Understanding Jane Austen Quoting: Jordán, Miguel Ángel. «Understanding Jane Austen». The Esse Messenger 26-2 (Winter de 2017): 18-26. Miguel Ángel Jordán Enamorado Profesor asociado en el Departamento de Filología Inglesa y Alemana. Universidad de Valencia (España) Part-time Assistant Professor in the Department of English and German Studies. University of Valencia (Spain) Two hundred years after the death of Jane Austen, not only have her works not lost their relevance, but they are becoming more and more well-known. However, the large number of existing film adaptations and other audiovisual versions may have the consequence that many people have got to know these stories without having read the books. These versions could also promote a superficial reading of the novels, in which their literary value are not appreciated. In this article, some keys are proposed to understand and to appreciate the literary style of Jane Austen. Jane Austen, style, irony, narrator, characters Introduction Jane Austen is a renowned writer. She has millions of readers, many of whom declare themselves to be "unconditional fans.” There are cinematographic adaptations of all her novels, as well as films, series and books inspired –more or less freely- by some of her works or characters. As a result of this media success, many people are partially aware of some of Austen's stories without having read any of her books. And there is also the risk that some readers of these novels, predisposed by the films, could fail to appreciate their literary value, remaining only on a superficial level, which focuses attention on the details of the age (dances, dresses, carriages, etc.), on the romantic moments, and on other secondary factors, without noticing the mastery of the literary style of Jane Austen that is displayed throughout all her works. In this article, we will offer some keys to a better understanding of Jane Austen's novels and, through them, a way to enjoy these works with greater satisfaction and fulfilment. 1. Sensing the tone: sense of humour present in the novels To appreciate a song, it is not enough to know the lyrics, you also need to listen to the melody. Something similar happens in the reading of these works. To understand them,