LoveReading Says
One of P. D. James' favourite books.
When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen shows the folly of judging by first impressions and superbly evokes the friendships, gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life.
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PRIDE AND PREJUDICE Synopsis
Austen's timeless romantic classic, follows the lives of the five Bennett sisters, who live in a time where an advantageous marriage and social status are considered a fundamental for any woman to stand a fair chance at life. Set at the turn of the 19th century, Pride and Prejudice catches a perfect glimpse not only of a time when women were socially and economically dependent solely on their marital status, but also as an age of enlightenment and witness of the French Revolution.This romantic novel with its hint of comic references begins with the famous quote It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. This famous quotation sets the story into motion as the eligible Mr. Bingley is introduced as he rides into town. The quote also draws in and to some extent reveals the content of the plot to come. Soon the news of the arrival of the well off Charles Bingley finds its way to the ears of the Bennett household. Having five unmarried daughters, the Bennetts are eager to match them up with suitable spouse candidates and see them prosperously married. After attending a ball, Mr. Bingley is instantly attracted to the oldest Bennett daughter Jane and it is fair to say that the feeling is mutual. Such cannot be said about his close friend Mr. Darcy who rudely refuses to dance with the second Bennett daughter Elizabeth. Consequently, Elizabeth's first prejudice is born as she labels Mr. Darcy arrogant and obnoxious; however, she later learns never to judge a book by its cover and must swallow up her pride to achieve happiness. Pride and Prejudice witnesses the exciting courtships of the Bennett sisters and their suitors, as well as the not so joyful relationships of other characters. As the novel develops the relationships between the characters must outweigh the forces seeking to tear them apart. iBoo Worlds Best ClassicsiBoo Press releases World's Best Classics, uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work. We preserve the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. All titles are designed with a nice cover, quality paper and a large font that's easy to read.
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Jane Austen Press Reviews
'The wit of Jane Austen has for partner the perfection of her taste.' -Virginia Woolf
'Nobody has ever been slyer with characters than Austen.' -Marlon James
About Jane Austen
Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775 at Steventon near Basingstoke, the seventh child of the rector of the parish. She lived with her family at Steventon until they moved to Bath when her father retired in 1801. After his death in 1805, she moved around with her mother; in 1809, they settled in Chawton, near Alton, Hampshire. Here she remained, except for a few visits to London, until in May 1817 she moved to Winchester to be near her doctor. There she died on 18 July 1817.
As a girl Jane Austen wrote stories, including burlesques of popular romances. Her works were only published after much revision, four novels being published in her lifetime. These are Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816). Two other novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, were published posthumously in 1818 with a biographical notice by her brother, Henry Austen, the first formal announcement of her authorship. Persuasion was written in a race against failing health in 1815-16. She also left two earlier compositions, a short epistolary novel, Lady Susan, and an unfinished novel, The Watsons. At the time of her death, she was working on a new novel, Sanditon, a fragmentary draft of which survives.
Fellow novelist Katharine McMahon on Jane Austen...
I can't not choose her. And whichever I've read last is always my favourite. The nuance of emotion, the understanding of human nature revealed by Austen constantly delights me. When I reread Sense and Sensibility recently, for the first time Elinor came across as quite prissy and destined to marry a rather spineless husband. I wonder if that was intended?
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