Pride and Prejudice

When the attractive, wealthy Mr. Bingley comes to live at Netherfield Hall, bringing his distinguished friend Mr. Darcy with him, Mrs. Bennet is delighted: she has five daughters to be married. However, things don’t go as smoothly as she hoped: Mr. Bingley abandons Jane and Mr. Darcy clearly has no interest in Elizabeth, who dares to refuse Mr. Collins’s proposal of marriage…

Jane Austen was born in 1775 at the parsonage of Steventon, a small town in Hampshire. Her father was rector there. When he retired the family moved to Bath, a famous holiday resort on the sea, and after his death to a town called Chawton. Although her family was upper class they were not very rich. She was the last of seven children and her older sister Cassandra was her lifelong friend and confidante. Jane Austen lived a quiet life, much like that described in her novels; except for the four years spent in Bath and Southampton and rare visits to London she lived entirely in the country. She and her family visited friends, went to parties, danced and loved reading. Jane began to write to amuse her family.

Pride and Prejudice was based on an early novel called First Impressions which hadn’t been published. The author rewrote it and published it anonymously in 1813 under its new title and the Prince Regent sent her a message expressing his admiration for the novel. Altogether, four of Jane Austen’s novels were published in her lifetime: Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1816). Two other novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion were published posthumously. She was working on another when she died suddenly at the age of 42. She is buried in Winchester Cathedral.

Introduction

The Setting

Chapter One - A Newcomer at Netherfield

Chapter Two - A Violent Cold

Chapter Three - Mr. Collins Pays a Visit

Chapter Four - The Netherfield Ball

Chapter Five - Mr. Collins Proposes – Twice!

Chapter Six - A Visit to Rosings

Chapter Seven - Mr. Darcy Makes a Proposal

Chapter Eight - Embarrassment at Pemberley

Chapter Nine - Bad News!

Chapter Ten - Elizabeth Learns the Truth

Chapter Eleven - Triumph over Pride and Prejudice