Books

6 Jane Austen Collections Janeites Will Adore

by Julia Seales

As Henry Tilney says in Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey, “the person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid.” I would add that there is no enjoyment like reading these good novels… especially when they are novels written by Jane Austen, and especially when you own a particularly lovely Jane Austen collection.

I’m a sucker for books with great covers. Of course, I’d never judge a book by its cover, but if I already know I love the contents, I want to own a copy that does the story justice. I love organizing my bookshelf so all my favorite novels look lovely on the shelf, because there’s no better decoration than a well-organized library.

At first, all my copies of Jane Austen novels were ones I had purchased for school. Half the book was filled with literary criticism, and the covers were all paintings that ~sort of~ fit in with the story, if you really stretched the imagination. As much as I liked reading these copies, I recently decided that it was time to replace them with a collection that showed off my true love for Jane Austen. And as I started shopping, I discovered a veritable treasure trove of Austen collections. Here are some of my favorites:

1. The Vintage Classics Austen Series

Jane Austen Vintage Classics, $19, Anthropologie

This collection features beautiful watercolor-style covers. If you prefer paperback over hardcovers, this is actually an excellent collection, because the covers are sturdy but still flexible (since you're going to be re-reading these a lot).

2. The Penguin Clothbound Classics Set

Jane Austen: The Complete Works, $83, Barnes & Noble

This beautiful collection also comes with Love and Friendship, a collection of Jane Austen's writings from her youth, and the novella Lady Susan, which inspired the recent film adaptation Love and Friendship. The cloth covers feature minimalist designs differing for each book, and the colors will look amazing on your shelf.

3. The Juniper Books Jane Austen Set In Pink

Jane Austen Sets, $225, Juniper Books

Juniper Books makes custom dust jackets for all your favorite books — you've probably seen the Harry Potter Hogwarts houses dust jackets. But did you know they also have Jane Austen collections? This pink one would look perfect on a bright and colorful shelf.

4. The Juniper Books Jane Austen Set In Vellum

Jane Austen Sets, $225, Juniper Books

If you prefer more muted colors, Juniper Books also offers this collection in vellum. The simple design will go well with a more classic looking shelf.

5. The Juniper Books Jane Austen Signature Set

Jane Austen Sets, $225, Juniper Books

If you're a fan of collections that aren't truly complete until all of them are next to one another, this last collection from Juniper Books is for you. Together, the books complete Jane Austen's signature.

6. Barnes & Noble Collectible Edition In Jane Austen

Jane Austen: Seven Novels, $16, Barnes & Noble

If you want to carry around a really, really big book, this is the collection for you. All of Austen's novels are featured in this leather bound tome (it really deserves to be called a "tome").

Image: Instagram/mybookbath (1)