Austen vs Austen

Just under a year ago I finally finished reading every novel Jane Austen wrote. So now, after much deliberation, I am ready to officially rank all of Austen's books. (I keep saying "all"/"every" like there are a million, but there's only six).

We're going to go least favourite to favourite, and of course this is my opinion, which may change (this is only after reading each book once and I do plan on rereading all of them... so perhaps I'll do an updated ranking after that). Let us begin.

Every Jane Austen Novel: Ranked

Northanger Abbey

I've talked a bit before about Northanger Abbey, I have a full review on my page which you can read here. For me, Northanger Abbey just doesn't hit the spot. I find most of the characters so annoying, which perhaps is the point, but it just makes it hard for me to read.

Really the biggest turn off of this book is this one scene where the Thropes convince Catherine Morland to go out with them by lying to her, and she believes them, and it of course backfires. I just think about that scene so often, it lives rent free in my mind and it's slowly setting the apartment on fire.

Also I think the fact that I found Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte so similar (and I hated Jane Eyre) brings Northanger Abbey down to last place, sadly.

Mansfield Park

Now, Mansfield Park really surprised me. I had been told that it was similar to Northanger Abbey, which isn't the case at all. I really love Fanny Price, I think she is very different from other Austen heroines that I had read at the time. I like that she is quiet but she still kind of knows what she wants, I just don't think she knows how to voice that or isn't listened to when she does.

My single quarrel with the story is that the ending comes on a bit quickly and I personally think that in the end it would make the most sense for Fanny to remain unmarried. Of course, when the book was written it was a different time and I'm sure that wouldn't fly with the publishers, but Fanny being the single unmarried Austen herione is something I seriously want to explore (so stayed tuned for that).

Sense and Sensibility

Sense and Sensibility (both movie and book) was like my initiation into the Jane Austen fandom. And, listen, it is a great book, but all of the books on this list are great books so some of them just have to be in the bottom half. The only reason Sense and Sensibility is here and not any higher is just that I like the last three books better. And because it's been years since I've read this book in particular I am interested in rereading it to see if reading it now would change my positioning of it (although I doubt it would).

Persuasion

This is somehow the perfect final Jane Austen book, and it was a perfect way for me to finish reading all of her books. I was really surprised by how much I loved Persuasion, but it's such a beautiful book. And although I've voiced my strong opinions on the 2022 adaptation, I don't think I've talked about the book itself much.

Anne is a heartbreaking character that I think people can relate so heavily to. One of my favourite characters in this novel is Mrs. Smith, mostly because I believe that it is in some way a representation of Austen herself (I wrote more about that here). I think that is something that really has stuck with me since I read Persuasion. It feels like a story about yearning and just missing the mark the first time (but of course it all works out in the end because as Austen herself wrote “Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can, impatient to restore every body, not greatly in fault themselves, to tolerate comfort, and to have done with all the rest" Mansfield Park 545.)

Pride & Prejudice

This is the classic. The enemies to lovers story. The greatest love story ever told? The most iconic English literature love interest? Now I'm just saying things. But Pride & Prejudice really is the Jane Austen book, right? It's so iconic. What is there not to love about this book? Lizzie, Darcy, Jane, Bingley, even the other Bennet sisters, even (dare I say) Mr. Collins, are all great characters, loveable, funny, entertaining, unique, characteres. And I think it's very iconic of Lizzie to fall in love with a man after seeing his giant house! She's really the girlboss that we all need in our lives.

In all seriousness, there are a lot of classic books that you hear about all the time because they are "iconic". But not all of them really live up to the hype that surrounds them. However, that is not Pride & Prejudice. It is turly a great story.

Emma

The great debate that happens on a 24 hour cycle in my mind is: What Jane Austen Adaptation is better, Pride & Prejudice 2005 or Emma 2020. And though I don't have an answer to that yet (but stay tuned for an answer someday soon), I do know which book I perfer, and it isn't Pride & Prejudice. I think a lot of people would agree that Emma is the best, or at least their favourite, Austen novel- although it is the longest of her books, it is funny, smart, plus it still has a lovely romance (or a few). Emma, herself, is a very interesting and well written character. And I personally find Emma a more entertaining read than P&P, and that's why it takes the cake on this list.