Pride and Prejudice ebook

The novel opens with one of the most famous lines in English literature: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” The statement is seemingly what Mrs. Bennet thinks as she sets her sights on the newly arrived Bingley, who she is sure will make a suitable husband for one of her daughters. At a ball, Bingley takes an immediate interest in the beautiful and shy Jane. The encounter between his friend Darcy and Elizabeth is less cordial. Although Austen shows them intrigued by each other, she reverses the convention of first impressions: the pride of rank and fortune and prejudice against the social inferiority of Elizabeth’s family hold Darcy aloof, while the pride of self-respect and prejudice against Darcy’s snobbery hold Elizabeth equally aloof.

The pompous Collins soon arrives, hoping to marry one of the Bennet sisters. Mrs. Bennet steers him toward Elizabeth, but the latter refuses his offer of marriage. He instead becomes engaged to her friend Charlotte. During this time,