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Although Jane Austen passed away in 1817, her work still captures audiences to this day. The English author is renowned for her witty commentary that examines the English social hierarchy and the pressure put on women to get married; her legacy also includes her knack for creating memorable characters navigating love. But which stories live rent-free in people’s heads?
These Jane Austen Reads Are On Everyone’s Minds
Google Trends found the answer after examining Google searches on all of Jane Austen’s books from 2004 to this year. The top five books are as follows:
- Pride and Prejudice (1813)
- Emma (1815)
- Sense and Sensibility (1811)
- Mansfield Park (1814)
- Northanger Abbey (published posthumously in 1817)
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The Top Three Most Popular Jane Austin Novels
It’s probably not shocking that Pride and Prejudice is the most-searched book by the 18th-century author. The haters-to-lovers story between Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy is enough to make many fans of the romance genre swoon. That said, Pride and Prejudice didn’t get popular until the 20th century. In 1797, publisher Thomas Cadell even rejected the book without ever reading it.
The joke’s on him, though. Pride and Prejudice is so famous that it now boasts an abundance of movie and TV adaptations, from Joe Wright’s 2005 version to Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (2016). There’s even a Bollywood version of the story called Bride and Prejudice (2004).
Emma was Jane Austen’s last book to be published while she was alive. It’s also the author’s second-most searched book. Readers follow Emma Woodhouse, born into a wealthy family, who spends her time playing matchmaker and meddling in people’s love lives. Although she has good intentions, she stirs up trouble unintentionally. A familiar and modern take on the story is the movie Clueless (1995). The film’s director, Amy Heckerling, read the book in college and found it inspirational.
Rounding out the top three Jane Austen books is Sense and Sensibility. It introduces readers to the love lives of two sisters—Elinor (who embodies the word sensible) and Marianne Dashwood (who embodies sensibility)—after they relocate from their estate to a smaller cottage following their father's death. Their approaches to love and happiness are different, but they must learn that a balance of sense and sensibility is necessary in life.