Jane Austen is to be the new face of the ten pound note, to make sure there is always a famous woman on our money. They’re getting rid of Elizabeth Fry, the famous Victorian philanthropist and prison reformer. She is one of Britain’s most famous authors, a woman who really shaped English literature in the 19th century and beyond. If you haven’t studied anything of hers at school, you should definitely read it in your free time. It’s not gothic literature, so there won’t be too many scenes on rainy and windy moors, or creepy old houses. Instead, it’s all about the conversations people have, and how they react to each other. Intrinsically connected with the social norms and the strict etiquette of the time, seeing how our heroines find their happily ever afters is always a good read.
Jane was born into the gentry, an upper class family from the South of England. She had 7 siblings, but was closest to her sister Cassandra, who was also her best friend throughout her life. She wrote lots of letters to her, which gives us a better picture of the woman behind so many classic novels, Jane Austen herself. She was also close to her brother Henry, who acted as her literary agent – i.e. he would negotiate with publishers to get her work published. Jane didn’t have much education, as her parents were unable to send their 2 daughters to school (as well as their 6 sons)! She did read a lot, though - and the rest, they say, is history!
She started writing poems for her own (and her family’s) amusement. What else was there to do? Some of these early works were quite funny, and in her “History of England” she declared herself to be a “prejudiced and ignorant” historian. Her first published novel was Sense and Sensibility, which has made it into the classics. It’s about a love triangle between a woman and two completely different men – one is dashing (but dodgy), and the other is older, but a good and honest man. It’s been made into a film with Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet and Alan Rickman, so check that out if you’re interested.
She followed this up with Pride and Prejudice – her earnings from Sense and Sensibility made her realise that she could make a living writing these novels. Pride and Prejudice is her most famous novel, but maybe not for the right reasons. The BBC TV adaptation starring Colin Firth features a legendary scene where he gets out of the fountain in a wet white shirt, which is very see through. That doesn’t happen in the book, as it would have been too much for 19th century manners to deal with.
Then came Mansfield Park, which although critics didn’t like as much, the public adored. Jane made more money from this book than any of her more well-known ones as a result! The main character is sent to live with wealthy relatives, but grows up feeling unwanted. She watches the lives of her relatives unfold from a distance, until she falls in love with Edmund, her kindly cousin.
If you’d like to continue reading about this incredible lady, please continue to part 2 to find out about her later works and her death.
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