Pride and Prejudice

BIBLIOGRAPHIC INFORMATION:

Pride and Prejudice. Austin, Jane. Penguin Books, New York. ISBN 978-0141439518

PLOT SUMMARY:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” This is the classic opening sentence from Jane Austin’s Pride and Prejudice. Elizabeth Bennet is one of five daughters of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet. Because they have failed to produce a mail heir, upon Mr. Bennet’s death, the family estate will be entailed away from the family. Therefore, it is up to the Bennet girls to marry well. When Mr. Bingley (a man of 5,000 pound a year) arrives. The Bennet’s are hopeful that he will marry the eldest Bennet daughter, Jane. She is also the most beautiful of the girls. Also with Mr. Bingley is Mr. Darcy (a man as 10,000 pounds a year). He is very proud and believes that everyone is beneath him. As Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth continually meet, she begins to dislike him. The final blow is when she hears a story about Mr. Darcy’s past from Mr. Wickham. While she is building her hatred towards Mr. Darcy; Mr. Darcy is beginning to have feelings for her even though she is beneath him socially. Will Mr. Darcy be able to put his pride aside? Will Elizabeth be able to forget her prejudice?

CRITICAL EVALUATION:

Pride and Prejudice is the best-selling English language book of all time. It is a classic. It is one of, if not my favorite book. I did not always appreciate literature written during this time period. I dreaded it. The language always seemed so confusing. Looking back it was most likely a lack of interest that made the language seem more confusing than what it actually was. Teens may be reluctant to read the classics. But I think that Pride and Prejudice is a great place to start. It is a love story full of misunderstandings. Like the book The Duff (which is very similar to Pride and Prejudice, just with a sex-filled, modern-teen flair) there is a love/hate relationship. The story of the strong and stubborn Elizabeth and the privileged Mr. Darcy has remained timeless. Current authors have been inspired by Jane Austin, most notable Helen Fielding author of Bridget Jones’ Diary. She has openly stated that Pride and Prejudice was her inspiration, not to mention the main character’s name is Mr. Darcy. It would be a great idea to assign books that have been inspired by Pride and Prejudice, then have the students read Pride and Prejudice. It will help them understand why it is so beloved and how it has stood the test of time.

READER’S ANNOTATION:

If it is true that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. Can Mr. Darcy overcome his arrogant pride? Can Elizabeth get past her prejudice against Mr. Darcy?

AUTHOR:

Jane Austen, was one of England’s foremost novelists, and was never publicly acknowledged as a writer during her lifetime. She was born on December 16, 1775, in England. She was the seventh child of a country clergyman and his wife, George and Cassandra Austen. She was primarily educated at home, benefiting from her father’s extensive library and the schoolroom atmosphere created by Mr. Austen’s live-in pupils. Her closest friend was her only sister, Cassandra, almost three years her senior.

Though Austen lived a quiet life, she had unusual access to the greater world, through her brothers. On extended visits to Godmersham, her brother Edward’s estate in Kent, Austen and her sister took part in the privileged life of the landed gentry, which is reflected in all her fiction.

In her early twenties Austen wrote the novels that later became Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice. Her father sent a letter offering the manuscript of “First Impressions” (Pride and Prejudice) to a publisher soon after it was finished in 1797, but his offer was rejected. In 1803 Austen sold “Susan” (Northanger Abby) for £10 to a publisher, who promised early publication, but the manuscript languished in his archives until it was repurchased a year before Austen’s death for the price the publisher had paid her.

In 1811, at the age of 35, Austen published Sense and Sensibility, which identified the author as “a Lady.” Pride and Prejudice followed in 1813, Mansfield Park in 1811, and Emma in 1815. The title page of each book referred to one or two of Austen’s earlier novels—capitalizing on her growing reputation—but did not provide her name.

Austen began writing the novel that would be called Persuasion in 1815 and finished it the following year, by which time, however, her health was beginning to fail. The probable cause of her illness was Addison’s Disease.

Austen died in the early hours of July 18, 1817, she was 41 years old. Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published together in December 1817 with a “Biographical Notice” written by Henry, in which Jane Austen was, for the first time in one of her novels, identified as the author of Sense and Sensibility, Pride and Prejudice, Mansfield Park, and Emma. (Jane Auston Society of North America)

GENRE:

Fiction

CURRICULUM TIES:

New York State: English

BOOK TALKING IDEAS:

Love/hate relationships
Have you even judged someone before you knew them?

READING LEVEL/INTEREST AGE:

Age 15 and up

CHALLENGE ISSUES:

None

In order to prepare yourself should this book be challenged you may wish to take the following steps:

•Read the book or familiarize yourself with the book and its contents.
•Refer to the library’s collection development policy.
•Read the book reviews from sources such as Booklist, School Library Journal, Voice of Youth Advocates (VOYA), Publisher’s Weekly, or BookSpot.com
•Seek the opinion of teen readers that have read the book.

Should this book be challenged you should follow the additional steps below:

•Advise the senior staff of the challenge.
•Let the patron know that their challenge will be filed and that senior library management will review their request and notify them once a decision has been made.
•Offer any further assistance should the patron have additional questions.

WHY DID I INCLUDE THIS BOOK?

It is one of my favorite books of all time.