28th January 1813: Pride and Prejudice is published

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice was first published on 28th January 1813. It has been voted the ‘most romantic novel ever written’, and the ‘favourite book of all time’. The world loves Pride and Prejudice. It is the most sparkling and happy of Jane Austen’s books, and has always been the most popular, with film versions, translations, sequels, and adaptations innumerable.

Jane Austen began writing First Impressions, as she named it then, in October 1796 at the age of 20. She completed it in August 1797, just 10 months later. The opening sentence of Pride and Prejudice has justly become one of the most famous of all opening lines and the novel’s title is now a well-known catchphrase.

Its heroine Elizabeth Bennet is one of the most charming and loved heroines in all literature, while Mr Darcy has become a model for romantic and sexy heroes ever since. Jane Austen loved her characters (‘I must confess that I think her as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print’) and looked for their likenesses in art galleries and spoke to relatives about their fictional lives outside of the novel. Both hero and heroine learn about themselves and other people as the story progresses. The book also has some of her best comic creations, such as Mr Collins.

Over 200 years after its publication, Pride and Prejudice continues to win the hearts and minds of readers around the world, thanks to its delightful heroine, unforgettable cast of comic characters, witty dialog, and satisfying romantic plot.