Jane Austen Books in Order: A Terrific Guide for 2023 (+PDF)

I’ve loved Jane Austen since I first saw Pride & Prejudice with Kiera Knightly when I was in college. Never one to fall in love with just a movie, I knew I had to read all the Jane Austen books in order.
The order I read them in was not the order she wrote them in, but rather the order of popularity, which is a shame. I like to read books from the author’s earlier career first generally speaking.
Below you’ll find both the order of Jane Austen’s books and my personal ranking order. Let me know if you agree with my ranking choices!
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Should I Read the Jane Austen Novels in Order?
You don’t need to read Jane Austen’s books in order since each is a standalone novel.
What are the best Jane Austen books?
Pride and Prejudice and Northanger Abbey are my personal favorites, but lots of people like Emma the best.
Jane Austen Books in Order
- “Sense and Sensibility” (1811)
- “Pride and Prejudice” (1813)
- “Mansfield Park” (1814)
- “Emma” (1815)
- “Northanger Abbey” (1817) – written in 1803, published posthumously
- “Persuasion” (1817) – published posthumously

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Want gorgeous editions of Jane Austen’s books? We’ve rounded up the prettiest on this post!

Jane Austen Reading List
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Reviews of the Jane Austen Books Ranked

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
We love this classic love story. This love story has everything you could want. Elizabeth Bennet is a smart and stubborn woman who was ahead of her time. With 5 Bennet girls, one of them must marry well to support the other sisters.
There are so many new and wonderful adaptations of this novel, that we did an entire post on it. And you don’t want to miss the other Jane Austen adaptations in the post as well.
Austen is a master of romances and this book is the original enemies-to-lovers novel! It’s my favorite of all the Jane Austen books.
Find this book in Books About Sisters / Enemies-to-Lovers Books / Jane Austen Books in Order / Grumpy Sunshine Books / Classic Romance Novels

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey would be anyone’s perfect first Jane Austen novel. I found myself laughing out loud at times at Catherine’s over-the-top imagination.
Henry Tilney was refreshing as far as Austen hero’s go. He was softer than the others and his feelings toward Catherine were far more obvious than say, Mr. Darcy.

Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
The Dashwood sister star in this Jane Austen book about their life after their father’s untimely death. Thrown out of their home, they must try to find husbands to secure their place in the world.
I found their struggles to be deeply engaging. Though I connected more with Elinor’s practicality than Marianne’s immaturity, I ultimately loved both sisters.

Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Poor Franny Price has been sent to live with relatives at Mansfield Park. Unaccustomed to the new lifestyle, she struggles to find her place in society – being mistreated in the process.
But her friendship with her cousin Edmund helps her through it all and their relationship as one I could actually root for the entire time.

Persuasion by Jane Austen
I adore Jane Austen’s work including this one. The will-they, won’t-they of Captain Wentworth and his lady kept the story moving forward.
It’s a romance, so I’m sure you can guess the ending. As always, Austen’s wit is on display as she explains life and expectations during the Regency era.

Emma by Jane Austen
I’ve read Emma a few times already, but this time I actually listened to the Audible production narrated by Emma Thompson in anticipation of the upcoming movie adaption.
Emma has never been a favorite of mine. In fact, the only version of Emma in book or movie form I’ve liked is Clueless. This time, however, I found that I finally started to understand Emma. But it’s still my least favorite Jane Austen book.

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Looking for more Jane Austen books? These retellings and stories about Jane herself are perfect for you!
Jane Austen Merch
What Order should I read Jane Austen books?
While you can start with any book, Pride and Prejudice has the best movie adaptations – so we recommend starting there!
How Many Jane Austen Books Are There?
Jane Austen wrote six complete books. Four were published in her lifetime and two were published after she died.
What are the ranking of Jane Austen’s Books?
The books are subject to personal opinion, but we rank them as follows:
Pride and Prejudice
Northanger Abbey
Sense and Sensibility
Mansfield Park
Persuasion
Emma
Did you read the Jane Austen Novels in Order?

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