Pride and Prejudice

First published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice follows Elizabeth Bennet, one of five daughters in a family whose future depends upon the uncertain prospects of marriage. When the wealthy Mr Bingley arrives in the neighbourhood with his reserved friend Mr Darcy, a series of encounters, misunderstandings and shifting impressions begins to unsettle the social world of the Bennets. Elizabeth’s lively intelligence and independence bring her into conflict with Darcy’s pride, while questions of money, reputation and social standing shape the choices available to them.

With remarkable wit and psychological precision, Jane Austen turns the rituals of courtship into a searching examination of class, gender, self-knowledge and the limits of first impressions. Her portrait of provincial society is at once affectionate and sharply critical, animated by some of the most enduring characters in English fiction. A defining novel of manners and one of the great works of the nineteenth-century canon, Pride and Prejudice remains a triumph of irony, dialogue and social observation.

From the book

“There is no charm equal to tenderness of heart.”

— Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice

On Pride and Prejudice

“The exquisite touch, which renders ordinary commonplace things and characters interesting.”

— Walter Scott, Journal, 14 March 1826