Jane Austen—the queen of quips and heart-stirring sentiments that have stood the test of time. From the romantic insights of Pride and Prejudice to the sensibilities of—well, Sense and Sensibility—her words have a magical way of striking a chord. And it’s not just her novels—the heartfelt scribbles from Austen’s personal letters are little treasure troves too! So, get ready to swoon over 25 of her most enchanting quotes that prove this literary legend knew a thing or two about love, life, and the art of witty banter.
1. “I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”
― Pride and Prejudice
2. “The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.”
― Northanger Abbey
3. “There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.”
― Pride and Prejudice
4. “If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.”
― Emma
5. “I wish, as well as everybody else, to be perfectly happy; but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way.”
― Sense and Sensibility
6. “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.”
― Northanger Abbey
SEE ALSO: The Sweetest Literary Quotes on Friendship
7. “Beware how you give your heart.”
― Northanger Abbey
8. “I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.”
― Letters of Jane Austen
9. “Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience—or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope.”
― Sense and Sensibility
10. “If someone insists their feet are always firmly on the ground, how else can you discover if their head is sometimes in the clouds?”
― Sanditon
11. “There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.”
― Emma
12. “In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
― Pride and Prejudice
13. “I do not think I ever opened a book in my life which had not something to say upon woman’s inconstancy. Songs and proverbs, all talk of woman’s fickleness. But perhaps you will say, these were all written by men.”
― Persuasion
14. “I could easily forgive his pride, if he had not mortified mine.”
― Pride and Prejudice
15. “I am tired of submitting my will to the caprices of others—of resigning my own judgement in deference to those to whom I owe no duty, and for whom I feel no respect.”
― Lady Susan
16. “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.”
― Persuasion
17. “There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.”
― Emma
18. “The more I know of the world, the more I am convinced that I shall never see a man whom I can really love. I require so much!”
― Sense and Sensibility
19. “I always deserve the best treatment because I never put up with any other.”
― Emma
20. “Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.”
― Pride and Prejudice
21. “You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope. Tell me not that I am too late, that such precious feelings are gone for ever.”
― Mansfield Park
22. “She had nothing to do but to forgive herself and be happier than ever.”
― Northanger Abbey
23. “Those who tell their own story, you know, must be listened to with caution.”
― Sanditon
24. “A watch is always too fast or too slow. I cannot be dictated to by a watch.”
― Mansfield Park
25. “There are few people whom I really love, and still fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.”
― Pride and Prejudice
And there you have it—a dash of Jane Austen magic! Did your favorite quote make the list? Share your thoughts in the comments, and tag us on social media with your picks. For more quick-witted and heartfelt lines, check out our collections:
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