Brock, We have over 5, members of all ages and from diverse walks of life. Although most live in the United States or Canada, we also have members in more than a dozen other countries. Search Search. Written October - August Published January 28, Publishing History According to family tradition, Jane Austen began writing First Impressions , the novel we know today as Pride and Prejudice , in October at the age of Reception Favorable reviews by literary critics and word-of-mouth promotion made Pride and Prejudice fashionable, and the first edition sold out in less than a year.
Additional Resources Explore the resources below for more in-depth information about Pride and Prejudice , a discussion guide for your reading group, and more. All rights reserved. Terms of Use. The Critical Review also approved of the lessons that young, female readers were likely to take away from Pride and Prejudice. Nor is there one character which appears flat, or obtrudes itself upon the notice of the reader with troublesome impertinence. There is not one person in the drama with whom we could readily dispense;— they all have their proper places; and fill their several stations, with great credit to themselves, and much satisfaction to the reader.
William Gifford, editor of the Quarterly Review , echoed the general sentiment that Pride and Prejudice was an improvement over the many overblown and sensational novels of the day:. The first printing of Pride and Prejudice likely consisted of about copies— a typical first run for a novel at that time.
And like most novels, it was published in a small duodecimo format the large printed sheet folded to form twelve pages in three volumes.
The three-volume novel was becoming the standard form for popular fiction in the early 19th century. Even for books like Pride and Prejudice that were not so long as to be unwieldy in one volume, multiple volumes were the preferred format. This was largely due to the demands of private circulating libraries, which were by the largest purchaser of works of fiction. English circulating libraries had their beginnings in the late 17th century, when some booksellers hit on the idea of offering books for rent as well as for sale.
By the midth century private lending libraries were a widespread phenomenon. Most libraries had a sliding scale for fees: a higher subscription rate allowed one to borrow more books at one time. For such libraries the advantage of multi-volume works was that more than one borrower could have access to the book simultaneously, each reading one volume and returning it for the next. Jane Austen herself was an enthusiastic patron of various circulating libraries.
Books, reading, and libraries figure constantly in her novels and her letters. Pride and Prejudice proved even more popular with readers than Sense and Sensibility. I wish much to know who is the author or ess as I am told. Writing to her brother Frank in September Austen noted that.
As an unmarried woman in her thirties with no inheritance, Jane Austen had good reason to hope that her books would make money. Pride and Prejudice was successful enough that a second edition was printed in October , and her third novel, Mansfield Park , was published the next year.
By the time Emma was ready for publication in , Jane Austen had become famous enough that the Prince Regent requested that she dedicate it to him. Austen was no great admirer of the profligate Prince, but she complied. Jane Austen is always aware of the economic considerations that affect relationships, and concerned with the moral responsibility every individual must take for their choices in life.
And yet it is the novel's wit, humour, and many memorable comic characters and moments which have made it irresistible to readers from the first time it appeared in print. The first person who fell in love with 'Pride and Prejudice' was its author. She described the book as 'my own darling child', and imagined futures for the characters in conversation with her family and friends.
Perhaps Austen's own enjoyment in writing the story and imagining the characters has infected the way readers have responded to the book ever since.
The treasures display in our George IV Bridge Building is a small sample of the millions of items in our collections. We change the display several times a year. Search our websites. Library Search. Search Query. Home Exhibitions Treasures Pride and Prejudice. From Austen to zombies A celebration of Jane Austen's favourite of her own books, regarded as one of the greatest novels in the English language. The first edition of 'Pride and Prejudice', from
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