Bookish romances can be more satisfying than real-life dating 😂
No author gives me that joy quite like Jane Austen. Ever since I took a university course on her works, she’s become one of my absolute favourites—right alongside L.M. Montgomery.
To celebrate the 250th anniversary of Austen’s birth, and in anticipation of all the Austenite events to come, I decided to rank all six of her novels. Here’s my personal list:

1. Emma

I failed to finish Emma twice, but after my third (and finally successful) attempt, it became my favourite Austen novel! While reading it, I was in awe of the depth of Austen’s insight into both the internal and external worlds of an unmarried woman who easily gives undeserving attention to those around her—often missing the connections that truly matter.
Mr. Knightley, so steady, sensible, and caring to Emma, became my favourite Austen hero ♥️

2. Pride and Prejudice

I fell for P&P not purely because of its romance but the Enlightenment ideals the novel incorporates behind its romance. The novel is widely known as the source of numerous romantic tropes, but it’s so much more than that. Elizabeth and Darcy don’t just fall in love—they earn each other through personal transformation. At its core, it’s a sharp exploration of reason and self-awareness, concepts that felt revolutionary in Austen’s time.

3. Sense and Sensibility

I loved the 1995 film adaptation and first read the novel in class. But because I already knew the plot, I didn’t give the book itself my full attention. I’m currently rereading it to focus on Austen’s narrative voice.
Before I discovered Emma, this was my second favourite Austen novel after P&P because of its brilliant contrast between two sisters—one led by logic, the other by emotion—and how they navigate heartbreak and hope in different ways.

4. Mansfield Park

I read it first as a class assignment but didn’t fully appreciate it until I revisited it a few years later. Edmund isn’t as charming as Mr. Knightley, Mr. Darcy, or even Edward Ferrars, but I enjoyed Fanny’s quiet strength—her resistance to social pressure and her determination to follow her heart.
That said, the novel’s allusions to slavery and reinforcement of the rigid class system are definitely worth critiquing.

5. Persuasion

One of the most beloved second-chance romances in literature. When I first read it, I didn’t believe in second chances, so the reunion between Anne and Wentworth felt purely fictional.
Now, I think differently. Looking back, Persuasion made me believe that true love can always find its way back.

6. Northanger Abbey

This is probably Austen’s least known work—and I can see why. It lacks the romantic spark or emotional tension that define her other novels. Catherine Morland and her love interest left little impression on me, and I honestly don’t remember much about the plot aside from her obsession with gothic novels.
Still, I feel like I owe it a reread—if only to give it the respect it deserves as one of Austen’s completed works.

Of course, this ranking of Jane Austen’s novels is personal to me. Ask ten readers, and you’ll get ten different lists. Each book speaks to us differently depending on where we are in life, what we’ve experienced, and what we’re yearning for. I know I’ll revisit these novels again and again, and who knows? My rankings might change in a few years.

In the meantime, I’d love to hear how you would rank Austen’s works. Which one captured your heart the most? Let’s talk Austen!