Pride and Prejudice

Author: Jane Austen

Genre: Novel

Publication Date: 2020

Overview

Published anonymously in three volumes in 1813 by the English novelist Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice is a romantic novel of manners that deals with the household affairs of the English gentry. The novel’s excellence lies in its humorous, authentic, and detailed depiction of the sociopolitical and cultural conventions and values of society during the Regency Era in Great Britain. The copyright of Pride and Prejudice was sold to Thomas Egerton by the author for a one-off payment of £110, although Austen had asked for £150. It was later found that Egerton had made £450 from selling just the first two editions of the book. The first edition was published on January 28, 1813; the second edition was published in October of 1813. A third edition was published in 1817.

The novel is primarily a book about the aspirations of marriage, although it is set during the Napoleonic Wars. The protagonist of the novel is not a soldier, but Elizabeth Bennet—a woman whose disposition is amply reflected in the novel’s title itself: her reasoning, from time to time, is clouded by pride and prejudice. She meets Mr. Darcy, an extremely class-conscious man who gradually falls in love with her. Elizabeth, however, perceives Darcy as a snobbish and proud man; she is thus unable—and perhaps even unwilling—to reciprocate his love. Through an array of complex, frivolous characters, who seem preoccupied with questions of class, social status, and money, Austen depicts a very accurate picture of the rural English society of her time.

Pride and Prejudice Biography

Pride and Prejudice Background

Pride and Prejudice Characters

Pride and Prejudice Summary and Analysis

Pride and Prejudice Themes

Pride and Prejudice Quotes

Pride-and-Prejudice Discussion Questions