Enjoy Jane Austen's mastery of irony, dialogue, and realism in the unforgettable love story Pride and Prejudice, then share this classic piece of literature with a new generation.

When headstrong and independent Elizabeth Bennet is required to find a wealthy husband, her encounter with the arrogant Mr. Darcy leads to one of the most entertaining and satisfying courtships ever imagined. Beyond the romance, Pride and Prejudice is a book full of humor and wit that is also a commentary on upper-class social manners at the turn of the nineteenth century.

Even though it is concerned with love and marriage, the novel is a rejection of Romanticism, a popular way of imagining the world at that time. Austen preferred to highlight the rational abilities of her characters and not portray them as completely controlled by their emotions. Pride and Prejudice's characters aren't robots, though. Austen shows universal situations in a perfectly clear light--embarrassment when someone is foolish, the nervous feeling of falling in love, and the chagrin caused by making a big mistake.

Austen's mastery of irony, dialogue, and realism support character development and make Pride and Prejudice a pure pleasure to read. Complete and unabridged, this elegantly designed, jacketed hardcover edition features an introduction by Victorian literature scholar Deborah Lutz and a timeline of the life and times of Jane Austen.