Jane Austen's best books for 2020

Jane Austen is an unconditional talent of her time, a woman who wrote a number of novels that were recognized as masterpieces of world literature. Among her admirers, you can find people of any age group, both ladies and men are equally read by works that skillfully intertwine the psychology of human relations, the customs of people of that time, as well as a subtle sense of humor.

In our selection, we have compiled a selection of the author's best books according to the opinions of readers and literary critics.

Biography

Before starting to review the works, we advise the reader to read the author's biography. This will help to understand the time in which people lived, the characteristics of society and gender relations.

Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 in Hampshire, England. The future writer was born into a religiously educated family. Little is known about Jane's youth, most of the information is contradictory, contemporaries recalled her as an arrogant, unnatural and unsympathetic girl. At the same time, the girl's friends spoke of her as an attractive, graceful and sophisticated young lady. In one opinion they agreed: Jane loved balls, fun, fashion. She could enthusiastically paint the style of a new hat, gossip about gentlemen. At the same time, Jane was distinguished by a subtle mind, the ability to be ironic, and she was also distinguished by the presence of a high level of education.

The father had a great influence on his daughter's literary taste, instilling in her a passion for books and, as it turned out later, for writing her own novels. Jane not only regularly read classical literature, she actively discussed it with her father, sharing her impressions and analyzing the actions of the characters.

Childhood and adolescence of the writer were overshadowed by many wars and revolutions. Without a doubt, this had a great influence on literary creation. Jane drew her inspiration from correspondence with relatives and friends. Also, the writer is characterized by true English prim restraint, combined with the ability to empathize and let the emotions of other people pass through herself.

The girl did not know her married life, but she had a long affair with a neighbor's man. The author died too early, at the age of 42, after a long illness. As often happens, the real recognition came to the creator only after his death. Currently, the works of Jane Austen, written in the genre of realism, are popular, they have been repeatedly filmed, and the number of positive reviews prevails over negative comments.

Where to buy

Currently, paper versions of books have given way to electronic libraries. Books in standard form can be easily purchased at any store, electronic versions can be downloaded from free sites, but in most cases the reader will be able to receive only a fragment of the text. In paid applications, the user will be able to get the full version of the book. In this case, the reader can pay for the selected book, and it will remain on his device. You can also simply subscribe to the selected service. E-books are convenient in that the user does not have to carry books with them, which can take up a lot of space.It is also convenient to read such options in transport on the way to work.

In any case, the choice is influenced only by the personal preferences of the author.

Jane Austen's best books ranking for 2020

Pride and Prejudice

Our review begins with the most famous novel of the writer, which was successfully filmed.

The story is set in the 18th century, in the center of the plot is a not very rich, but very respectable family. Parents are raising five beautiful young daughters, dreaming of marrying them off as soon as possible. Soon a profitable groom, Mr. Bingley, appears in the neighborhood, who shows an interest in one of the girls. Mr. Bingley is surrounded by prim company, and among his friends there is an arrogant and proud Admiral Darcy, who immediately spoils relations with young Elizabeth Bennet.

The book intrigues the reader with a captivating plot that smoothly moves from one action to the next. At the same time, there is no protraction, unnecessary descriptions, meaningless dialogues. An excellent disclosure of characters, including minor ones, will also be a big plus. The reader will easily understand the motives of the actions of the heroes. The author has a delicate sense of humor, the book contains a large share of irony over the situation, which will be appreciated by lovers of good intellectual jokes. The psychology of the characters is understood by the reader, the uncommon ending will give a pleasant impression from reading the novel.

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I would forgive him for his pride, if he did not touch my ...

Feeling and sensitivity

Another famous novel, moreover, it is the first published. Like the previous book, this work was filmed.

From the very first pages, the book immerses the reader in the atmosphere of a cozy English village, allows him to feel all the charm of leisurely walks in the fresh air. In the center of the plot are two sisters - representatives of an impoverished aristocratic family. The two girls are complete opposites. One of them is the embodiment of restraint, pride and English coldness. The second sister is inclined to listen only to the call of her heart, not hesitating to show her emotions and talk about her feelings. To some extent, the work can be called autobiographical. Jane described what she was used to seeing and imagined how she would like to live. The novel describes in detail the life of a secular society, the features of the relationship between the sexes. The specific subtle humor inherent in the writer will be a pleasant addition to the lightness and "airiness" of writing a novel. All events are unhurried, but the book is easy to read. The screen version of the novel is called Sense and Sensibility.

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Anxiety is always exaggerated if there is no real reason for it.

Emma

Our rating is continued by another novel, which is a recognized masterpiece. The main character is a pretty and wealthy girl named Emma. The lady is very active, she is actively involved in the fate of her few friends, in particular, she is trying to arrange their personal life by successfully marrying. In attempts to insist on her own and flee after illusory success, the heroine almost loses her happiness.

Jane Austen paints the characters superbly, carefully working out the characters of all the heroes.She does not miss a single detail, the reader clearly understands all the motives of the participants in the action, the characters are memorable, it will be impossible to forget them even some time after reading the book. Most readers speak positively about the book, which is impossible to tear yourself away from.

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Of all the misfortunes, parting is the worst ...

Reason

This novel is less popular than the works described above, but this does not make it worse. The book is small, but it tells about a great and great feeling - love. A love that was rejected despite the reciprocity of feelings. The main character makes a strong-willed decision to part with the person dearest to her, based on the arguments of her reason. This novel is about the fact that true love cannot be erased from your life, exchanged, forgotten.

Austin is great at portraying characters and society. The reader feels sympathy for each character. The work is read in one breath and literally in one evening. A happy ending will leave a pleasant aftertaste and faith in a miracle.

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But peace is a substitute for happiness.

Northanger Abbey

Almost all of Austin's books are distinguished by deep psychologism, but this work does not have a penchant for deep psychoanalysis of heroes, but this makes it no less interesting.

In the center of events is a young girl who is fascinated by mysticism. She is sure that her life is full of secrets and mysteries. The girl prefers to see only what she wants, not noticing reality. With the course of events, the heroine gets to know other characters, she is more and more carried away by the cycle of events, while she tries to adjust what is happening to her desire to be surrounded by dark and ominous secrets. Fortunately, the girl manages to understand that reality is far from fiction and events happen in it more incredible than in gothic novels.

The work is small, it can be read literally in one evening. It is written in Austin's characteristic ironic manner. In the book, the writer mocks not only what is happening, but also over the main characters. The story is gradual, events develop sequentially.

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If a young lady does not have any adventures in her native area, then she should look for them on the side.

Mansfield park

The main character is Fanny Price, the girl is not rich, and her parents cannot boast of a noble birth. To give her daughter the slightest chance for a decent future, the mother sends her to her wealthy sister in the service. Over time, Fanny settled into a new place and even began to have feelings for her cousin. However, everything changed when rich guests arrived at the estate one day. From this moment on, measured life in a rich mansion is replaced by gossip, dirty and not at all aristocratic intrigues. Each of the characters is trying to grab his piece of luck and wealth, not really choosing a method of struggle.

The book was written by Jane at a time when she became a mature writer who acquired her own style and manner of writing. A sense of humor and irony permeates all works, sharing with the reader the opportunity to ridicule the deceitful and hypocritical characters. At the same time, the events described allow you to admire the nobility and selfless motives of the main character. Even if she did not receive a prestigious education, and on her account there is not a penny, her subtle mental organization and virtue elevate her above the rich, but hypocritical characters.

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Let's take the luxury of being quiet.

Lady Susan

The book is written in a manner unusual for Austin, namely in the form of letters. The author of this correspondence on the plot is a 35-year-old single lady, a widow. Her goal is a successful marriage, as well as a lucrative party for her daughter. For the price Susan will not stand up and in order to successfully get married, she is ready for anything.

Cunning, intrigue, conspiracies - these are the main weapons of the character. Other heroes also come under attack, each of whom tells in letters about their problems. "Lady Susan" is a collection of several short novels, each of which tells an interesting fascinating story.

Despite the young age of the author, the novel is a deep psychological work. It reveals all aspects and conventions of the way of life of society at that time, and the reader has time to enjoy a fascinating plot and form an opinion about each character.

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Foolish is the woman who is offended, and yet succumbs to compliments.

Beautiful Cassandra

A small work is a kind of parody of the sentimental melodramas popular at that time in literature. The book was written during the early period of the writer's career, to some extent, this novel is just a test of the pen, by the way, a very successful test.

As in most cases, in the center of the plot is a young girl, her life is boring and monotonous. To dilute her life with adventures, the lady goes out and tries to immerse herself in secular society.

The main heroine of the book is a modular character that includes many character traits. In the future, Austin will often endow these features with the heroines of his other books. Unfortunately, "The Beautiful Cassandra" is not widespread and not popular. It won't be easy to find it on sale, but you can easily read it on the Internet, however, only in the original language.

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... lovely and amiable, and she happened to fall in love with the elegant hood in which she went out ... in search of happiness.

Sanditon

And our rating closes with a piece that was never completed in due time. It was written already at the end of the writer's life.

The novel is set in a seaside resort in England. Such places of rest were just beginning to come into fashion then, so the inhabitants of a small coastal village did their best to attract as many tourists as possible. All events are signed through the eyes of a young girl Charlotte. It is through the perception of the main character that the author in an ironic manner mocks the shortcomings and weaknesses of the secondary characters. Unfortunately, the novel cannot be called a complete work. Austin had just started writing it before her life was cut short. Therefore, the first 11 chapters are raw, they can rather be called a sketch of a future masterpiece. All versions with an ending are nothing more than folk art.

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A woman - with inevitable exceptions - is ready to sympathize with a woman immediately and unconditionally.

If you have read the books described in the rating, write your reviews in the comments.