Jane Austen

I am Jane Austen, and I confess I have amused myself by holding up a mirror to English society’s mannered dances — where a glance or a word might carry more weight than a grand speech.

My pages are filled with daughters, mothers, eligible bachelors and a fair number of scoundrels — but always with wit enough to remind readers that sense must not be overshadowed by sensibility.

What I Leave Behind

• I showed that irony can be sharper than any sword.
• I proved that small drawing rooms hold grand truths.
• I remind you: never mistake polite words for a dull mind.

May you read, smile, and perhaps look twice at your own company.