Biography of Jane Austen: A Timeless and Brilliant Literary Icon

In this Biography of Jane Austen, discover the life and legacy of Jane Austen, the renowned English novelist known for classics like Pride and Prejudice and Sense and Sensibility. Explore her biography, literary journey, and enduring influence.

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Biography of Jane Austen

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775, in Steventon, Hampshire, England, near Basingstoke. She was the seventh of eight children and the second daughter of Reverend George Austen, a clergyman, and his wife Cassandra.

In 1783, Jane and her older sister Cassandra briefly attended a school run by Mrs. Cawley, their uncle’s sister, first in Oxford and later in Southampton. However, they were brought home after an outbreak of infectious disease. From 1785 to 1786, they studied at the Abbey boarding school in Reading, an experience that may have inspired Mrs. Goddard’s school in Emma. Other than this brief formal education, Jane’s learning was primarily home-based, where she was taught drawing, piano, and literature.

Jane Austen was an avid reader and engaged with both popular and serious literature of her time. Her father’s personal library of around 500 books provided her access to a wide range of works. She and her family were enthusiastic novel readers, openly appreciating the genre. Austen admired the works of Samuel Richardson, Henry Fielding, and Fanny Burney. The title of Pride and Prejudice was inspired by a phrase in Burney’s Cecilia. Her literary influences also included Maria Edgeworth’s Belinda, which she referenced in Northanger Abbey.

Between 1787 and 1793, Austen wrote a collection of youthful writings known as her Juvenilia, which included humorous parodies of contemporary literature such as Love and Freindship. These works were primarily meant for the amusement of her family, with many pieces dedicated to her relatives and friends.

Austen began working on early versions of Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, and Northanger Abbey between 1795 and 1799. Initially, these novels bore the titles Elinor and Marianne, First Impressions, and Susan, respectively. She also likely wrote Lady Susan during this period. In 1797, her father attempted to get First Impressions published, but the manuscript was rejected.

In December 1802, while staying at Manydown, Jane received a marriage proposal from Harris Bigg-Wither, a prosperous but awkward young man six years her junior. She initially accepted but reconsidered the next day and withdrew, choosing personal happiness over financial security. Jane Austen never married, as did her sister Cassandra.

In 1803, she sold Northanger Abbey (then titled Susan) to a publisher for £10, but it remained unpublished for over a decade. Around this time, she also began The Watsons, a novel she later abandoned. Her father passed away in 1805, leading to financial difficulties for her mother and sisters. They relied on support from Jane’s brothers, and in 1809, they moved to Chawton, where she resumed serious writing.

Jane Austen visited her family often and had a strong bond with her nieces and nephews. She was especially close to her niece Fanny, whom she referred to as being like another sister. In her later years, she maintained correspondence with younger relatives, emphasizing the importance of family relationships.

Her health declined in early 1817, and on April 27, she wrote her will, leaving most of her possessions to Cassandra. On May 24, she moved to Winchester for medical treatment. She passed away on July 18, 1817, at the age of 41. While the exact cause of her death remains uncertain, Addison’s disease is a probable diagnosis.

Jane Austen was laid to rest in Winchester Cathedral on July 24, 1817. Her novels, published posthumously, secured her reputation as one of England’s greatest writers, celebrated for her keen observations on society and timeless storytelling.

Poems by Jane Austen

Happy the Lab’rer
I’ve a Pain in my Head
Miss Lloyd has now went to Miss Green
Mock Panegyric on a Young Friend
My Dearest Frank, I Wish You Joy
Ode to Pity
Of A Ministry Pitiful, Angry, Mean
Oh! Mr Best You’re Very Bad
See they come, post haste from Thanet
This Little Bag
To the Memory of Mrs. Lefroy who died Dec:r 16 — my Birthday.
When Stretch’d on One’s Bed
When Winchester races

Novels by Jane Austen

1811 – Sense and Sensibility
1813 – Pride and Prejudice
1814 – Mansfield Park
1815 – Emma
1818 – Northanger Abbey (posthumous)
1818 – Persuasion (posthumous)

Famous Quotes by Jane Austen [LINK]

“A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.”

“A woman, especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.”

“An engaged woman is always more agreeable than a disengaged. She is satisfied with herself. Her cares are over, and she feels that she may exert all her powers of pleasing without suspicion. All is safe with a lady engaged; no harm can be done.”

“Business, you know, may bring you money, but friendship hardly ever does.”

“Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies.”

“For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors and laugh at them in our turn?”

Read Quotes by Jane Austen with Images and Explanation.

Jane Austen’s legacy endures as one of the most influential novelists in English literature. Her keen insight into human nature, social dynamics, and the roles of women in her time has left a lasting impact. Through her novels, she masterfully blended wit, romance, and realism, offering timeless stories that continue to captivate readers worldwide.