Two years ago I endeavoured to become acquainted with the novels of Jane Austin and succeeded in reading two a year, over three years. Now that I have completed this engaging activity, I would like to briefly discuss them and place them in order of personal preference. The Jane Austin like tone will continue through this post.
Her works are, by and large, masterfully paced and structured. They neither drone on to long nor are brief in descriptions. If the tempo demands it the in between scenes are briefly described in order to move on to the important points of character.
I especially like them for her descriptions of societal rules and how the bending or braking of those rules generate tension and thrills for a modern audience. This illustrates her ability to bring us into the world she and her characters live in while she was living it. This is generally unnecessary as those reading it in her time would be bored with what they already know but is invaluable for those who have not, and therefore appreciated.
I also really enjoy how she can write comedy, drama, romance, and suspense...often in the same novel! A rare trait.
The above three abilities of Jane Austin makes he a celebrated and readable author. I will probably read my favorite of these books again. The following is my order of preference: Pride and Prejudice, Lady Susan, Sense and Sensibility, Persuasion, Emma, Northanger Abbey, Mansfield Park.
These works are available from local libraries, new and used book stores, and for free download from the Gutenberg Project.
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