Pride and Prejudice is a novel by Jane Austen. First published on 28 January 1813, it is her second published novel. Its manuscript was initially written between 1796 and 1797 in Steventon, Hampshire, where Austen lived in the rectory. Originally called First Impressions, it was never published under that title, and in following revisions it was retitled Pride and Prejudice.
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Easton Press Jane Austen books Persuasion - The Collector's Library of Famous Editions - 1977
Pride and Prejudice - 100 Greatest Books Ever Written - 1977
Emma - The Collector's Library of Famous Editions - 1983
Sense and Sensibility - The Collector's Library of Famous Editions - 1985
1996 six volume set including:
Pride and Prejudice
Mansfield Park
Northanger Abbey
Sense and Sensibility
Emma
Persuasion
Franklin Library Jane Austen books
Pride and prejudice - 100 Greatest Books of All Time - 1980
The novel was originally titled First Impressions by Jane Austen, and was written between October 1796 and August 1797. On November 1, 1797, Austen's father gave the draft to London bookseller Thomas Cadell in hopes of it being published, but it was rejected. The unpublished manuscript was returned to Austen and it stayed with her.
Austen revised the manuscript for First Impressions, with significant revisions between 1811–1812. She later renamed the story Pride and Prejudice. In renaming the novel, Austen probably had in mind the "sufferings and oppositions" summarized in the final chapter of Fanny Burney's Cecilia, called "Pride and Prejudice", where the phrase appears three times in block capitals. It is possible that the novel's original title was altered to avoid confusion with other works. In the years between the completion of First Impressions and its revision into Pride and Prejudice, two other works had been published under that name: a novel by Margaret Holford and a comedy by Horace Smith.
Austen sold the copyright for the novel to Thomas Egerton of Whitehall in exchange for £110 (Austen had asked for £150). This proved a costly decision. Austen had published Sense and Sensibility on a commission basis, whereby she indemnified the publisher against any losses and received any profits, less costs and the publisher's commission. Unaware that Sense and Sensibility would sell out its edition, making her £140, she passed the copyright to Egerton for a one-off payment, meaning that all the risk (and all the profits) would be his. Jan Fergus has calculated that Egerton subsequently made around £450 from just the first two editions of the book.
Summary
Elizabeth Bennet is a country gentleman's daughter in 19th Century England. She is one of five daughters, a plight that her father bears as best he can with common sense of his daughters Jane and Elizabeth, and a general disinterest in the silliness of his daughters - Mary, Kitty and Lydia. Elizabeth is his favorite because of her level-headed approach to life, whilst Elizabeth's mother's greatest concern is getting her daughters married off to well-established gentlemen. Only Jane, Elizabeth's older sister, is nearly as sensible and practical as Elizabeth, but Jane is also the beauty of the family, and therefore, Mrs. Bennet's highest hope for a good match.
When Mr. Bingley, a young gentleman of London, takes a country estate near to the Bennet's home, Mrs. Bennet begins her match-making schemes without any trace of subtlety or dignity. Despite Mrs. Bennet's embarrassing interference, Mr. Bingley and Jane become fond of one another. Mr. Darcy, who has accompanied Bingley to the country, begins his acquaintance with Elizabeth, her family, and their neighbors with smug condescension and proud distaste for the all of the country people. Elizabeth, learning of his dislike, makes it a point to match his disgust with her own venom. She also hears from a soldier for whom she has a fondness that Darcy has misused the man. Without thinking through the story, Elizabeth immediately seizes upon it as another, more concrete reason to hate Mr. Darcy. She contradicts and argues with Darcy each time they meet, but somewhere along the way he begins to like Elizabeth.
When Bingley leaves the countryside suddenly and makes no attempts to contact Jane anymore, the young woman is heartbroken. Elizabeth, who had thought well of Bingley, believes that there is something amiss in the way that he left Jane in the lurch. Only when Elizabeth goes to visit her friend at the estate of Darcy's aunt does the mystery begin to unfold. After several encounters with Mr. Darcy while visiting her friend, Elizabeth is shocked when Darcy proposes to her. Elizabeth refuses him and questions him about his ungentlemanly conduct, the way that he misused her soldier friend, and his role in the manner of Bingley's abandonment of Jane. Darcy writes a letter to explain himself, and Elizabeth is embarrassed to learn that she had been misled about the facts of her concerns about the matters involving Darcy. In his turn, Darcy reflects on Elizabeth's criticisms and makes an effort to improve his manners in order to try to win her back. Elizabeth goes on a tour of the country and, coincidentally, they meet face-to-face while she is touring the gardens of his estate with her aunt and uncle. Darcy behaves with gentlemanly conduct and treats her relations with extreme diffidence. Elizabeth sees this to possibly mean that he still harbours affections for her, but before they can take this a step further it is derailed by a shocking event. Elizabeth learns that one of her younger sisters, Lydia, has run away with the very soldier who misled Elizabeth and the rest of her family about Mr. Darcy. She returns home immediately.
When the indignity of her sister's elopement is straightened out, Elizabeth is surprised when Darcy returns to the country with Bingley. She expected that the shame of her sister's actions had ruined any chances of a relationship with Mr. Darcy, or Jane and Bingley. Elizabeth learns from her aunt that Darcy did a great part to help get her younger sister properly married to the infamous soldier. She is confronted by Darcy's aunt about her "engagement" to Darcy, her rebuff, convinces Darcy that her affections have changed. He proposes a second time with Elizabeth accepting.
Characters
Elizabeth Bennet
Elizabeth Bennet is the main female protagonist. The reader sees the unfolding plot and the other characters mostly from her viewpoint. The second of the Bennet daughters at twenty years old, she is portrayed as intelligent, lively, (somewhat) attractive and witty, with her faults being a tendency to judge on first impressions and perhaps being a little selective of the evidence she uses to base her judgments upon. As the plot begins, her closest relationships are with her father, her sister Jane, her aunt Mrs. Gardiner and her neighbour Charlotte Lucas. Because of his ingratiating manner, Elizabeth believes the words of Mr. Wickham over the terse but honourable Mr. Darcy.
Fitzwilliam Darcy
Fitzwilliam Darcy is the main male protagonist. At twenty-eight years old and unmarried, 'Mr. Darcy' is the wealthy owner of the famously superior estate Pemberley in Derbyshire. Portrayed as handsome and intelligent, but not convivial, his concern with decorum and moral rectitude is seen by many as an excessive concern with social status. He makes a poor impression on strangers, such as the people of Meryton, but is valued by those who know him well. His close relationships include his friend Charles Bingley, who has rented an estate in Hertfordshire, near Meryton.
Mr. Bennet
Mr. Bennet has a wife and five daughters. Portrayed as a bookish and intelligent man somewhat withdrawn from society and one who dislikes the frivolity of his wife and three younger daughters, he offers nothing but mockery by way of correction. He is closest to his older daughters, especially Elizabeth.
Mrs. Bennet
Mrs. Bennet is the wife of Mr. Bennet and mother of Elizabeth and her sisters. Her main objective in life is to find (wealthy) husbands for her five daughters, but she lacks the subtlety to execute her goals. She is portrayed as frivolous, excitable and narrow-minded. She is susceptible to attacks of tremors and palpitations, and her public manners are embarrassing to her eldest daughters. Her favourite daughter is the youngest, Lydia. Elizabeth is her least favourite daughter, being described as "the least dearest to her of her daughters."
Jane Bennet
Jane Bennet is the eldest Bennet sister. Twenty-two years old when the novel begins, she is considered the most beautiful young lady in the neighbourhood. Her character is contrasted with Elizabeth's as sweeter, shyer and equally sensible but not as clever; her most notable trait is a desire to see only good in others. Jane is closest to Elizabeth.
Mary Bennet
Mary Bennet is the middle Bennet sister, aged around eighteen. The only plain one of the five, she strives to be the most accomplished. She spends most of her time reading and studying, but without understanding. Of the sisters, she thinks most highly of Mr. Collins.
Catherine (Kitty) Bennet
Catherine (Kitty) Bennet is the fourth Bennet sister, aged seventeen. Portrayed as a less headstrong but equally frivolous shadow of Lydia.
Lydia Bennet
Lydia Bennet is the youngest Bennet sister, aged fifteen. She is repeatedly described as frivolous and headstrong. Her main activity in life is socialising, especially flirting with the military officers stationed in the nearby town of Meryton. She dominates her older sister Kitty and is supported in the family by her mother.
Charles Bingley
Charles Bingley has just rented the Netherfield estate near Longbourn when the novel opens. Twenty-two years old at the start of the novel, handsome, good-natured and wealthy, he is contrasted with his friend Mr. Darcy as being less intelligent but kinder and more charming (and hence more popular in Meryton). He lacks resolve and is easily influenced by others.
George Wickham
George Wickham is an old acquaintance of Mr. Darcy, and an officer in the militia unit stationed near Meryton. A superficially charming man, he forms a friendship with Elizabeth Bennet, prompting many to remark upon his suitability as a potential husband. He spreads numerous tales about the wrongs Mr. Darcy has done to him, colouring the popular perception of the other man in local society; it is eventually revealed that these tales are distortions, and that Darcy was the more wronged man in their acquaintance.
Mr. William Collins
Mr. William Collins is Mr. Bennet's cousin and a clergyman. Since Mr. Bennet has no sons, Collins is in line to inherit Mr. Bennet's estate. Jane Austen described him as "not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society". Collins is thought to be naively stupid by Mr. Bennet, and Elizabeth rejects his marriage proposal. She is very distressed when her friend Charlotte Lucas decides to marry Mr. Collins out of interest in his estate rather than his personality. Collins constantly boasts about his acquaintance with the wealthy and pompous Lady Catherine de Bourgh.
Source and additional information: Pride and Prejudice
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