Jane Austen ( 16 December 1775 â `` 18 July 1817 ) was an English novelist . She wrote many books of romantic fiction about the gentry . Jane Austen ( 16 December 1775 â `` 18 July 1817 ) was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction , set among the landed gentry , earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature , her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics .