LoveReading Says
One of P. D. James' favourite books.
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.
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Pride and Prejudice Synopsis
A beautiful jacketed hardback edition of Jane Austen's enduring love story Pride and Prejudice with brand-new, full-colour illustrations by Luna Williams.
Considered by many to be Jane Austen's best work, Pride and Prejudice is a sharp comedy of manners centering on quick-witted Elizabeth Bennet and the mounting pressures put on her to find a suitable husband. When the aristocratic, reserved Mr Darcy enters her society, and interferes with Elizabeth's blossoming romance with the dashing Mr Wickham, both must confront their assumptions about the other if they're to find true happiness. Witty, humorous and ultimately satisfying, this tale of an attraction of opposites has chimed with readers for more than two hundred years.
This beautifully illustrated collector's edition features the complete text and 24 specially-commissioned, full-colour illustrations by Luna Williams. Whether you're approaching Pride and Prejudice for the first time, or want to experience it afresh with new illustrations, this collectible edition is perfect for any lover of classic literature.
ABOUT THE SERIES: The Arcturus Illustrated Classics series brings together handsome hardcover editions of classic works, beautifully presented with full-colour, specially-commissioned illustrations, patterned endpapers and dust jackets.
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Jane Austen Press Reviews
'The wit of Jane Austen has for partner the perfection of her taste.' -Virginia Woolf
'Nobody has ever been slyer with characters than Austen.' -Marlon James
About Jane Austen
Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775 at Steventon near Basingstoke, the seventh child of the rector of the parish. She lived with her family at Steventon until they moved to Bath when her father retired in 1801. After his death in 1805, she moved around with her mother; in 1809, they settled in Chawton, near Alton, Hampshire. Here she remained, except for a few visits to London, until in May 1817 she moved to Winchester to be near her doctor. There she died on 18 July 1817.
As a girl Jane Austen wrote stories, including burlesques of popular romances. Her works were only published after much revision, four novels being published in her lifetime. These are Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816). Two other novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, were published posthumously in 1818 with a biographical notice by her brother, Henry Austen, the first formal announcement of her authorship. Persuasion was written in a race against failing health in 1815-16. She also left two earlier compositions, a short epistolary novel, Lady Susan, and an unfinished novel, The Watsons. At the time of her death, she was working on a new novel, Sanditon, a fragmentary draft of which survives.
Fellow novelist Katharine McMahon on Jane Austen...
I can't not choose her. And whichever I've read last is always my favourite. The nuance of emotion, the understanding of human nature revealed by Austen constantly delights me. When I reread Sense and Sensibility recently, for the first time Elinor came across as quite prissy and destined to marry a rather spineless husband. I wonder if that was intended?
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