A reading guide
Jane Austen books in order
Jane Austen's books appear here in publication order, from Sense and Sensibility to her early and unfinished writings published after her death. For a first read centred on love and mistaken judgments, start with Pride and Prejudice.
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Where to start
Start herePride and PrejudiceJane AustenBegin with Elizabeth Bennet's resistance to marrying for security, as questions of love and rank put her judgments to the test.
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Another way inPersuasionJane AustenChoose a story of lingering affection: Anne Elliot still loves the man she refused, but cannot be sure he has forgiven her.
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Or tryLady SusanJane AustenFor a shorter introduction, follow a charming widow whose marriage schemes stir suspicion during visits to her relatives.
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The books
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Novels published in her lifetime
| # | First published | Book | Kind | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1811 | Sense and SensibilityJane Austen Elinor and Marianne respond differently to love and disappointment after their father's death forces them to leave home. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 2 | 1813 | Pride and PrejudiceJane Austen Elizabeth Bennet questions love and social rank while resisting pressure to marry for money or security alone. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 3 | 1814 | Mansfield ParkJane Austen Fanny Price grows up among wealthy relatives, facing dependence and unequal treatment while observing her cousins' greater freedoms. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 4 | 1815 | EmmaJane Austen Emma Woodhouse tries to arrange other people's marriages, drawing herself and her friend Harriet into misunderstandings about affection. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
Published after her death
| # | First published | Book | Kind | Read |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1817 | Northanger AbbeyJane Austen Catherine Morland enters Bath society with an imagination shaped by frightening novels, confusing romantic expectations with ordinary life. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 2 | 1817 | PersuasionJane Austen Anne Elliot meets Frederick Wentworth again eight years after refusing him, still loving him but uncertain of his forgiveness. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 3 | 1871 | Lady SusanJane Austen A charming widow uses deception to seek a husband for herself and arrange a marriage for her daughter. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
| 4 | 1922 | Love and FreindshipJane Austen Laura's letters recount youthful romantic misfortunes among people who trust sudden feelings and turn distress into absurd adventures. | Stories | Free to startRead free |
| 5 | 1925 | SanditonJane Austen Charlotte Heywood visits a Sussex seaside town, observing fashionable ambitions and the connections between health and social standing. | Novel | Free to startRead free |
Questions
What order should I read Jane Austen in?
For publication order, read Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, then Lady Susan, Love and Freindship and Sanditon. Northanger Abbey and Persuasion share the publication year 1817. For a starting point based on story rather than chronology, choose Pride and Prejudice.
Which Jane Austen book should I read first?
Pride and Prejudice is a good first choice for its focus on love, family expectations and mistaken judgments. Elizabeth Bennet resists marrying for money or security alone. For a story about affection surviving a past refusal, choose Persuasion instead.
How many novels did Jane Austen write?
Jane Austen completed six major novels. They are Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, Emma, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Sanditon follows a young woman observing a seaside town's pursuit of fashion.
Which Jane Austen novel was published first?
Sense and Sensibility was published first, in 1811. It follows Elinor and Marianne Dashwood as they face love and disappointment after losing their home. Pride and Prejudice followed in 1813, then Mansfield Park in 1814 and Emma in 1815.
Which Jane Austen novels are the shortest?
Among the six finished novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion have the shortest estimated reading times here. Northanger Abbey follows a young woman whose Gothic reading colours her expectations; Persuasion follows Anne Elliot's reunion with the man she once refused. Lady Susan is shorter still if the choice extends beyond those six.
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