Pride and Prejudice (Bantam Classics)
Pride and Prejudice (Bantam Classics) book cover

Pride and Prejudice (Bantam Classics)

Mass Market Paperback – December 1, 1983

by
Price
$5.95
Publisher
Bantam Classics
Publication Date
ISBN-13
978-0553213102
Dimensions
4.14 x 0.74 x 6.88 inches
Weight
6 ounces

Description

Elizabeth Bennet is the perfect Austen heroine: intelligent, generous, sensible, incapable of jealousy or any other major sin. That makes her sound like an insufferable goody-goody, but the truth is she's a completely hip character, who if provoked is not above skewering her antagonist with a piece of her exceptionally sharp -- but always polite -- 18th century wit. The point is, you spend the whole book absolutely fixated on the critical question: will Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy hook up? "The wit of Jane Austen has for partner the perfection of her taste."—Virginia Woolf From the Publisher For over 150 years, Pride And Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen herself called this brilliant work her "own darling child." Pride And Prejudice , the story of Mrs. Bennet's attempts to marry off her five daughters is one of the best-loved and most enduring classics in English literature. Excitement fizzes through the Bennet household at Longbourn in Hertfordshire when young, eligible Mr. Charles Bingley rents the fine house nearby. He may have sisters, but he also has male friends, and one of these -- the haughty, and even wealthier, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy -- irks the vivacious Elizabeth Bennet, the second of the Bennet girls. She annoys him. Which is how we know they must one day marry. The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and Darcy is a splendid rendition of civilized sparring. As the characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, Jane Austen's radiantly caustic wit and keen observation sparkle. From the Inside Flap For over 150 years, Pride And Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen herself called this brilliant work her "own darling child." Pride And Prejudice , the story of Mrs. Bennet's attempts to marry off her five daughters is one of the best-loved and most enduring classics in English literature. Excitement fizzes through the Bennet household at Longbourn in Hertfordshire when young, eligible Mr. Charles Bingley rents the fine house nearby. He may have sisters, but he also has male friends, and one of these -- the haughty, and even wealthier, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy -- irks the vivacious Elizabeth Bennet, the second of the Bennet girls. She annoys him. Which is how we know they must one day marry. The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and Darcy is a splendid rendition of civilized sparring. As the characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, Jane Austen's radiantly caustic wit and keen observation sparkle. For over 150 years, "Pride And Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen herself called this brilliant work her "own darling child." "Pride And Prejudice, the story of Mrs. Bennet's attempts to marry off her five daughters is one of the best-loved and most enduring classics in English literature. Excitement fizzes through the Bennet household at Longbourn in Hertfordshire when young, eligible Mr. Charles Bingley rents the fine house nearby. He may have sisters, but he also has male friends, and one of these -- the haughty, and even wealthier, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy -- irks the vivacious Elizabeth Bennet, the second of the Bennet girls. She annoys him. Which is how we know they must one day marry. The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and Darcy is a splendid rendition of civilized sparring. As the characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, Jane Austen's radiantly caustic wit and keen observation sparkle. Though the domain of Jane Austen’s novels was as circumscribed as her life, her caustic wit and keen observation made her the equal of the greatest novelists in any language. Born the seventh child of the rector of Steventon, Hampshire, on December 16, 1775, she was educated mainly at home. At an early age she began writing sketches and satires of popular novels for her family’s entertainment. As a clergyman’s daughter from a well-connected family, she had an ample opportunity to study the habits of the middle class, the gentry, and the aristocracy. At twenty-one, she began a novel called “The First Impressions” an early version of Pride and Prejudice . In 1801, on her father’s retirement, the family moved to the fashionable resort of Bath. Two years later she sold the first version of Northanger Abby to a London publisher, but the first of her novels to appear was Sense and Sensibility , published at her own expense in 1811. It was followed by Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1815). After her father died in 1805, the family first moved to Southampton then to Chawton Cottage in Hampshire. Despite this relative retirement, Jane Austen was still in touch with a wider world, mainly through her brothers; one had become a very rich country gentleman, another a London banker, and two were naval officers. Though her many novels were published anonymously, she had many early and devoted readers, among them the Prince Regent and Sir Walter Scott. In 1816, in declining health, Austen wrote Persuasion and revised Northanger Abby , Her last work, Sandition , was left unfinished at her death on July 18, 1817. She was buried in Winchester Cathedral. Austen’s identity as an author was announced to the world posthumously by her brother Henry, who supervised the publication of Northanger Abby and Persuasion in 1818. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Chapter One It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters."My dear Mr. Bennet," said his lady to him one day, "have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?"Mr. Bennet replied that he had not."But it is," returned she; "for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it."Mr. Bennet made no answer."Do not you want to know who has taken it?" cried his wife impatiently. "You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."This was invitation enough."Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week.""What is his name?""Bingley.""Is he married or single?""Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!""How so? How can it affect them?""My dear Mr. Bennet," replied his wife, "how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.""Is that his design in settling here?""Design! nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes.""I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.""My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty.""In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.""But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.""It is more than I engage for, I assure you.""But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account, for in general you know they visit no newcomers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him if you do not.""You are over scrupulous surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls; though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.""I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good-humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference.""They have none of them much to recommend them," replied he; "they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.""Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves.""You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least.""Ah! you do not know what I suffer.""But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood.""It will be no use to us if twenty such should come since you will not visit them.""Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all."Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news. Read more

Features & Highlights

  • Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s
  • The Great American Read
  • “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” So begins
  • Pride and Prejudice,
  • Jane Austen’s witty comedy of manners—one of the most popular novels of all time—that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues. Renowned literary critic and historian George Saintsbury in 1894 declared it the “most perfect, the most characteristic, the most eminently quintessential of its author’s works,” and Eudora Welty in the twentieth century described it as “irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be.”

Customer Reviews

Rating Breakdown

★★★★★
60%
(26.3K)
★★★★
25%
(10.9K)
★★★
15%
(6.6K)
★★
7%
(3.1K)
★
-7%
(-3065)

Most Helpful Reviews

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A Masterpiece of Wit and Style, A Timeless Work for the Ages

Jane Austen is one of the great masters of the English language, and PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is her great masterpiece, a sharp and witty comedy of manners played out in early 19th Century English society, a world in which men held virtually all the power and women were required to negotiate mine-fields of social status, respectability, wealth, love, and sex in order to marry both to their own liking and to the advantage of their family. And such is particularly the case of the Bennetts, a family of daughters whose father's estate is entailed to a distant relative, for upon Mr. Bennett's death they will lose home, land, income, everything. But are the Bennett daughters up to playing a winning hand in this high-stakes matrimonial game without forfeiting their own personal integrity?

This battle of the sexes is largely seen through the eyes of second daughter Elizabeth, who possesses a razor-sharp wit and rich sense of humor--and who finds herself hindered by her own addlepated mother, her sister Jane's hopeless love for the wealthy Mr. Bingley, and her sister Lydia's penchant for scandal... not to mention the high-born, formidable, and outrageously proud Mr. Darcy, who seems determined to trump her every card. But the game of love proves more surprising than either Elizabeth or Mr. Darcy can imagine, and sometimes a seemingly weak hand proves a winning one when all cards are on the table.

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE is simply one of the funniest novels ever written, peopled with memorable characters brought vividly to life as they both succeed and fail at the game of life according to the manners of their era. It is a novel to which I return again and again, enjoying Austen's brillant talent. I have little respect for people who describe it as dull, slow, out of date, for as long as men and women live and fall in love it will never be out of style, always be meaningful, and always be funny. A masterpiece of wit and style; a timeless novel for the ages.
661 people found this helpful
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It doesn't get better than this...

It doesn't get better than Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Whether you're the hopeless romantic or you just love the classics, you're going to love this book. Though I am only sixteen, I consider myself to be moderately well-read. I love reading, and, when I am between books, my life feels desolate and empty. One day, while in the most barren pit of ennui, I picked up Pride and Prejudice at my mother's recommendation. I do not ordinarily like my mother's taste in reading; her favorite books tend to be very dull, but so deep was my boredom that I succumbed to her suggestion. I wasn't displeased with what I found. I fell in love with the book at the first sentence. I brought my beloved book to the dinner table, to my classes and late into the night. I love everything about it. I love the characters; especially Elizabeth Bennet! I love the Victorian vernavular which works so well for this particular novel. I love the scintillating plot and the suspense created by knowing that Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy should be together but their pride and prejudice (hence the title) are temporarily keeping them apart. The language that the novel is written in might be a little more difficult to read than contemporary literature, but once one gets accustomed to it, it makes the novel even more pleasurable. I cannot imagine Elizabeth or Darcy or Bingley or any of the other characters speaking any less eloquently; it would ruin the whole experience! The flowery language completes the whole effect of reading a Jane Austen novel. If a disgruntled female reader put down Pride and Prejudice, pick it back up! I strongly suggest it because it may prove to be tedious at first but if read again, it would probably read more easily. I can offer no suggestions to the male reader, however, because generally this book, in ever essence, is a female novel. I am not saying that men would definetly not enjoy it; I'm simply saying that I have yet to meet any male who has not addressed this book in a very vehement manner. I simply love this book in its entirety, and I know it won't be too long before I pick it up again. Jane Austen surely knew what she was doing when she wrote this one! Her Pride and Prejudice will always have an honored spot on my bookshelf.
394 people found this helpful
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Not even close to being as good as you heard

Most people will probably hate me for writing this review about a classic, but I found Pride and Prejudice a terrible bore. Everyone knows what it's about, so I won't use up my time telling you. But the book is really sort of a nightmare that never ends. It is not romantic or charming in the least bit. The main character comes through as arrogant and at times even stupid. It is a completely forgetable book, and I have no clue as to why so many people find it romantic. The writing is good, it has it's moments, but it in no way makes up for this book's lack of everything else. Wuthering Heights and Little Women, other classics that are just about in the same genre, are by far superior. I was so disappointed I have not read another book by Austen, and I'm not planning on it.
22 people found this helpful
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I just don't see it

I have wanted to read this novel for a long time because of all the great reviews. Finally I had the chance to read it and personally I am disgusted. I tried really hard to see what people love about the book. I cannot see it. There is no true love in the book, the characters are shallow and there is absolutely no story. It talks through the entire book of these five sisters marrying. I think that they are al pompous and rather annoying. I do have to say that Elizabeth is my favorite character as she doesn't seem to be as sucked in to the society nearly as much, but I do not see what there is in this book that has given it all the wonderful reviews. Though I do encourage all to reaad it and see for themselves what it is like. From the reviews people either LOVE it or HATE it there are no in-betweens. Good-luck to all I hope you see more than I did.
19 people found this helpful
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Definitely a chick book...

I tried to read it, but I couldn't. I put it down at about page 100. From a fan of IMMANUEL KANT, this was too boring. Honestly, after I put it down, I had to study the Diamond Sutra and the Book of Job to get the vapid feeling out of my head. Someone on here wrote something to the effect of "as Blake saw the world in a grain of sand, so did Austen see the world in a drawing room". To this, I'd say that there is a vast difference in seeing the world in a drawing room, and thinking that the world IS a drawing room.

Basically, it felt way too narrow for me. I will admit that I dislike British culture, as a whole, and have yet to make it through a third Dickens novel (have tried four). Still, I am a huge fan of Fielding, Defoe, Chaucer, Shakespeare, Wordsworth, and like a few other English authors.
16 people found this helpful
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It is a truth (not) universally acknowledged- P&P is great!

I note with interest that every one-star review posted here comes either from a male or an unidentified "reader" . . . I'm not especially surprised, and to the males, don't blame yourselves if you can't penetrate Jane Austen (it is undoubtedly more appealing to the female mind), although I must vouch for P&P and pity those who pass over this excellent novel. The whole charm of the story lies in the high vocabulary which Elizabeth, Jane, Darcy and the rest employ, and the wonderful language creates a rapid succession of wit, romance, and observation on human absurdity, in style. ~~~~ It's hard to understand how people can find this book dull, for the very first chapter rolls out a lively discussion between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. In my opinion, Pride and Prejudice only gets better as you go on; I admit to once finishing the novel and promptly rereading it one day later. Also to smiling for one week straight, for Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. ~~~~ Please don't come to Jane Austen only to criticize her subject matter-- every author has a style and a realm of experience which make their books unique. If you think the young ladies' endless pursuits of wealthy marriages to be old-fashioned and petty, they are! But Jane Austen crafts the novel with a skill and wit that lets the novel at once both expose how ludicrous that English society was and yet create lively and very human characters you have to love; and therein lies its charm. Pride and Prejudice is a lovely combination of sly humor, exasperation, and romance that make it one of my favorites. I hope it will be one of yours too-- don't give up on Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy before you even know them! And understand Jane Austen for the talented authoress she is, whether you think her settings and period portrayals deplorably dull, pathetically petty, or (I hope!) cleverly charming. ~~~~ I think that most people, when they read P&P, either love it or hate it.
14 people found this helpful
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One of the finest works of art in the English language

I adore and revere Austen and this book is, for me, the pinnacle. It's such a masterwork of the English language, so richly layered and textured and such a sharp observation of the society in which Austen lived. Read only at surface level, it seems little more than a sweet romance but when the text is examined deeply the mastery of Austen becomes apparent.

Was Austen a feminist? I'm not entirely convinced of this but what I do know is that she was keenly, keenly aware of the way her world worked. She knew that the only power a woman had was to charm and flirt until she captured herself a rich husband. A woman did not have the power to seek her own occupation and a sharp and educated mind was not exactly appreciated. This is why Austen and her most bewitching heroine Elizabeth are so very subversive. Austen's creation, like Austen herself, bucks the convention of the time and is determined to see her life played out on her own terms. She will not settle for anything less than love and though that may seem simple to today's reader, it was anything but in an age when money and status meant everything. Elizabeth is not perfect. She makes mistakes and she is judgmental at times but her greatest strength is her determination to be true to herself.

And yet even though Austen makes such a strong case for independence of spirit, she is also kind to those who bow to convention. Though Elizabeth's dear friend Charlotte makes a choice that initially seems extremely repugnant, it is easy to see that, really, Charlotte is simply doing what she must to survive. It is not that Charlotte is any less true to herself than Elizabeth, it is simply that she is rather more practical and pragmatic. She sees her situation in a very clear light and, in the end, chooses what is for her the lesser of two evils. I think that Austen respected this as well. Being brave and forging a new path is not for all of us.

As for Darcy, he is also a product of his time. He behaves in a way that society feels a man should. At a very young age he must deal with gross abuses of his father's trust and a rather horrific betrayal of his family's kindness. He is forced to shoulder responsibility at a time when his peers may have been busy gambling and chasing skirts. There are few in whom Darcy can confide and he holds his cards so close to his chest that he must shut out others who could perhaps be of assistance to him. Though his wealth and status seem to suggest that he is above the slings and arrows of society, it turns out that this assumption is a naive one. Darcy is no more free to do whatever he likes than Elizabeth is.

What makes this book so satisfying is that the hero and heroine triumph over their adverse circumstances. At heart, Austen was a romantic. She clearly had hope that the narrow confines of her world could stretch enough to allow for happiness and self-fulfillment. She believed in the power of love to conquer some very daunting obstacles and she believed that love could help people grow into a better version of themselves. I think it is this optimism that makes Austen so appealing to her readers.
12 people found this helpful
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Unexpectedly good

I had to read "Emma" for my high school sophomore English class and was pretty much the only one who enjoyed it at all. Recently, free this summer from required reading, I decided to try "Pride and Prejudice". The first few chapters are slow and a bit dry, but the action soon picks up pace (as action and Austen go). Austen's characters are brilliantly drawn and her observations in situations are astute. The reader has the advantage of being the most nearly omniscient observer and knows throughout the book what the ending will be but still agonizes over the process of it happening. Some readers like me may be slightly annoyed that (like "Emma") the happiness of the characters hinges on love and marriage and nothing else, but in the end you'll be so swept up in the story that nothing else matters but the happy ending.
12 people found this helpful
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It�s Not So Much in What Happens but How it Happens

I have to say that I thoroughly enjoyed Pride & Prejudice. Although it has to be called a romance, I personally feel that the fascination is much more about the rules of behavior and courtship in Victorian society. The same story set in the modern day would not be nearly so interesting because you no longer have the rules to navigate that are present in the time in which it is set. It is the compliance with these rules and the reaction when they are not followed properly that makes the social structure of the time (as it is presented here) more like a chess game than a simple romance story. This given with characters and settings that have a feel to them that reminds me of Little Women made this book a great deal of fun to read. It was fast paced with plenty of intrigues.
The back of my book puts the entire plot into one short paragraph. I was at first concerned that this would take the fun out of the reading since who marries who in the end was spelled out right there. However, in reading it I realized that it is not WHAT happens in this book as much as it is HOW it happens and in this Austen is a true master. Essentially the story is of the five daughters of the Bennett family. The addle-brained mother has no other concern than to marry her daughters off and the detached father generally just makes fun of the whole situation. Jane and Elizabeth are the two eldest daughters and Jane forms an attachment early on to Bingley, a gentleman who has leased a house/estate nearby. When a pompous Mr. Darcy interferes in Jane's attachment to Bingley, Elizabeth is turned vehemently against him - a sentiment further deepened by aspersions made by Mr. Wickham, Mr. Darcy's father's godchild. As fate would have it, Mr. Darcy develops an attachment to Elizabeth and has to redeem himself in her eyes, despite his feelings of social superiority and her many resentments.
I don't know if the title is to reflect the pride of Mr. Darcy and the prejudice of Elizabeth against him. At one point she says the following: " Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us." I see her really exploring this in the character of Mr. Darcy and his relations and feel that the title may have more to do with the exploration of this sentiment than in any of the individual characters.
12 people found this helpful
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The marriage game

The "truth universally acknowledged" that begins Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" is one of the best opening sentences in English literature; its irony, subtle and caustic, perfectly sets the tone for the novel, which is about the manners of courtship and the classist attitudes toward marriage in Regency England. The message Austen is conveying is that the rules of the marriage game are, at least to the propriety-conscious gentry, more interesting than the romance that leads to marriage.
The novel's heroine is Elizabeth Bennet, the second, and the wittiest and liveliest, of five daughters in a middle class English family. Her mother, a simple and silly creature whose greatest desire in life is that her dowry-deficient daughters should marry well, is ecstatic when she learns that a wealthy single young man named Mr. Bingley has moved into a nearby house; she imagines him a potential husband for one of her daughters. Bingley turns out to be charming and friendly, but his friend, Mr. Darcy, also wealthy, single, and young, snobbishly appears to consider himself superior to the Bennets.
Jane, Elizabeth's older sister, falls in love with Bingley, but Darcy tries to discourage his friend from courting a girl of a social status lower than his. Elizabeth and Darcy develop a strangely flirtatious relationship that is partly affectionate and partly adversarial, provoking the jealousy of Bingley's attention-starved sister, who is attracted to Darcy. Elizabeth must also fend off the affections of her cousin, a clergyman named Mr. Collins who is amusingly persistent in his marriage proposals to her; fortunately, her rebuffs finally cause him to marry her less attractive friend instead. Collins shamelessly panders to his patroness, the haughty, imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who practically demands that Darcy (who happens to be her nephew) marry her diminutive daughter, and Elizabeth had better not get in the way.
A charming young soldier named Mr. Wickham, whose father was employed by Darcy's father and who became Darcy's father's ward after his own father's death, enters the story. To Elizabeth he claims that Darcy is withholding money from him that is due him; Darcy responds that Wickham is a freeloader who is not entitled to any more money than he has already gotten. Wickham risks damaging the Bennets' reputation when Elizabeth's youngest sister Lydia, who is as prattling and frivolous as her mother, impetuously decides to elope with him.
If the "pride" in the novel is Darcy's self-regard, the "prejudice" is Elizabeth's initial opinion of him as an insufferable snob, because by the end she learns that he is quite honorable and charitable after all. He reveals to Elizabeth that he was raised by his parents to feel superior to the lower classes, but her willingness to stand up to him and his conceit has taught him modesty and humility and endeared her to him. It is this transformation of character, similar to a gender role reversal of "The Taming of the Shrew," that distinguishes Austen's novel as a special achievement of 19th Century English literature.
12 people found this helpful

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