My Favorite quotes from Jane Austen

Today is Jane Austen’s birthday! And what better way to honor her memory than by sharing some of my favorite quotes from Jane Austen herself?

On reading

Now that you could have already pegged me into being a book nerd, you should know JA shares my feelings as well.

“The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” – Northanger Abbey

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.” – Pride and Prejudice

Friendship:

This is her version of “You are my BFFs!” –  that is Best Friends Forever – for people who are actually from JA’s era.

“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

“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.’ ‘You are mistaken,’ said he gently, ‘that is not good company, that is the best.” – Persuasion

Romance:

Jane might have been the best selling chicklit (yea, woman literature ) author if she had been writing now –  just for these heart wrenching love proclamations!

“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

“You pierce my soul. I am half agony, half hope…I have loved none but you.”  Persuasion“How quick come the reasons for approving what we like.” – Persuasion

“Silly things do cease to be silly if they are done by sensible people in an impudent way.”  Emma

Men:

“Men were put into the world to teach women the law of compromise. ”

“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

“Stupid men are the only ones worth knowing after all.”

Her Sassy wit:

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

“I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.”  –  Northanger Abbey

“I have not the pleasure of understanding you.” Pride and Prejudice

“I am excessively diverted. ” – Pride and Prejudice (roughly translated to “I am not hearing you, bud”

On general Life as such:

“For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?”  Well said !

“Life seems but a quick succession of busy nothings.”  – Mansfield Park

“Know your own happiness. You want nothing but patience- or give it a more fascinating name, call it hope.” – Sense and Sensibility

Let’s talk

What are your favorite literary quotes from Jane Austen? Have you read all her books? Let us talk.