What age for Jane Austen books

[TheSweetestHalleluja]

Thinking of getting a box set of them for DD who is an avid reader, but what age would you recommend them for?

15-16

I read Pride and Prejudice in year 9, and loved it!

If a good reader 11 plus but she’ll enjoy it more if she has an idea of context, maybe watch either the old TV versions or some of the more modern film versions.

I started them when I was about 11 but I'd imagine a lot of the vocabulary was beyond me, as were the subtleties. Still got the gist of the stories though, but I'd say that's too young to really enjoy them.

My niece apparently has read them all. She is 11. Her parents are a bit braggy though, and have previous for making up weird lies for no good reason, so this may not be true!

I was 11.

I was about 12-13 but only got the idea of reading them because I’d seen the 1990s TV version of Pride and Prejudice. I did like them but don’t think I would have liked them as much at that age if I hadn’t watched P&P first.

I tried P&P as a young teen and found it very boring, tried again in my mid20s and was amazed how good Austen was and read them all. Some kids (definitely me) may not be mature enough to enjoy them until a bit older.

12/13

When my dd was about 9 I bought her a Jane Austin for children box set, she adored them, moving onto the real thing by early teens.

Mixed responses so far then, I did wonder about getting her the children's version first. Or maybe I'll treat myself to the real thing and then pass them onto DD.

I was 12/13, I read P&P along with the BBC series and loved both. I read some of her others in the years afterwards.

I was given Pride and Prejudice at 13 and was not interested. At fifteen I borrowed Persuasion from the library and was hooked. 15 is old enough, I think, 12 much too young.
I remember the BBC serial, which I enjoyed, but I was 17 by then and had read the books.
NB I also liked The Princesse de Cleves at the same age. Penguin version but can't remember the translation (miserable ending appeals to teens - doesn't appeal now!).

Don't get the children's versions. Spoil for life.

If a good reader from about 12. My own experience was I read them young but had no idea how funny and good they were until later.

DD is reading Emma right now, she's just turned 14, and did find it hard to get into because of the sentence length mostly, but now the story has got going she's enjoying it and has taken to curtsying around the house.

Similar to others, I was an avid reader and tried a JA at some point after Jane Eyre... when I was about 12 - it seemed dry and dull. I could understand the words but I really didn't get it. I was astonished when I tried one a few years later!

I agree with others that seeing good adaptations of classics before reading them can be a good idea - I enjoyed loads of dickens and even War and Peace as a teen thanks to the bbc.