Jane Austen (1775 – 1817) A famous English novelist. Jane Austen is known primarily for her six major novels which interpret, critique and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Sense and Sensibility was first published anonymously in 1811. The novel tells the story of two sisters, Elinor and Marianne, both of age to marry, following their life in a country cottage, where they experience love, romance and heartbreak.