All of Jane Austen's Books in Order

"By a Lady" was the credited author on Sense and Sensibility, Austen's 1811 debut novel. It sold out its first run of 750 copies upon publication and was the first Austen title to be republished in England after her death. 

Elinor and Marianne Dashwood are as close as sisters can be. After their father dies, his estate is passed onto his son John, whose wife Fanny pushes the Dashwood sisters to the margins, even in their own home of Norland Park. Sensible eldest daughter Elinor hopes to protect her romantic and optimistic sister Marianne, who is being charmed by the handsome but philandering Mr. Willoughby. 

For Elinor, her attachment to Edward Ferrars, the eldest brother of her cruel sister-in-law, is inconvenient and can never blossom into love. The Dashwoods must fight to find happiness and love in a world where status rules all.

To say that Pride and Prejudice is legendary would be a great understatement. First published in 1813, it is simply one of the most famous and popular books ever written, and for good reasons. Without it, we would not have modern romantic fiction as we know it. 

Lizzie Bennet and her four sisters live at the Longbourn estate, where their meddling mother hopes they will be able to secure their futures with good marriages. The arrival of Mr. Bingley delights Jane, the eldest daughter, while Elizabeth comes to blows with Mr. Darcy, the stoic and aloof gentleman who nonetheless proves to be a constant presence in her life over the passing season. What unfolds is one of the all-time great love stories. 

Often considered one of her most autobiographical novels, Mansfield Park is also seen as one of Austen's most underrated. Published in 1814, it didn't receive any public reviews until 1821. 

The young heroine is Fanny Price, who is sent to live with her rich aunt and uncle at Mansfield Park when she is only ten years old. Surrounded by wealth, Fanny is painfully aware of her humble rank and remains the black sheep of the family, with cousin Edmund as her sole ally. Her uneasy peace is disrupted by the arrival of the Crawfords – Henry and his sister Mary – who enliven the old house with their thoroughly modern and fashionable London ways.

The last book published during Austen's lifetime, 1816's Emma is a comedy of manners that was described as "the very perfection of novel-writing" by contemporary critics. The young Emma Woodehouse is beautiful, charming, and a world-class meddler. She believes herself to be the greatest of matchmakers, a Cupid among lovelorn souls who can make true love happen through sheer force of will. 

Against the advice of her friend Mr. Knightley, Emma decides to match her new friend, Harriet Smith, to Mr. Elton, the local vicar. Things, however, don't always go as planned, and Emma will have a lot of growing up to do before she understands how love and marriage really work.

Austen’s final two novels were published posthumously, after she passed away in 1817 at the age of 41. Northanger Abbey was completed in 1803, making it the first of Austen's novels to be completed in full. The novel is a parody of the Gothic novels trend of the era, particularly titles like The Mysteries of Udolpho. 

Catherine Morland is a young woman with an active imagination and love of gothic novels. While spending a few weeks in Bath with a family friend, Catherine meets and falls in love with Henry Tilney, who invites her to visit his family estate, Northanger Abbey. Once there, Catherine becomes convinced that the mansion is full of mysteries, dastardly secrets, and all of the drama that would befit her favorite books. Can she trust Henry or will her weird dreams get in her way?

Though it's one of Austen's most famous novels, Persuasion was published posthumously in 1818. Anne Elliot was once engaged to Frederick Wentworth, then a young but undistinguished naval officer with no family wealth. Persuaded to break off the engagement by her meddling relatives, Anne spends years regretting the choice. Several years later, the Elliot family are in financial trouble and iy's up to Anne to marry well, although her prospects have dwindled greatly thanks to her father. Then Frederick returns to Bath. 

Now Captain Wentworth, an illustrious veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, he's the catch of the season and in search of a wife. Reuniting with Anne revives all of the complicated feelings of their lost love and broken engagement. Perhaps a second chance isn't so impossible.

Thought to have been written in 1794, Lady Susan was one of Austen's earliest works and one she never submitted for publication. It didn't see the light of day until 1871. 

This epistolary novel follows the title character of Susan Vernon, a charming and cunning widow who knows how to manipulate the social scene to her favor. She seeks a favorable second marriage not only for herself but for her daughter Frederica. Her teenage offspring, however, is appalled by her mother’s choice to pair her off to a rich but boring young man she has no interest in. Can Lady Susan’s scheming benefit them both in the end?

Austen wrote 12 chapters of Sanditon before her death, and it remained unfinished and unpublished for decades. In 1925, the scholar and editor R.W. Chapman published a transcription of the original manuscript under the name Fragment of a Novel Written by Jane Austen, January–March 1817. Now, it's available to read online. Many writers over the decades have written continuations of Sanditon to complete with Austen was never able to. A PBS TV adaptation further expanded upon those 12 chapters and ran for three seasons. 

The book centers on Charlotte Heywood, the eldest daughter of a family of 14. she accepts an invitation to stay with Mr. and Mrs. Parker of Sanditon, eager to visit the seaside town which has been reinvented as a fashionable resort. As a guest of the Parkers, Charlotte is introduced to the movers and shakers of the town's high society, including Lady Denham and her impoverished ward Clara. 

Austen began work on an untitled novel around 1803 but abandoned it, possibly following the death of her father in 1805. The fragment, around 7,500 words long, was given the title of The Watsons and published in 1871 by the novelist's nephew, James Edward Austen-Leigh. Nowadays, it is often published as a compilation with Sanditon. 

What is available to read offers a glimpse into the world of Mr. Watson, a widower and clergyman, and his two sons and four daughters. The youngest daughter, Emma, the heroine of the story, has been brought up by a wealthy aunt and is seen as more sophisticated than her family. But now, having been obliged to return home, she is forced to learn how to be more humble and responsible. Like Sanditon, there have been many continuations and adaptations of The Watsons over the years that sought to complete the story.