Pride and Prejudice (Penguin Classics) Book

Pride and Prejudice is a delightful social comedy and a timelessly affecting love story. It was the first of Jane Austen's novels that I read and it still, after numerous re-readings over the years, remains my favourite. From the very first sentence - "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." - I was hooked on the humour and warmth of the story and still consider Pride and Prejudice to be one of the greatest books ever written.

By way of back-story, the Bennet's own the Longbourn estate in the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire and, although not particularly wealthy, they are very comfortably off. There is a potential problem on the horizon though since if Mr Bennet were to die his wife and daughters would be left without house and home since Longbourn is entailed to a distant male relative of Mr Bennet. While Mr Bennet himself is not particularly concerned, Mrs Bennet is particularly worried about this situation and so wishes to finds husbands for her daughters quickly. Elizabeth Bennet is Mr Bennet's favourite daughter because of her level-headed approach to life when his own wife'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 wealthy young gentleman from 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 neighbours 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 that she has a fondness for that Darcy has treated him poorly and is a villain. 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.

While all the characters in Pride and Prejudice are excellent, with Mrs Bennet and Mr Collins being my favourite 'comedy relief', my absolute favourite from amongst them are the central couple of Elizabeth and Darcy. Elizabeth Bennet is the headstrong young woman whom no man seems capable of taming; Mr Darcy is the arrogant landowner who disdains to think it would be worth his trying to do so. Jane Austen's poised narrative shows how these two apparently incompatible characters learn to overcome their initial feelings of mutual dislike. A tour de force of wit and sparkling dialogue, Pride and Prejudice is also a sumptuously detailed picture of 19th century society which, in its exploration of manners and motives has a great deal to say about society today.

Pride and Prejudice is a memorable story about the inaccuracy of first impressions, about the power of reason, and above all about the strange dynamics of human relationships and emotions. It is a wonderful novel that I heartily recommend.

Part of Penguin's beautiful hardback Clothbound Classics series, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith, these delectable and collectible editions are bound in high-quality colourful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design. 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.

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 b