JANE AUSTEN

A great figure of the English literature

The English author Jane Austen was born in December 1775 in Stevenson Rectory, Hampshire.

Jane was crazy about writting as all her family : her father wrote sermons, her mother melancoly verses and her brothers and sisters (she had seven) tryed plays. So Jane began to write romances and social novels.

Her first novel "Sense and Sensibility" was published around 1795 and she wrote two others novels between 20 and 25 years old, "Pride and Prejudice" and " Northanger Abbey". These novels become famous later and are essentiel reading today. Then she wrote three other books as "Mansfield Park"; "Emma" and "Persuasion". So she did only six novels (where we find the same idea : matrimony) and which are an integral part of English literature. She died in July 1817, at the age of 41.

Pride and Prejudice (written around 1800)

It's the most famous novel, which tells a very romantic story : Elizabeth Bennett, a young and modest lady, met a very rich and proud man : Darcy (who fell in love with Elizabeth). The girl thought he wasn't interesting, but her mother didn't think so and  wanted to marry her daughters ( she had  five). The story tells how the two persons, Elizabeth and Darcy, became "lovers" and finally... a married couple. We understand that the Pride symbolizes Darcy and Prejudice, Elizabeth.

To me, this novel is really well written (because I like Jane Austen's style) but you need enjoy the romantic style... Nowadays, some people would called this novel a "novel rosewater". I think her books are very interesting and enriching because, if they tell romantic stories, they also describe the customs and the English middle classes in the 1800s.

LP 2nde11