Jane Austen published first novel, sense and sensibility
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In 1811, Jane Austen published Sense and Sensibility, her first novel, after initially planning it in 1797.
The novel originated from an earlier story about similar characters, which Austen revised and expanded upon. James Edward Austen-Leigh, her nephew, documented the novel’s creation in his 1870 memoir of Austen, though scholars note the memoir reflects the values of Victorian England. Austen based elements of Sense and Sensibility on the lives of her and her sisters.
Some contemporaries believed the novel’s two older Dashwood sisters mirrored Jane and her sister Cassandra, but Austen’s nephew argued Jane did not share the impulsive nature of the character Marianne. Cassandra, three years older than Jane, possessed a calm and sensible nature that resembled the character Elinor. The publication of Sense and Sensibility earned Austen 150 pounds, equivalent to roughly 18,000 euros today.
Her nephew noted she did not write primarily for financial gain, considering the sum a generous reward for minimal effort. A new film adaptation of the novel premiered in Spain on October 23.
