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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

  • Czésar de Lara Obligado Aug 3, 2025, 10:04 PM (7 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 (11 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.

  • Amy Stenlund Jul 30, 2025, 8:33 PM (11 days ago)

    I will have to say that her heroines go on the top of my list for reasons I love Jane Austen. I saw the quote that follows on a poster once and I loved this brief commentary on Austen's heroines.
    " Jane Austen taught me to be: independent like Elizabeth, observant like Fanny, confident like Emma, creative like Catherine, and patient like Anne."
    So, yes, her heroines are the top reason I love Jane Austen she gave us these amazing women to admire and learn from, cry with and laugh with and hope with.

  • Sue Brown Jul 30, 2025, 3:44 PM (11 days ago)

    Whatever the season of life you're in, there is a Jane Austen novel or character to relate to. Looking for love? Try Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility. Are you a Queen Bee, or know a Queen Bee? Try Emma. Recovering from bad relationship choices, or dating a rake? Try Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, or Mansfield Park. Swooning for fairytales or Gothic themes? Try Northanger Abbey. Have some narky relatives or acquaintances? Try Mansfield Park, Northanger Abbey, Pride and Prejudice, Emma or Persuasion. Have a broken heart, or seeking a second chance at love? Try Persuasion. Whatever is happening in your life, there's a Jane Austen character, theme, plot or novel for you to curl up with and enjoy. And as you move through life, you can enjoy the novels anew and appreciate different characters. What's not to love?

  • Maria Biajoli Jul 30, 2025, 2:35 PM (11 days ago)

    There is always something new to discover in her novels, a detail you never noticed before, a small mark of her perspicacity and intelligence, even if you are rereading them for the hundredth time! She was truly extraordinay and unique in that way.

  • Natalie Davies Jul 30, 2025, 1:35 PM (11 days ago)

    Jane gives us a rich, inimitable taste of what it was like to be a young woman in England in the 19th Century. Her work is priceless.

  • Rebekah Santoro Jul 30, 2025, 12:07 PM (11 days ago)

    At an early age, I was introduced to Jane Austen, and it changed my life in so many ways. Learning about her helped me understand what it meant to be true to yourself. As an author, she has inspired me endlessly with both her novels and who she was as a person. To me, her novels demonstrate truth, love, and understanding of both people and society, and I can only hope that my own novels speak to those ideals as well. Thank you for everything, Jane.

  • Luisa Kay Reyes Jul 30, 2025, 10:49 AM (11 days ago)

    Jane Austen and her novels have been such an inspiration for me. They fill me with such joy when I read them. And I learn so much about humankind from her deep insight into human character. I've also learned to feel gratitude from her novels and to value esteem. She is wonderful.

  • Betty Torres Jul 29, 2025, 7:54 AM (13 days ago)

    Jane Austen's work has been a constant source of comfort and joy in my life. What truly draws me to Jane Austen is not only her sharp wit and sarcastic humor, but the relatability of both her and her characters. Over the years, I've come to love everything about her: her life, her novels, her letters, the places she lived and visited, her opinions, her family history, and, most of all, her enduring legacy. Austen's works offer a timeless reflection of human nature, and her characters feel like old friends. Her books are not just entertaining—they feel like home, a place where wit, wisdom, and humanity collide.

  • Allison Thompson Jul 27, 2025, 6:42 AM (15 days ago)

    One of the (many) things I love about Austen is not only how she teaches me to be a better person, but how my feelings towards the characters have changed over the years as I've grown and (hopefully) matured. When I was 21 I was in love with Elizabeth, found Fanny insipid, and thought that Catherine was ditzy, Elinor was a bit stodgy and Marianne was weird (but I still loved them all anyway). Now that I am more than thrice 21, I find Lizzie to be just a bit pert (Mrs B was not wrong in this!), Fanny to be exemplary and strong, and Catherine a darling. Elinor is less sensible than I first thought her, and Marianne is more so. Still can't quite reconcile myself to Emma, though......perhaps in another 21 years.....

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