All Jane Austen’s novels are available for free from Project Gutenberg, both as ebooks and audiobooks. You can also read them online, right on your computer.
Jane Austen’s novels are beloved for their sharp wit, timeless themes, and memorable characters.
They are often seen as a perfect blend of comedy, romance, and social satire, and they offer an insightful look at the world of early 19th century England.
You don’t have to pay a penny to start the Austen adventure. Works of one of the most beloved writers in English literature are in the public domain. It means you can read them free of charge – legally.
Below, you will see a list of Jane Austen’s books available as free downloads from Project Gutenberg. The order is based on an average number of downloads in the last 30 days.
What is Project Gutenberg? It’s a volunteer effort to digitize and archive cultural works, to encourage the creation and distribution of ebooks. It is the oldest digital library, with over 60,000 free ebooks.
You can add books to your e-reader or e-reading app by picking up EPUB3. This file format is compatible with Kobo, Apple Books, Nook, Google Play Books – and also Amazon Kindle (mobi is no longer supported). You can download the files with one click to Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive.
If you don’t want to download the files, you can read Jane Austen’s books directly in your browser. Simply click on “Read this book online: HTML5” link on book detail pages.
Moreover, Project Gutenberg also offers audiobook versions of Jane Austen books. They can be downloaded in Speex, MP3, Apple iTunes, or Ogg Vorbis format.
Are you a Jane Austen fan? Take a look at my design collection that features Jane Austen’s original, remastered handwriting from her letter to sister Cassandra, written in April 1811. You can get it on Zazzle.
Jane Austen novels in chronological order
1. Sense and Sensibility (1811)
2. Pride and Prejudice (1813)
3. Mansfield Park (1814)
4. Emma (1815)
5. Northanger Abbey (1817) – posthumous
6. Persuasion (1818) – posthumous
7. Lady Susan (1871) – posthumous
Jane Austen books – free ebooks and audiobooks
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s most famous romance novel. It follows the life and loves of the five Bennet sisters as they navigate the complexities of life in the early 19th century English countryside.
The novel looks at themes of class, marriage, and first impressions, and follows the young women as they attempt to find their place in the world.
Pride and Prejudice is widely regarded as one of the most influential novels of all time and has been adapted into numerous film and television adaptations.
The novel is considered a masterpiece of English literature and is often studied in English classes.
Emma
Emma is set in Highbury, a fictional village in England, the novel revolves around the meddlesome Emma Woodhouse, who interferes in the relationships of others but eventually comes to recognize and develop her own feelings of love.
Throughout the novel, Emma is determined to find a husband for her friend Harriet, and also to arrange her own romantic future.
The novel explores themes of love, friendship, and social class, and presents a sharp critique of early 19th-century English society.
Sense and Sensibility
Sense and Sensibility was first published in 1811 and is Jane Austen’s first novel.
Set in southwestern England, the follows the lives of two sisters – Elinor and Marianne Dashwood – as they navigate the social expectations of 18th century society.
This romantic novel is widely considered to be one of Austen’s most successful works, and is typically seen as a precursor to the romantic comedy genre.
Sense and Sensibility is renowned for its vivid characterization, exploration of complex emotions, and the use of irony and satire.
Persuasion
Persuasion is Jane Austen’s novel published posthumously in 1818.
In the novel, Austen examines the effects of time on love and relationships. Anne Elliot is a 27-year-old unmarried woman whose family has fallen on hard times.
Anne is approached by an old suitor, Captain Wentworth, who she rejected eight years earlier. His return to the social scene forces her to reconsider the choices she has made in the intervening years.
The book is seen as a continuation of Jane Austen’s exploration of the themes of social class and female agency set forth in her earlier novels.
Northanger Abbey
Northanger Abbey is set in the late 18th century and follows Catherine, a voracious reader of Gothic novels, as she visits the city of Bath and the nearby estate of Northanger Abbey.
While in Bath, she meets the Tilneys, a wealthy family who invite her to stay at their estate, Northanger Abbey.
There, Catherine finds herself drawn into a world of horror, suspense, and romance, as she struggles to make sense of the strange and sometimes sinister events that occur around her.
Mansfield Park
Jane Austen wrote Mansfield Park at Chawton Cottage between 1811 and 1813.
The story centers on Fanny Price, who is sent to live with her wealthy aunt and uncle at their estate, Mansfield Park.
Despite her poverty-stricken upbringing, Fanny grows into an intelligent and moral young woman.
As she navigates her relationships with her family, she develops a strong sense of self-awareness and morality. The novel explores themes of love, marriage, class, and morality.
Lady Susan
Lady Susan is Jane Austen’s novella, most likely written in 1794, but published for the first time in 1871.
The main character, Lady Susan, is a beautiful and manipulative widow, who schemes to find wealthy husbands for both herself and her daughter.
The novella explores themes of love and marriage, as Lady Susan examines the different paths she can take to find a suitable partner.
It’s worth noting that Lady Susan is considered one of Austen’s most enigmatic and controversial characters.
Bonus: The Letters of Jane Austen
Letters of Jane Austen insight into the life and mind of the writer, and offer a glimpse of the world she lived in.
One of the collections of the letters was selected by Sarah Chauncey Woolsey from Austen’s nephew Lord Edward Bradbourne, and published in 1908 by Little, Brown, and Company.
The collection includes letters written between 1796 and 1817. Among them, there are several letters to her sisters, including Cassandra.
The final letter is from Cassandra Austen to her niece Miss Knight, after the death of Jane.
Book cover images: Project Gutenberg, Wikimedia Commons.
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