Pride and Prejudice with Related Readings

by Jane Austen, Daniel Pool, Susan B. Kelly

Complete and unabridged edition of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen presented in hardcover textbook format with related readings What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool; The Best Sort of Husband by Susan B. Kelly; Austen Boom Shows and Un-American Craving for Civility by Henry Grunwald; Habitation by Margaret Atwood; and Autre Temps... by Edith Wharton.

314 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 2000

About the author

Jane Austen was an English novelist known primarily for her six novels, which implicitly interpret, critique, and comment upon the English landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage for the pursuit of favourable social standing and economic security. Her works are an implicit critique of the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism. Her deft use of social commentary, realism and biting irony have earned her acclaim among critics and scholars.

The anonymously published Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814), and Emma (1816), were a modest success but brought her little fame in her lifetime. She wrote two other novels—Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1817—and began another, eventually titled Sanditon, but died before its completion. She also left behind three volumes of juvenile writings in manuscript, the short epistolary novel Lady Susan, and the unfinished novel The Watsons.
Since her death Austen's novels have rarely been out of print. A significant transition in her reputation occurred in 1833, when they were republished in Richard Bentley's Standard Novels series (illustrated by Ferdinand Pickering and sold as a set). They gradually gained wide acclaim and popular readership. In 1869, fifty-two years after her death, her nephew's publication of A Memoir of Jane Austen introduced a compelling version of her writing career and supposedly uneventful life to an eager audience. Her work has inspired a large number of critical essays and has been included in many literary anthologies. Her novels have also inspired many films, including 1940's Pride and Prejudice, 1995's Sense and Sensibility and 2016's Love & Friendship.

Reviews

[Kailey (Luminous Libro) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elizabeth Bennett and her sisters are eager to make the acquaintance of their new neighbors, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. They meet and dance together at various country balls and events. However, Elizabeth is frequently embarrassed by her mother's vulgar manners and her little sisters flirtations with army officers. Elizabeth must navigate the social criticism of her sisters' romances, while fending off a few proposals of her own.

I just love the witty dialogue between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. There is so much sparkling dialogue in the whole book, and it is a delight to read. The entire writing style is so polished and easy to read! The plot flows along so naturally and with so much energy that you barely notice all the little genius sub-plots that are happening.

This book also has some of the funniest lines in all of literature! I always laugh when I reread this book. I really love that Elizabeth and her father, Mr. Bennett, have the same sense of humor. There is such a close relationship between them which is lovely to read about.

I think the best part about this book is the character development of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. They start out with some bad behavior and personal flaws, but over the course of their rocky relationship, they are like the description of friendship in the Bible; "Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." -Proverbs 27:17

Elizabeth learns to discern other people's characters more carefully, and Darcy learns a little humility. They both begin to value the other's persons good qualities. They both have very independent and complex personalities. It's so interesting to see all the little steps in their development.

I think one of the most genius things about this book is the balance between characters' personalities. Mary is too serious, Lydia and Kitty are too flirty, so Jane and Elizabeth appear to advantage. Our main characters are balanced right in the middle, and that makes them more attractive to the reader.


This book is a perfect masterpiece! Every time I reread this book I love it more and more, and see more depth in the characters, and more humor in the sarcastic writing style. Jane Austen's writing never fails to amaze me. She has such a perceptive way of laying bare every thought and action of each character with exquisite insight into the little vexations and desires of human nature.


I didn't enjoy much of the related readings at the back of this edition. There was one excerpt from Daniel Pool's book What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew: From Fox Hunting to Whist—the Facts of Daily Life in 19th-Century England that I did like since it added to the knowledge about this historical time period. But the rest of the short stories, article, and one poem were either not "related" to Jane Austen at all that I could see or were just unenjoyable.

[Jill · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rereading this book was a fabulous escape from the world of COVID19.