200 years on: Jane Austen still popular in China

A still of "Pride and Prejudice" in 2005. [Photo/VCG]

Asked why Jane's books are so popular in China, Meng said a part of the modern Chinese society could not do without "literary youth". Their aspiration for literature and art matches their cravings for daily coffee, indispensable but simple.

"From libraries to bookstores, William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Virginia Woolf or George Orwell are neatly placed on shelves and recommended for students to read after class. Though Jane Austen was not widely read like Shakespeare, it's a fact that she has been recognized and celebrated by readers." Meng added.