Jane Austen

Jane Austen was an English novelist known for her six major novels, which critique the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Her works explore the dependence of women on marriage for social standing and economic security, and are considered part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Austen's use of social commentary, realism, wit, and irony has earned her acclaim among critics and scholars. Though she wrote major novels before the age of 22, she was not published until she was 35. Her novels were moderately successful during her lifetime but did not bring her widespread fame. Her works have been frequently adapted into film and television.