Born: 16 December in Steventon Rectory, 16 December 1775
Jane Austen was novelist of the early 19th century. She was the second daughter of The Reverend George Austen and his wife Cassandra. Apart from her older sister, also called Cassandra Jane also had 6 brothers.
Even as a child Jane Austen loved writing and she wrote a lot of short stories called the Juvenilia. About 1795 she wrote a novel she called Elinor and Marianne. In the years 1796-97 Jane Austen wrote another novel she called First Impressions. It was later published as Pride and Prejudice. Then in 1798-99 Jane wrote a novel named Susan. It was published posthumously as Northanger Abbey in 1817.
In 1801 Jane Austen moved with her sister and parents to Bath. Jane Austen was a tall, slim woman. In 1802 she received a proposal of marriage from a man named Harris Bigg-Wither. At first Jane accepted but she quickly changed her mind. Jane Austen never married. Her father George Austen died in 1805.
In 1807 Jane Austen moved to Southampton. She lived there until 1809. At that time Southampton was a flourishing port and town with a population of over 8,000. However in 1809 Jane Austen moved to the little village of Chawton in north Hampshire.
Then in 1811 Sense and Sensibility was published. Pride and Prejudice was published in 1813. Mansfield Park was published in 1814. Another book called Emma followed in 1816. Meanwhile Jane Austen wrote Persuasion but she died before it could be published. It was published posthumously in 1817.
Jane Austen died on 18 July 1817. Jane was 41 years old.
Besides the 6 novels an early nearly finished novel, “Lady Susan” has been published; later filmed as “Love and Friendship”. Two fragments of novels were also left behind. “The Watsons” was abandoned in 1805 and never finished. And at her death she was working on the novel “Sanditon”. Both these fragments have been continued and finished by various other writers; some quite good.
Key characters:
Lady Susan Vernon
Frederica Vernon Catherine Vernon Charles Vernon Reginald De Courcy Lady De Courcy Alicia Johnson
2. Northanger Abbey- finished 1803
First Edition: - 1818
My rating: 8
Goodreds rating: 3,84
Key characters:
Catherine Morland
James Morland Henry Tilney John Thorpe Isabella Thorpe General Tilney Eleanor Tilney Frederick Tilney Mr. Allen
3. The Watsons - unfinished 1805
First Edition: - 1871 Completed by John Coates: - 1958
My rating: 6 Goodreds rating (Emma Watson / Joan Aiken ): 3,13
Key characters:
Emma Watson
Elisabeth Watson Pernelope Watson Margaret Watson Tom Musgrave Lord Osbourne Mr Howard
4. Sense and Sensibility
First Edition: 1811
My rating: .7
Goodreds rating: 4,08
Key characters:
Elinor Dashwood
Marianne Dashwood Edward Ferrars John Willoughby Colonel Brandon Henry Dashwood Mrs Dashwood
5. Pride and Prejudice
First Edition: 1813
My rating: 9
Goodreds rating: 4,28
Key characters:
Elizabeth Bennet Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy Mr. Bennet Mrs. Bennet Jane Bennet Mary Bennet Catherine "Kitty" Bennet Lydia Bennet Charles Bingley Caroline Bingley
6. Mansfield Park
First Edition: 1814
My rating: 9
Goodreds rating: 3,86
Key characters:
Fanny Price Lady Bertram Mrs Norris Sir Thomas Bertram Edmund Bertram Tom Bertram Maria Bertram Julia Bertram Mr Henry Crawford Miss Mary Crawford Mr. James Rushworth William Price John Yates Mrs Grant
7. Emma
First Edition: 1815
My rating: 8
Goodreds rating: 4,03
Key characters:
Emma Woodhouse George Knightley Mr Frank Churchill Jane Fairfax Harriet Smith Robert Martin Philip Elton Augusta Elton Mrs Weston Mr. Weston Miss Bates Mr Henry Woodhouse Isabella Knightley
8. Persuasion
First Edition: 1817
My rating: 7
Goodreds rating: 4,14
Key characters:
Sir Walter Elliot Elizabeth Elliot Anne Elliot Mary Musgrove Charles Musgrove Lady Russell Mrs Clay Captain Frederick Wentworth Admiral Croft Sophia Croft Louisa Musgrove Henrietta Musgrove Captain Harville
9. Sanditon - unfinished 1817
First Edition: - 1817 Completed by Anne Telscombe - 1975
My rating: 7
Goodreds rating: 3,70
Key characters:
Charlotte Heywood Mr Parker Mrs Parker Lady Denham Sir Edward Denham Clara Brereton Ester Denham Diana Parker Mrs. Griffiths Miss Lambe Louisa Musgrove
Selected Film Adaptions
1. Love and Friendship ( Lady Susan )
Directed Whit Stillman 2016
My rating:
IMDb rating: 6,4
Featuring: Kate Beckinsale
Xavier Samuel Emma Greenwell Morfydd Clark Jemma Redgrave Tom Bennett James Fleet Justin Edwards Jenn Murray Stephen Fry Chloë Sevigny
2. Northanger Abbey
Directed Jon Jones 2007
My rating:
IMDb rating: 7,2
Featuring:
Felicity Jones
JJ Feild Carey Mulligan Hugh O'Conor Liam Cunningham Gerry O'Brien Julia Dearden Desmond Barrit Sylvestra Le Touzel
My rating:
3. The Watsons - No film adaptions so far
My rating:
IMDb rating:
Featuring:
4. Sense and Sensibility
Directed Ang Lee 1995
My rating:
IMDb rating: 7,7
Featuring:
Emma Thompson
Alan Rickman Kate Winslet Hugh Grant Robert Hardy Harriet Walter Imelda Staunton Hugh Laurie
5. Pride and Prejudice
Directed Joe Wright 2005
My rating:
IMDb rating: 8,5
Featuring:
Keira Knightley Matthew Macfadyen Brenda Blethyn Donald Sutherland Tom Hollander Rosamund Pike Jena Malone Talulah Riley Carey Mulligan Judi Dench
6. Mansfield Park
Directed Iain B. MacDonald 2007
My rating:
IMDb rating: 6,3
Featuring:
Billie Piper Michelle Ryan Blake Ritson James D'Arcy Catherine Steadman Jemma Redgrave Douglas Hodge Hayley Atwell Joseph Beattie Maggie O'Neill Joseph Morgan Rory Kinnear Julia Joyce Lucy Hurst Tara Berwin
7. Emma
Directed Douglas McGrath 1996
My rating:
IMDb rating: 6,7
Featuring:
Gwyneth Paltrow
Toni Collette Alan Cumming Ewan McGregor Greta Scacchi Juliet Stevenson Polly Walker Greta Scacchi Sophie Thompson James Cosmo Denys Hawthorne Phyllida Law Karen Westwood
8. Persuasion
Directed Adrian Shergold 2007
My rating:
IMDb rating: 7,5
Featuring:
Sally Hawkins Rupert Penry-Jones Julia Davis Anthony Head
9. Sanditon
Directed Andrew Davies - 2019
My rating:
IMDb rating: 7,8
Featuring:
Amy Burrows Lucy-Jane Quinlan Barbara Rudall Nigel Thomas
