Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775 in the village of Steventon in Hampshire.
She was one of eight children of a clergyman and grew up in a close-knit
family. She began to write as an adolescent. In 1801 the family moved to Bath.
After the death of her father in 1805 Jane Austen, her sister Cassandra and their
mother settled in Chawton, near Steventon.
Her first novel, “Sense and Sensibility”, appeared in
1811. Her next novel “Pride and Prejudice”, which she described as her
"own darling child", received very favourable reviews. “Mansfield
Park” was published in 1814. “Emma”, published in 1816,
was dedicated to the Prince Regent, an admirer of her work.
In
1816 she began to suffer from ill-health, most likely due to Addison's disease.
She travelled to Winchester to receive treatment, and died there on 18 July 1817.
Two
more novels, “Persuasion” and “Northanger Abbey” were published posthumously in
1818. Her novels
have rarely been out of print, although they were published anonymously and
brought her little fame during her lifetime.
Jane Austen’s novels, set among
the English middle and upper classes, are outstanding for their wit, social
observation and insights into the lives of early 19th century women. They often explore the dependence of
women on marriage in the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic
security. Her use of biting irony, along with her realism and social
commentary, have earned her everlasting praise among critics and scholars.
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