these events are too funny, there are many exaggerations in them.
The girl refers in the book to fictitious primary sources, including the opinions of her family or friends.
2. Beautiful Cassandra
This is also a youthful work of the writer, which has not yet been officially published in Russia. Like her other youth stories, this is a parody. But this time, the young writer makes fun of the sentimental novels that were popular at the time.
1. Lady Susan
It is one of the earliest novels, written in 41 letters. Jane Austen never offered it to publishers. It tells about a widow whose only goal is to marry herself and find a worthy match for her daughter.
She informs her friend about her plans, but hides them from the others. Before us appears the hypocritical, intriguing 35-year-old Susan Vernon, ready for anything for her goals.