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250 (& More) Reasons We Love Jane Austen

Austen at 250 logo with fireworks in background



Born on December 16, 1775, Jane Austen turns 250 this year. Help us celebrate! 

Everyone has their own reason for adoring Jane Austen, and we would all love to hear yours. Whether it's as simple as "Mrs. Bennet's nerves," a favorite witty line, or a heartfelt toast, we're gathering a joyful collection of 250—and more!—reasons you, her readers and fans, appreciate her. Join us in celebrating the incomparable Jane!

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Comments

  • Sara Munson Aug 18, 2025, 6:40 AM (8 hours ago)

    ". . . the men all so good for nothing, and hardly any women at all!"
    —Northanger Abbey, Ch 14: Catherine Morland on why she isn’t interested in reading books of history.

  • Cheryl Kimberley Aug 18, 2025, 5:55 AM (8 hours ago)

    My personal discovery, my hobby, of "all things Jane" has allowed me to use her as the root as the stem for all things pleasant all things joyful, interesting in my life. That includes "all things Jane" separate from my daily grind yet useful to the daily grind issues. Ie., my love of travel is always enhanced by the orientation of Jane Austen's life. Whether that includes a specific visit with me sitting at Cassandra's Cafe to enjoy the view of Jane Austen's house in Chawton or when I'm in Vienna to consider Marie Antoinette AND Mozart were alive the same time as Jane Austen. Soo fun. Jane Austen is the icing on my cake, the frill on my sleeve - the butter on my bread.

  • Jan Merriman Aug 18, 2025, 5:51 AM (9 hours ago)

    I love Jane Austen's novels because she has always seemed so sharp and witty in her language and observations. Her books are as fresh as the day they were written. Her characters are for the most part alive and true. There is no writer to compare to our beloved Jane.

  • William Dawson Aug 18, 2025, 4:49 AM (10 hours ago)

    Of course, I enjoy Jane Austen's writings for various reasons; however, as an avid letter writer to my pen pals, I admire her gift for correspondence. Her use of written correspondence is used often in her works, and I appreciate this mode of communication in our busy world. Her world was basically operating at the speed of human walking, that is about three miles per hour, and perhaps this paradigm is good advice in our 21st century's frenetic pace.

  • Haley Campbell Aug 18, 2025, 4:28 AM (10 hours ago)

    Her works make me “completely and perfectly and incandescently happy.” Whether it’s reading the originals or watching an adaptation. Her life and works inspired me to take up sewing, something I absolutely adore now. She is a lover and a dreamer and an inspiration to do both.

  • Lynn Trundle Aug 17, 2025, 6:54 PM (19 hours ago)

    Why do I love Jane? Because, to paraphrase another great author, her bounty is as boundless as the sea, and my love as deep. The more I give to her works, the more I have to discover and cherish, for both she and the sea are infinite.

  • Dianna Lara Aug 17, 2025, 2:32 PM (24 hours ago)

    I love Jane Austen for her ability to cast a spell on me with just one perfectly crafted first line that told me everything I needed to know about what was waiting for me in the next 400-plus pages. As a young college student required to read P&P, I dreaded the assignment, imagining the book would be a literary lobotomy. But the day I finally cracked it open--less than a week before the essay was due--and read that first line, I knew I had grossly misjudged the work. Yes, I fell in love with Elizabeth and Darcy, but I adored Austen for her sharp wit and mastery as a storyteller. That first taste of Austen only made me want more, and I was delighted to find that her characters were as different from one another as Elizabeth was to Lydia. Fanny Price ended up being my favorite Austen heroine--because of all of them, I was most like her, but Persuasion became my favorite Austen work. Oh, how I longed to be love with the kind of love that could smolder for a decade through separation and misunderstanding and still never burn out! I always found something in Austen's imperfect characters that reminded me of myself, and their trademark blissful, happy endings after a bit of scandal, mess, and despair, gave me hope for a happy ending of my own.

  • Vaishnavi Singh Aug 3, 2025, 10:35 PM (15 days ago)

    Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice was the first book I read in my life. . . The way she portrayed every character every dialogue and emotions is commendable and i love love her.

  • Czésar de Lara Obligado Aug 3, 2025, 10:04 PM (15 days ago)

    I love Jane Austen because she masterfully illustrates how cultural capital—intellect, wit, and self-possession—serves as the true “currency” in the intricate economy of romantic attraction. Her narratives, particularly Pride and Prejudice, transcend mere financial considerations. She reveals that genuine affection is forged through a challenging yet rewarding exchange of character and sensibility. Austen proves that even in a society obsessed with status, the most profound connections are built on something far more enduring than wealth.

  • Maria Lucia Riccioli Jul 31, 2025, 5:17 AM (18 days ago)

    There's always a Jane Austen quote to use in life. Jane is a friend, a writing companion—I've dedicated stories and essays to her and hope to do even more—a consolation in sad times... Jane Austen and the films and TV series based on her books are family, friendship, warmth, affinity. Jane is the music of her time, sung and played to pay homage to her... Thank you, Jane, for all the joy and spirit you've brought to my life.

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