Pride and Prejudice
About the Story
English novelist Jane Austen (1775-1817) never married and lived with her family for most of her life. Austen had six brothers and one sister and was educated primarily at home and by reading books. By the age of 12, Austen was writing poems, stories, and plays to amuse her family. At 20, Austen met Tom Lefroy, who was a nephew of one of her neighbors. The two spent much time together, but the Lefroy family intervened and sent him away, and Jane never saw him again. Austen received her only marriage proposal in 1802 from Harris Bigg-Wither, who was considered quiet and unattractive. At first, Austen agreed to marry him but promptly changed her mind the next morning. Austen’s novels are known for their realism, biting social commentary, and comic elements. Pride and Prejudice was published in 1813 and proved an immediate success along with her other romantic novels, Sense and Sensibility, Mansfield Park, and Emma, which have since become literary classics.
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