Product Description

Few have failed to be charmed by the witty and independent spirit of Elizabeth Bennet. Her early determination to dislike Mr. Darcy is a prejudice only matched by the folly of his arrogant pride. Their first impressions give way to true feelings in a comedy profoundly concerned with happiness and how it might be achieved.

Edited with an Introduction by Vivien Jones

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1646 in Books
• Published on: 2002-12-31
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 480 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780141439518
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

Customer Reviews

Perfect for first time Austen Readers/A Must for Austen Fans
I have always loved the style and social politics of the Regency period (the time of Jane Austen.) But when I read "Sense and Sensibility" in 7th grade I found the first few chapters lifeless, dull and hard to read. Two years later I was encouraged by a friend to give "Pride and Prejudice" a try. I did and have since become a complete Janeite. I am now able to peruse joyfully through "Sense and Sensibility" with a new understanding and appreciation of Jane Austen. The reason? "Pride and Prejudice" is fresh, witty and is a great introduction to Jane Austen's writing style without the formality of some of her other novels (unlike S&S and Persuasion Austen does not give us a 10 page history of each family and their fortune.) If you have never read Jane Austen or have read her other novels and found them boring, read Pride and Prejudice. The characters, and the situations Austen presents to them, are hysterical and reveal a lot about Regency society and morality. This book perfectly compliments a great writer like Jane Austen and is essential to every reader's library. The Penguin Edition of the book is stellar and I personally recommend it not only for the in-depth and indispensable footnotes, but also for the cover that is non-suggestive of any of the characters' appearances. In summary "Pride and Prejudice" is a great book for beginner Austen readers and seasoned fans, and Penguin Classics is a great edition for fully enjoying and understanding the book.

If you only read this in high school, it's time to read it again!
Okay, I admit it: I read Pride and Prejudice in high school and didn't like it. However, age and the wisdom that comes with it helped me to realize that my dislike of the book probably had more to do with my dislike of my then-teacher, who had the ability to make even the greatest literary masterpiece seem dry and dull. In recent years, I've read most of Jane Austen's other novels and have enjoyed them immensely, and so I have finally worked my way back to Pride and Prejudice.

The story is familiar to most: it centers around the five young Bennett sisters, who range in age from their mid-teens to early twenties, making them quite ripe for marriage (at least according to their mother). And then there are the men, for as the novel's opening line notes: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." Such a man, Mr. Bingley, buys a house close to the Bennett family, and initially, he seems fated to marry the oldest, loveliest Bennett girl, Jane. Bingley is accompanied by his haughty friend, Mr. Darcy, who, while possessing an even greater fortune, quickly earns the dislike of all those he meets, particularly Elizabeth, the strong-minded second Bennett daughter. And from the pride held by each of the four principle characters described above (but namely Darcy and Elizabeth), Austen derives her prejudice.

In many ways, Pride and Prejudice reads like a modern-day romantic comedy, complete with misunderstandings and mishaps. Similarly, the embarrassment which Jane and Elizabeth suffer at the hands of their mother and younger sisters would make them perfect candidates for today's reality TV. But of course, Austen's writing contains a level of wit and subtlety rarely found in any contemporary form of entertainment, making this novel is a true classic-a rare gem that still shines brightly to this day.

Penguin setting the Kindle ebook standard
I won't presume to review Austen, so this review covers the quality of the Penguin release. Many of us have discovered that the "free" ebooks on Gutenburg and other sites frequently have such poor formatting that they are irritating to read. One can either re-edit the book to fix the problems, or just live with them and have an inferior and annoying reading experience.

Penguin's P&P is the closest ebook equivalent to the joy of reading a quality physical book--the text is perfectly formatted for the Kindle, it's been proofed, and the supplemental material is almost overwhelming. Detailed intros, useful hyperlinking and a wealth of information on Austen's times, including fashion, furniture, and food and drink, are included. It's truly an immersive experience.

I believe this book will be seen as a turning point for ebooks: the point at which editorial and publishing quality became a significant purchase criterion. Early ebook adopters (myself included) were willing to spend hours cleaning up Gutenburg editions and formatting them for the device du jour. No longer. The ebook is moving past the early adopter stage and is making inroads into a market that expects quality editing, publishing, and supplemental materials. I'll definitely pay a reasonable amount for an ebook that I can just start reading, instead of tinkering with, and that provides a comfortable feeling of having gotten one's money's worth.

Penguin has set the bar for ebook quality with this release. I urge anyone with a Kindle to get a copy--*this* is the ebook experience we've been wanting.