Pride and Prejudice »

Jane Austen's delightful, carefully wrought novels of manners remain surprisingly relevant, nearly 200 years after they were first published. Her novels -- Pride and Prejudice and Emma among them -- are those rare books that offer us a glimpse at the mores of a specific period while addressing the complexities of love, honor, and responsibility that still intrigue us today.

In a remote Hertfordshire village, far off the good coach roads of George III's England, a country squire of no great means must marry off his five vivacious daughters. At the heart of this all-consuming enterprise are his headstrong second daughter Elizabeth Bennet and her aristocratic suitor Fitzwilliam Darcy—two lovers whose pride must be humbled and prejudice dissolved before the novel can come to its splendid conclusion.

A tour de force of wit and sparkling dialogue, Pride and Prejudice is also a sumptuously detailed picture of contemporary society, which, in its exploration of manner and motives, has a great deal to say about the society of today. Austen's best-loved novel is a memorable story about the power of reason, and above all about the strange dynamics of human relationships and emotions.

The handsome volumes in The Collectors Library present great works of world literature in a handy hardback format. Printed on high-quality paper and bound in real cloth, each complete and unabridged volume has a specially commissioned afterword, brief biography of the author and a further-reading list. This easily accessible series offers readers the perfect opportunity to discover, or rediscover, some of the world's most endearing literary works.

The volumes in The Collector's Library are sumptuously produced, enduring editions to own, to collect and to treasure.

Children's Literature

This classic 18th century novel has inspired movies and spinoff works including Twilight and Pride & Prejudice & Zombies. In this new edition, young readers have the opportunity to see the artistic inspiration behind the recent hit, Twilight. Elizabeth Bennet is appalled at Mr. Darcy's lack of sensitivity and manners. But when 16-year-old Lydia Bennet elopes with Mr. Wickham, Elizabeth sees Mr. Darcy in a new light. When Mr. Darcy helps arrange a match that saves Lydia from complete ruin, Elizabeth feels affection and respect for this handsome young man. Yet fate tears Darcy and Elizabeth apart, and it appears like they will never find each other across the polite and proper 18th century society. Meanwhile, Mrs. Bennet is determined to marry her five daughters off; she is delighted when Lydia and Jane get engaged. Readers will fall into this enchanting love story; this lovely edition is a companion to Romeo & Juliet and Wuthering Heights, which inspired the second and third books of the Twilight series. The HarperTeen edition is a particularly fun read because it has three essays at the end: "The Jane Austen-Twilight Zone," "10 Things You Didn't Know About Jane Austen," and "What if Darcy & Elizabeth Lived Now & Were on Facebook?" Reviewer: Suzanna E. Henshon, Ph.D.

General Editor's preface     ix
Acknowledgements     xiii
Chronology     xv
Introduction     xxii
Note on the text     lxxix
Pride and Prejudice     1
Corrections and emendations to 1813 text     432
Phomas Egerton and the publication history     437
Legal and military background     441
Pemberley and its models     452
Note on the second and third editions of Pride and Prejudice     456
Abbreviations     459
Explanatory notes     461