Tuesday 18th July marks the 200th anniversary of the death of one of England's greatest writers.
So to mark the occasion, we thought we'd give you the chance to take this quiz to see which of her most famous siblings you're most like. See how you get on, then share it with your Austen-loving friends.
Jane Austen’s six most-famous novels, summed up in 10 words each
Novels in a nutshell.
Why we still have Austen-mania
Jane Austen’s work forms an enduring strand of our cultural DNA. Matthew Dennison explains how she revolutionised novel-writing and why
Behind the names: The Austen characters you need to know
Feisty feminist heroines and dashing handsome heros.
Where to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen
2017 marks the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death. Here are exhibitions and events that mark the occasion.
-
A spectacular tower for sale that's a blend of Victorian folly, architectural marvel and 21st century family homeHadlow Tower has space, and a back story of love, jealousy and intrigue.
-
Some Like (to quiz when) It Hot: Country Life Quiz of the Day heatwave special, July 11, 2025If you're struggling to keep cool — and who isn't? — our Quiz of the Day will at least take your mind off the soaring temperatures.
-
How to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen2025 marks the 250th anniversary of Jane Austen's birth. Here are exhibitions, events and more — happening across the UK — that mark the occasion.
-
Unputdownable: 12 page turners to see you through the rest of the winterFrom cookbooks to cricket, biographies to Sunday Times bestsellers, Country Life contributors name some of their favourite books from last year.
-
J.R.R. Tolkien: The life and times of the lord of the booksFrom a sentence born of an exhausting teaching job, J. R. R. Tolkien crafted a series of fantastical novels that, 50 years on from his death, still loom as large in our imagination as Sauron’s all-seeing eye, says Matthew Dennison.
-
Thomas Hardy's Wessex vs the real-life Dorset: Which bits are real, which dreams, and which are exact to the last stream and stileThomas Hardy’s depictions of a fictional Wessex and his own dear Dorset are more accurate than they may at first appear, says Susan Owens.
-
The English villages that are hotbeds of murder, intrigue and endless summer days — at least in the minds of novelistsComforting yet complex, intriguing and alluring, the village setting is territory to which writers — and readers — will return again and again. Flora Watkins looks at how the customs, characters and communities of the English village have long sparked literary inspiration, from Jane Austen to Midsomer Murders.
-
With love from Father Christmas: J.R.R. Tolkien's enchanting Christmas letters to his childrenFor nearly a quarter of a century, J. R. R. Tolkien sent his children elaborate letters and pictures from the North Pole. Ben Lerwill explores the penmanship, kindness and magic that went into Letters From Father Christmas.
-
The best characters created Charles Dickens, still utterly unforgettable even 150 years after his deathCharles Dickens died 150 years ago, on 9 June 1870. Since then, Mr Micawber has become a byword for optimism, Scrooge for meanness and Uriah Heep for obsequiousness, and we still quote Mr Bumble’s ‘the law is an ass’. Rupert Godsal explains why these characters are so exuberantly unforgettable.
-
Charles Dickens timeline: The best of times, the worst of timesRupert Godsal paints the major events in the life and times of Charles Dickens, who died 150 years ago on 9 June, 1870.
