How To Start Reading Jane Austen (the ultimate guide)

Hello there friend. Today I am going to be doing something I have no business doing. Giving you a guide on how to read Jane Austen.    

​This is a guide to Jane Austen by a girl who doesn’t take herself very seriously, so just keep that in the back of your head.

I have read every Jane Austen novel almost twice, I’m not sure where this puts me credential wise, but I just thought I’d put that out there.
    
​Whenever you talk about liking classic books people automatically think of Jane Austen, yet at the same time I hear so many people (in my everyday life, on the blog, and online) saying they feel intimidated by her works, don’t feel smart enough, or don’t know where to start. Hopefully this post will help dispel each of those fears.

Let's Address Those Fears...

First of all, if you are approaching Jane Austen with any fears, let me remind you that we read for fun. We don’t read because of what other people will think of us or because we feel like we have to. We read because we desire knowledge and escape. Don’t treat Jane Austen like it’s an academic text you’re being forced to read or a holy grail that if you misunderstand it you will get hunted by the illuminati, treat it like any other novel you might pick up for fun. Not to say that everyone agrees with this train of thought, but trust me, it’s much better this way.

I also want to give a disclaimer that if you’re someone who wants to “get back into reading” Jane Austen isn’t likely the best place to start. I recommend Austen for people who already identify as readers and understand tropes of literature. 
    
Jane Austen wrote six complete books in her lifetime, each with legions of fans, most of her books are very long and full of characters, so it makes sense that a lot of readers are intimidated. My best advice for you would be to just read one (I am going to give a recommended order down below).
    
​If you don’t feel smart enough, I just want to give you a big ol’ hug and read the book to you, because you are smart enough. Yes there are college courses that study the nuances of Jane Austen, but that wasn’t the reason she wrote her books. She wrote for the common woman, she wrote about everyday society. Yes there is social commentary that may go over your head, but that’s what re-reads are for. Just enjoy the romance, the drama, and the comedy of the books, that’s why they exist in the first place. If you learn something, great, but if you just have a good time, that’s also great.

​All About Jane

Okay so let’s talk about the woman herself - Jane. Jane Austen was born in December of 1775  in Hampshire, England (just before the American Revolution began if that helps you place the time period.) She was a daughter of a reverend, and was born into a large family. The Austen family was considered middle class. Jane was primarily educated at home and had access to a large amount of books. She began writing at a young age and much of her young writing still exists. Jane never married (though she was once engaged for about 12 hours, and is said to have fallen in love a few times).

​Jane had four novels published during her lifetime anonymously under the pseudonym ‘a lady’. Her identity was suspected by many because of her brother bragging about her, but it wasn’t officially public until after her death when the same brother published a Biographical Notice about her alongside her final two novels.
    
Jane died in 1817 and left a legacy of literature behind her.

A Little Bit of History (yay!)

The time period Jane’s books are set in was a tumultuous time in history. England was being reigned by both King George III and King George IV. George IV reigned as Prince Regent due to his father’s illness hence why this period in time is often called the Regency period. This was a time when class systems still ruled England and money was crucial to one’s place in society. This was also the period where America was seeking her independence and Napoleon was waging wars all through Europe (hence why we see so many references to officers and navy men in Jane’s work).

Culture at the time was very reflective of the Renaissance period, with people seeking knowledge and well-roundedness. Gender roles in this time period were very defined as we see in Austen’s books, but Austen pushed the boundaries with having outspoken women as some of her heroines. Fashion of the time was loose and white, reminiscent of the styles of ancient Greece, the architecture of the time also reflects this. 

​Novels still weren’t very popular at the time Jane was publishing hers, they were looked down upon as something only for women, though this was the period where that began to change. 

Okay that’s enough of my nerdy history lesson, let’s get into what you’re really here for… the books. 

Pub​lication Order And My Recommended Reading Order

The publication order of Austen's books are as follows
Sense and Sensibility (1811)
Pride and Prejudice (1813)
    Mansfield Park (1814)
    Emma (1815)
    Northanger Abbey (1817)
    Persuasion (1817)
    (both Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published together posthumously with the Biographical Notice.)

​The publication order could be a really fun way to read the books, (or you could read them in writing order), but I have a much better order for you.
This is my recommended reading order plus some little summaries. These are all spoiler free, but below I’m going to give small summaries on the meanings of the books just to help you understand it if you’ve read it and are still confused!

1. Pride and Prejudice

This is the Jane Austen book that comes to everyone’s mind. It’s a beautiful and well known story. I recommend reading this first because it’s the most well known and also the easiest to get into. It’s about the Bennet family, a family with five unmarried daughters. Mrs. Bennet is set on getting all of her girls married, so when Mr. Bingley comes to town, she takes it upon herself to get one of her daughters married to him. He also brings with him his dear friend Mr. Darcy who quickly hurts the pride of Elizabeth (the second sister), causing her to loathe him with all of her heart. This is a fast paced, humorous romance, with lots of spunk.

2. Sense and SensibilitySense and Sensibility is second because to me it’s just a more grown up version of Pride and Prejudice. It’s about the Dashwood sisters who have to move out of their home following their father’s death. The story follows them settling into a new life, and meeting young men. Not as fast paced as P+P, but just as witty, this book focuses a lot on sisterly relationships. There is romance and drama because it is Jane Austen after all, but go to this book for the sisters not the romance.

3.  Emma    
Emma Woodhouse is happy to be single, thank you very much. She loves matchmaking her friends, but has no hopes of settling down herself. This book follows Emma through many a matchmaking disaster. Austen’s longest novel is full of character sketches and subplots full of funny, unlikeable, and charming characters. With this book you just have to trust the process, that we will eventually make it to the happy ending. I genuinely love Emma and think it’s a great segue into Austen’s more complicated works.

4. Northanger Abbey

Northanger Abbey isn’t hard to read, but in my opinion it should not be the first Austen book you read. It’s a satire of gothic novel form so it helps to have a basic understanding of what that was. A lot of the humor in the novel hinges on the format. It features Austen's youngest heroine (17), Catherine, who loves gothic books. She goes on a trip to Bath and meets some interesting people. Later on she visits a gothic abbey and believes all sorts of paranormal things to be happening. It’s hilarious, romantic, and perfect for book lovers.

5. Persuasion

Austen’s last novel is a slowwwwwwwwwwwwwww burn second chance romance. I love it, but it is slower. It’s about Anne Eliot who was at one time engaged to Captain Wentworth but was persuaded to break off the engagement. When he comes back into town as the most eligible bachelor, Anne has to put her feelings aside.

5. Mansfield Park
​The last Jane Austen book you should read is my baby, Mansfield Park. I will defend this book like a mama bear defending her cubs, but it probably shouldn't be the first austen you pick up. It’s about Fanny Price, a girl with a dismal background who gets adopted by her cousins the Bertrams. The book is a deep analysis of religion in the regency period and views human temptation and purity from various sides. It’s slow (the second longest), but trust me it’s worth it. And don’t worry we still get the classic Austen making new acquaintances and getting into drama. Yes a few things are a bit off to modern readers, but remember that it was written over 200 years ago.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post, learned something new, decided to start your Austen journey, and just enjoyed yapping with me. See you next week!

Belle Thomas

Belle is the writer and dreamer behind An Old Fashioned Girl. She is passionate about reminding girls of their identity in Christ, classic books, history, Louisa May Alcott, and earl grey tea. ​​​