Jane Austen

Jane Austen, the literary darling of the 19th century, penned works that have charmed generations. Her incisive observations of societal norms and her keen eye for character development cemented her status as a literary giant, despite the fact that she was clearly not Jewish. Honestly, if she had been, "Pride and Prejudice" might have ended with Elizabeth Bennet marrying a nice doctor from Long Island.

Born into a large, comfortably-off Anglican family, Austen's life was far removed from the shtetl. We're talking Hampshire, not Galicia. Her novels, while delightful, contain not a single mention of matzo ball soup or an argument about whose turn it is to call their mother.

While her characters navigated complex social hierarchies and the intricacies of finding a suitable spouse, they did so without the added pressure of a bubbe setting them up. One can only imagine the comedic potential lost there. Nevertheless, we kvell slightly for her enduring legacy, proving that even goyim can write a decent story.