 Title page of the first edition, 1813 | |
| Author | Jane Austen |
|---|---|
| Working title | First Impressions |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Classic Regency novel Romance novel |
| Set in | Hertfordshire and Derbyshire |
| Publisher | T. Egerton, Whitehall |
Publication date | 28 January 1813 |
| Publication place | United Kingdom |
| Media type | Print (hardback, 3 volumes), digitalized |
| OCLC | 38659585 |
| 823.7 | |
| LC Class | PR4034 .P7 |
| Preceded by | Sense and Sensibility |
| Followed by | Mansfield Park |
| Text | Pride and Prejudice at Wikisource |
Pride and Prejudice is the second novel by English author Jane Austen, published in 1813. A novel of manners, it follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the protagonist of the book, who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness.
Mr Bennet, owner of the Longbourn estate in Hertfordshire, has five daughters, but his property is entailed and can only be passed to a male heir. His wife also lacks an inheritance, so his family faces becoming poor upon his death. Thus, it is imperative that at least one of the daughters marry well to support the others, which is a primary motivation driving the plot.
Pride and Prejudice has consistently appeared near the top of lists of "most-loved books" among literary scholars and the reading public. It has become one of the most popular novels in English literature, with over 20 million copies sold, and has inspired many derivatives in modern literature.[1][2] For more than a century, dramatic adaptations, reprints, unofficial sequels, films, and TV versions of Pride and Prejudice have portrayed the memorable characters and themes of the novel, reaching mass audiences.[3]
- ^ "Monstersandcritics.com". Monstersandcritics.com. 7 May 2009. Archived from the original on 26 October 2009. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
- ^ "Austen power: 200 years of Pride and Prejudice". The Independent. 19 January 2013. Retrieved 7 December 2018.
- ^ Looser, Devoney (2017). The Making of Jane Austen. Baltimore, MD: Johns Hopkins University Press. p. 76. ISBN 978-1421422824.