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250 (& More) Reasons We Love Jane Austen

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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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  • Bridget Gethins Sep 30, 2025, 10:41 AM (32 hours ago)

    Dearest Jane,
    As I think back on our introduction, me reader and you, goddess of your pen. I knew not what to expect. As a dyslexic, which I hid from all! Until an acquaintance ask me to join her book club.
    I was 23. For some reason I said yes. "Great. The first book is ,"Emma" by Jane Austen."
    I bought my first paperback novel. The cover was a portrait of a lovely young woman. This was 1985.
    Something magical happened, something clicked in my brain. I slowly worked through, "Emma." Then I read " Pride and Prejudice." And now I have many books by and about Jane Austen.
    Happy Birthday, and thank you, Jane Austen.
    Friend,
    Bridget Gethins

  • Susan Weisgrau Sep 27, 2025, 12:54 PM (4 days ago)

    I love Jane Austen novels because they make me feel smart. Every time i follow the thread of where the sentence is going, some of her brilliance rubs off on me. Every time I get her "wink" which I'm sure is given just to me, I feel clever and witty.. I read Jane Austen the same way she is reading me. I end up feeling smart, more self-aware and entertained at the same time. Can any reader ask for more?

  • rebecca bowes Sep 23, 2025, 8:28 AM (8 days ago)

    When I compare Austen to her contemporaries, she is SO far ahead of her time that there IS no comparison. Is there any other fiction writer in history who has been read so consistently and so avidly for 250 years, and with no sign of diminishing popularity? Nope. She's just extraordinary.

  • Kira Adams Sep 18, 2025, 11:20 AM (13 days ago)

    Jane Austen’s words are as relevant today as they were when they were first published.

  • Ashley Given Sep 17, 2025, 4:36 PM (14 days ago)

    Each time I read Austen I pick up on new nuances I missed in previous readings. I love that I can relive the stories that I enjoy but still have a different experience with new discoveries each time. I adore Austen's wit and satire and her brilliant critiques on class, society, and gender roles all well being entertaining stories in their own right.

  • Yvonne MILLER Sep 16, 2025, 4:19 PM (15 days ago)

    I love it Austen for all the reasons mentioned by other readers in this space. I particularly love her, though for two reasons:
    Her penetrating insight and wit into the foibles and frailties of some of her characters. I must say, though that I was older before I actually began to notice these subtle digs…
    I also had to be older before I could appreciate some of her works. Persuasion has become especially dear to me as I mature. I went through a period last year where I listened to a recording of Persuasion almost every night as I lay waiting to go to sleep.. It was so comforting to me.
    I think I understand why soldiers carried copies of Austen into the trenches.
    I love her also for the clarity of her writing. This clarity is so inviting and yet, contains within layers and layers of illusion which the author then proceeds to reveal.
    She is definitely an author for all seasons of life.

  • Lynn M Sherick Sep 16, 2025, 3:31 PM (15 days ago)

    She is a genius and has enriched my life immensely. The truth-telling and revelation of human nature captured in every day life with universal characters applies today and will continue to always apply. Her insights help us navigate and understand our relationships today. Thank you, Jane.

  • David Lewellen Sep 16, 2025, 8:46 AM (15 days ago)

    There once was a writer named Austen
    Whose work we all love to get lost in.
    Wit and truthfulness make
    Her succulent cake
    And excellent style is the frostin'.

  • Ilene Steele Sep 16, 2025, 8:45 AM (15 days ago)

    I love Jane Austen for all the reasons listed. I do notice her use of letters to great effect. My favorite, and favorite line, is in the letter Wentworth writes to Anne after she speaks of the constancy of love by women. He writes, "You pierce my soul." I always feel a little thrill for Anne because her dreams are finally coming true.

  • Sabrina Bartholomew Sep 16, 2025, 7:43 AM (15 days ago)

    My love of Jane Austen's work came on gradually. I had read her books and seen the adaptations. I loved her wit and dialogue. Years later I joined a regency LARP group and it rekindled my love for her work. These days Jane's never far from my thoughts. I joined JANSA last year when I found out about it. I love discussing her work and those inspired by it. Truly her genius has no end. May it ever be so.

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