Pride and Prejudice

‘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 the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.’ Elizabeth Bennet’s first impression of Fitzwilliam Darcy, whose wealth alone makes him a desirable match, is that he is arrogant and condescending—and the last man she would ever consider marry­ing. And despite her beauty and lively wit, Darcy cannot overlook Elizabeth’s poor connections and uncouth family. Their close social circle means they can’t avoid one another—especially when they find themselves on either side of a blossoming match between Elizabeth’s beloved sister and Darcy’s best friend. Through a whirl of lively dances, evening card games, social visits, and attempts on everyone’s part to deflect and deceive in the name of a ‘suitable match,’ Jane Austen’s masterful social satire shows how two willful people can correct the error of a bad impression and—should cooler heads prevail—perhaps discover a true marriage of minds.