Free e-books by Jane Austen

We offer Jane Austen's books here for free on-line reading or download in pdf and prc (Kindle / ebook) format - just what's needed for students searching for quotes.

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Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775 to George and Cassandra Austen. George the rector of the Anglican parish of Steventon � Hampshire UK was descended from a family of woollen manufacturers while his wife Cassandra was a member of the prominent Leigh family.

Jane Austen had six brothers: James, George, Edward, Henry Thomas, Francis William and Charles John along with one sister, Cassandra Elizabeth. Henry Austen acted as his sister�s literary agent. In 1783 Jane and her sister Cassandra were sent to Oxford to be educated by Mrs Ann Cawley where both girls caught typhus with Jane nearly dying.

It is believed that Jane Austen began to write poems, stories, and plays for her immediate family as early as 1787. Between 1793 and 1795, Jane Austen wrote Lady Susan. In 1797 she began work on her second novel, �First Impressions�, which was to become Pride and Prejudice. In 1798, Jane Austen began her third novel Northanger Abbey.

In December 1802, Austen received and accepted a proposal of marriage from Harris Bigg-Wither;  Jane had known Harris for many years and while marriage would have offered some security he was known to be far from gracious with few social graces. Jane realising she had made a terrible mistake turned the offer down the next day and remained single until her death - never receiving any other marriage proposals.  Jane Austen began to feel unwell early in 1816 dying the following year possibly of either Addison's disease or of bovine tuberculosis although the cause cannot be verified.

A fuller biography is also available.