83 Best Jane Austen Quotes (Free Journal)

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literary fans rejoice! Today we’re diving into Jane Austen quotes. Jane Austen was one of the most beloved authors of our time. For those of you not familiar with her work, Austen was an English novelist who wrote during the early 1800s. Her work is known for its social commentary, humor, and a keen eye for social commentary. If you’re a fan of classic literature, then you’ll definitely want to check out her work. In the meantime, enjoy these amazing quotes!

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Pride and Prejudice Quotes

Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen that follows the love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitz William Darcy. The novel has been adapted into several films and TV shows over the years, but most people know it best as a 1995 miniseries starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. If you’re a fan of the book or the miniseries (or both!), then you’ll definitely recognize these famous Jane Austen quotes from Pride and Prejudice.

1) “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, Pride and Prejudice

2) “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.” – Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride and Prejudice

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3) “I could easily forgive his pride if he had not mortified mine.” – Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice

4) “You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.” – Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride and Prejudice

5) “‘My courage always rises with every attempt to intimidate me.'” – Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice

6) “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.” – Elizabeth Bennet, Pride and Prejudice

7) “Till this moment I never knew myself.” – Fitzwilliam Darcy, Pride and Prejudice

8. “For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and laugh at them in our turn?” – Pride and Prejudice

9. “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

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10. “Laugh as much as you choose, but you will not laugh me out of my opinion.” – Pride and Prejudice

11. “To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love.” – Pride and Prejudice

12. “Those who do not complain are never pitied.” – Pride and Prejudice

13. “You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” – Pride and Prejudice

14. “A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.”- Pride and Prejudice

15. “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” – Pride and Prejudice

16. “I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book!”- Pride and Prejudice

17. “We are all fools whether we dance or not, but we are all the happier for it.” – Pride and Prejudice

18. “An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do. ” – Pride and Prejudice

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19. “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

20. “Is no general incivility the very essence of love?” – Pride and Prejudice

21. “Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance.” – Pride and Prejudice

22. “Indulge your imagination in every possible flight.” – Pride and Prejudice

23. “There are very 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

24. “Next to being married, a girl likes to be crossed in love a little now and then.” – Pride and Prejudice

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25. “I have not the please of understanding you.” – Pride and Prejudice

26. “It’s been man years since I had such an exemplary vegetable.” – Pride and Prejudice

27. “I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long age. It was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.” – Pride and Prejudice

28. “Angry people are not always wise.” – Pride and Prejudice

29. “One cannot be always laughing at a man without now and then stumbling on something witty.” – Pride and Prejudice

30. “You must learn some of my philosophy. Think only of the past as its remembrance gives you pleasure.” – Pride and Prejudice

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Quotes from Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park

Many of us are familiar with the famous Jane Austen quotes from her novels. Her writing is witty and often sarcastic. In Mansfield Park, Austen addresses serious topics such as slavery and the role of women in society. The following quotes are some of the most memorable from the novel.


31. “If we could be shaved without hearing anything, it would certainly be a great improvement to the conversation of this world.” -Mr. Rushworth, upon Harriet’s declaring that she will never marry again after being jilted.

32. “There would be an end of friendship.” -Fanny Price, when asked if Miss Crawford and herself could ever be friends again after a quarrel

33. “The passions are said to be refined by education.” -Dr. Grant, speaks about how some people believe that refined passions make for a better society

34. “Vanity working on a weak head produces every kind of mischief.” -Miss Crawford, on how vanity can lead people astray

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35. “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.” -Mr. Bennett, on his idea of pleasant company

36. “Surprises are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable.” -Lady Bertram, on her dislike of surprises

37. “One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.” -Miss Crawford, speaking about how different people have different opinions on what is pleasurable

38. “Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.” – Mansfield Park

39. “A large income is the best recipe for happiness I ever heard of.” – Mansfield Park

40. “We do not look in great cities for our best morality.”- Mansfield Park

41. “I cannot speak well enough to be unintelligible.”

42. “Remember, dear Lord, my grievous sinfulness and wretchedness, and have mercy upon me, miserable offender!” – Mansfield Park

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

44. “Nobody minds having what is too good for them. ” – Mansfield Park

45. “Selfishness must always be forgiven you know, because there is no hope for a cure” – Mansfield Park

46. “They are much to be pitted who have not been given a taste for nature early in life.” – Mansfield Park

47. “Nothing ever fatigues me, but doing what I do not like.” – Mansfield Park

48. “There are certainly not so many men of large fortune in the world, as there are pretty women to deserve them.” Mansfield Park

These quotes from Jane Austen’s Mansfield Park offer insight into Austen’s views on society. She believed that education and refinements could improve people and society as a whole. However, she also warned against the dangers of Vanity and how it could lead people astray. What do you think about Austen’s views? Do you agree or disagree with her?

The Jane Austen heritage trail begins here, a plaque marking the nearby location where Jane Austen attended school in Southhampton, UK
A plaque marking the nearby location where Jane Austen attended school in Southampton, UK.

Jane Austen “Emma” Quotes

Written in 1815, Emma is one of Jane Austen’s most beloved novels. The story follows the titular character, Emma Woodhouse, as she navigates love and friendship in the small town of Highbury. Though it was not as popular as Austen’s other works when it was first published, Emma has since become a classic and is generally considered to be one of Austen’s best novels.

One of the things that makes Emma so special is Austen’s sharp wit and humor. Throughout the novel, Austen pokes fun at everything from love and marriage to class and gossip. If you’re a fan of snarky jokes and clever comebacks, then you’ll love reading Emma.

Portrait of Jane Austen on ten pound sterling note
Portrait of Jane Austen on ten-pound sterling note.

50. “If I loved you less, I might be able to talk about it more.”
– Emma, Mr. Knightley, and Emma Woodhouse

51. “Seldom, very seldom does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken.”
-Emma Woodhouse

52. “Human nature is so well disposed towards those who are in interesting situations, that a young person, who either marries or dies, is sure to be kindly spoken of by all the Manor.”
-Mrs. Weston

53. “There is nothing like staying at home for real comfort.”
-Emma Woodhouse

54. “Surprises are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable.”
-Mr. Knightley

55. “Selfishness must always be forgiven you know because there is no hope of a cure.”
-Mr. Knightley

56. “Vanity working on a weak head produces every kind of mischief.”
-Mr. Knightley

57. “Bad news had an abruptness about it which no preparation could soften.”
-Emma Woodhouse

58. “One man’s ways may be as good as another’s, but we all like our own best.” – Emma

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

60. “Seldom, very seldom does complete truth belong to any human disclosure; seldom can it happen that something is not a little disguised or a little mistaken.” – Emma

61. “Surprises are foolish things. The pleasure is not enhanced, and the inconvenience is often considerable.” – Emma

62. “Give a girl an education and introduce her properly into the world, and ten to one she has the men of settling will, without further expense to anybody.” – Mansfield Park

63. “One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other.” – Emma

64. “There are people, who the more you do for them, the less they will do for themselves.” – Emma

65. “Business, you know, may bring you money, but friendship hardly ever does.” – Emma


66. “There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.” – Emma

67. “I always deserve the best treatment because I never put up with any other.” – Emma

68. “One cannot have too large a party.” – Emma

69. “It is very difficult for the prosperous to be humble.” – Emma

70. “Without music, life would be a blank to me.” – Emma

71. “It is always incomprehensible to a man that a woman should ever refuse an offer of marriage.” – Emma

72. “One man’s style must not be the rule of another’s.” – Emma

Sense and Sensibility Quotes

73. “Faults are thick where love is thin.” – Sense and Sensibility

74. “It isn’t what we say or think that defines us, but what we do.” – Sense and Sensibility

75. “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

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Quotes from “Persuasion” by Jane Austen

76. “How quick come the reasons for approving what we like!” – Persuasion

77. “To flatter and follow others, without being flattered and followed in turn, is but a state of half enjoyment.” – Persuasion

78. “My sore throats are always worse than anyone’s.” – Persuasion

Quotes from “Northanger Abbey” by Jane Austen

79. “I do not want people to be very agreeable, as it saves me the trouble of liking them a great deal.” – Northanger Abbey

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

81. “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

82. “There are many forms of love as there are moments in time.” – Personal Letters

83. “To sit in the shade on a fine day, and look upon verdure, is the most perfect refreshment.” – Jane Austen’s Letters


Jane Austen’s quotes are timeless, and relevant, and always manage to strike a perfect balance between humor and social commentary. Austen’s novels have been adapted numerous times for stage and screen. Her work continues to enjoy widespread popularity. We hope you enjoyed these quotes from one of history’s greatest writers! Which Jane Austen quote is your favorite?

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