100 Top & Most Popular Jane Austen Quotes

Last Updated on May 31, 2024 by Team FinderWheel

About Jane Austen

Jane Austen, one of the most beloved authors of English literature, is renowned for her keen insights into human nature, society, and relationships. Her novels, filled with wit, wisdom, and humor, offer timeless quotes that continue to resonate with readers today. Below are 100 of the top and most popular Jane Austen quotes, categorized by topics for easy reference.

100 Top Quotes by Jane Austen in English

Here is the list of famous, most popular and top quotes by Jane Austen in English.

Jane Austen Quotes on Love

Jane Austen’s reflections on love, often tinged with irony and realism, capture the complexities and joys of romantic relationships.

“There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.” — Jane Austen

“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope.” — Jane Austen

“We are all fools in love.” — Jane Austen

“To love is to burn, to be on fire.” — Jane Austen

“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed.” — Jane Austen

“A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.” — Jane Austen

“There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.” — Jane Austen

“I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve.” — Jane Austen

“It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; it is disposition alone.” — Jane Austen

“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” — Jane Austen

Jane Austen Quotes about Marriage

Jane Austen’s views on marriage, often satirical and critical, provide a nuanced perspective on the social institution of her time.

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” — Jane Austen

“Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” — Jane Austen

“A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.” — Jane Austen

“It is not every man’s fate to marry the woman who loves him best.” — Jane Austen

“Single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor.” — Jane Austen

“A woman, especially, if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.” — Jane Austen

“The more I know of the world, the more am I convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love.” — Jane Austen

“It sometimes happens that a woman is handsomer at twenty-nine than she was ten years before.” — Jane Austen

“Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then.” — Jane Austen

“Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies.” — Jane Austen

Jane Austen Quotes for Inspiration

Jane Austen’s quotes offer inspiration and encouragement, emphasizing perseverance, self-respect, and inner strength.

“Know your own happiness. Want for nothing but patience—or give it a more fascinating name: Call it hope.” — Jane Austen

“Nothing ever fatigues me, but doing what I do not like.” — Jane Austen

“Selfishness must always be forgiven, you know, because there is no hope of a cure.” — Jane Austen

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” — Jane Austen

“There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.” — Jane Austen

“Give a girl an education and introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of settling well.” — Jane Austen

“It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.” — Jane Austen

“To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.” — Jane Austen

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!” — Jane Austen

“Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can.” — Jane Austen

Jane Austen Quotes on Society

Jane Austen’s sharp observations on society reveal her critical and often humorous take on the social norms and customs of her time.

“One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.” — Jane Austen

“For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?” — Jane Austen

“I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.” — Jane Austen

“My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.” — Jane Austen

“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously.” — Jane Austen

“There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.” — Jane Austen

“One cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty.” — Jane Austen

“Nobody minds having what is too good for them.” — Jane Austen

“Nothing is more deceitful than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.” — Jane Austen

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” — Jane Austen

Jane Austen Quotes about Women

Jane Austen’s quotes about women often highlight the challenges and expectations placed upon them in her era, with a focus on their strength and resilience.

“It is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage.” — Jane Austen

“A woman, especially if she have the misfortune of knowing anything, should conceal it as well as she can.” — Jane Austen

“A woman is not to be judged by man’s light, though she is his sun.” — Jane Austen

“I hate to hear you talk about all women as if they were fine ladies instead of rational creatures. None of us want to be in calm waters all our lives.” — Jane Austen

“The more I know of the world, the more am I convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!” — Jane Austen

“Single women have a dreadful propensity for being poor, which is one very strong argument in favor of matrimony.” — Jane Austen

“Women are the only correspondents to be depended on.” — Jane Austen

“A woman’s happiness depends, as much as a man’s, upon her own conduct.” — Jane Austen

“It sometimes happens that a woman is handsomer at twenty-nine than she was ten years before.” — Jane Austen

“It is not time or opportunity that is to determine intimacy; it is disposition alone. Seven years would be insufficient to make some people acquainted with each other, and seven days are more than enough for others.” — Jane Austen

Jane Austen Quotes on Friendship

Jane Austen’s quotes on friendship emphasize loyalty, understanding, and the importance of genuine connections.

“Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.” — Jane Austen

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” — Jane Austen

“To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love.” — Jane Austen

“Business, you know, may bring money, but friendship hardly ever does.” — Jane Austen

“I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.” — Jane Austen

“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” — Jane Austen

“One cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty.” — Jane Austen

“We all have a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.” — Jane Austen

“But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever.” — Jane Austen

“My idea of good company is the company of clever, well-informed people who have a great deal of conversation; that is what I call good company.” — Jane Austen

Jane Austen Quotes for Humor

Jane Austen’s humor is legendary, often revealing the absurdities of societal norms and human behavior with wit and irony.

“For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?” — Jane Austen

“I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.” — Jane Austen

“One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.” — Jane Austen

“I have no talent for certainty.” — Jane Austen

“We all have a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.” — Jane Austen

“There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.” — Jane Austen

“It sometimes happens that a woman is handsomer at twenty-nine than she was ten years before.” — Jane Austen

“Nothing ever fatigues me, but doing what I do not like.” — Jane Austen

“If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.” — Jane Austen

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!” — Jane Austen

Jane Austen Quotes about Happiness

Jane Austen’s quotes on happiness often reflect her belief in finding joy in simplicity, self-awareness, and authentic relationships.

“Know your own happiness. Want for nothing but patience—or give it a more fascinating name: Call it hope.” — Jane Austen

“There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.” — Jane Austen

“There is nothing I would not do for those who are really my friends. I have no notion of loving people by halves, it is not my nature.” — Jane Austen

“I wish as well as everybody else to be perfectly happy; but like everybody else, it must be in my own way.” — Jane Austen

“To sit in the shade on a fine day and look upon verdure is the most perfect refreshment.” — Jane Austen

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!” — Jane Austen

“Let other pens dwell on guilt and misery. I quit such odious subjects as soon as I can.” — Jane Austen

“Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” — Jane Austen

“I must learn to be content with being happier than I deserve.” — Jane Austen

“We all have a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.” — Jane Austen

Jane Austen Quotes on Wisdom

Jane Austen’s quotes on wisdom reveal her deep understanding of human nature and the value of self-awareness and reflection.

“It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.” — Jane Austen

“There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.” — Jane Austen

“Selfishness must always be forgiven, you know, because there is no hope of a cure.” — Jane Austen

“Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously.” — Jane Austen

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” — Jane Austen

“Give a girl an education and introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one but she has the means of settling well.” — Jane Austen

“One cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty.” — Jane Austen

“We do not look in our great cities for our best morality.” — Jane Austen

“Every man is surrounded by a neighborhood of voluntary spies.” — Jane Austen

“We all have a better guide in ourselves, if we would attend to it, than any other person can be.” — Jane Austen

Jane Austen Quotes about Reading

Jane Austen’s love for reading and literature is evident in her quotes, highlighting the joy and wisdom books bring.

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!” — Jane Austen

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” — Jane Austen

“A fondness for reading, properly directed, must be an education in itself.” — Jane Austen

“But for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too short.” — Jane Austen

“If a book is well written, I always find it too short.” — Jane Austen

“There are as many forms of love as there are moments in time.” — Jane Austen

“How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!” — Jane Austen

“A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.” — Jane Austen

“A fondness for reading, properly directed, must be an education in itself.” — Jane Austen

“But for my own part, if a book is well written, I always find it too short.” — Jane Austen

Conclusion

Jane Austen’s quotes continue to captivate readers with their timeless wisdom, humor, and keen insights into human nature and society. Her words inspire and entertain, offering valuable lessons on love, happiness, and the complexities of life.

FAQs

1. What themes are commonly found in Jane Austen’s quotes?

Jane Austen’s quotes often explore themes of love, marriage, society, wisdom, and human nature.

2. How does Jane Austen view marriage in her quotes?

Jane Austen’s quotes about marriage are often satirical and critical, highlighting both the romantic and practical aspects of the institution.

3. What is a recurring message in Jane Austen’s quotes about women?

Jane Austen frequently emphasizes the strength, resilience, and intelligence of women, often critiquing the societal expectations placed upon them.

4. How does Jane Austen use humor in her quotes?

Jane Austen’s humor is characterized by wit and irony, often revealing the absurdities of societal norms and human behavior.

5. Why are Jane Austen’s quotes still relevant today?

Jane Austen’s insights into human nature, relationships, and society are timeless, making her quotes resonate with readers across generations.