Book Study

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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Book Study

for SJSU Library 280 - Estes

by 

Susan Lee

Portrait of Austen (credit: biography.com)

Author's Background
List of Major Works
Book Study Info
Anything else of Interest

Author's Background

Introduction & Context

 

Jane Austen (1775-1817) was born at the Steventon Rectory in the winter of December to Anglican clergyman George Austen and his wife Cassandra Leigh in Hampshire, England. She was the youngest of seven children. Their youngest was Jane. Accounts describe her as vocal, talented and creative. Jane was home-schooled, often alongside George’s live-in pupils and given access to her father’s considerable home library. Frances Burney was one of her favorite authors. Coincidentally, Jane borrowed the title “Pride and Prejudice” from a line in “Cecilia,” one of Burney’s novels. When Jane was eight years old, both girls were briefly sent to Abbey Boarding School in Reading for a more formal education. The sisters caught typhus while at school. They soon returned home a few months later but due to lack of funds for tuition rather than illness. Jane considered her only sister Cassandra to be her closest friend even though Jane was younger by three years.

The assistance of Jane’s brothers, Frank, Henry, James and Charles, granted her greater life experiences than would ordinarily have been available to her. Frank and Charles were naval officers. Henry was a clergyman like his father. Edward was adopted by wealthy cousins and made their heir. James was a militia officer and later became a banker. Henry arranged for trips to London where she was exposed to the theater, art exhibitions, and other social events. Henry also worked as her literary agent, proofread drafts of her novels and sending them to publishers on her behalf. Jane would often visit Edward’s estate in Kent, where Jane and Cassandra received a taste of the lauded gentry. This was an upper class of land owners often depicted in Jane’s stories.

As a child, Jane wrote juvenile comic stories and romantic parodies. She also wrote “A History of England,” a 34-paged historical writing parody with illustrations by her sister. The family was a creative one, often entertaining each other with skits and original plays. When she wasn’t righting, she spent her time playing the piano, reading her favorite novels aloud to her family, attending church, socializing, and helping to run the household as well as organizing cotillions for the neighborhood. As a result, she was an accomplished dancer.

Her first serious work was novel “Lady Susan,” published long after her death, which she wrote when she was 19 years old. A few years later, Jane would go on to write “Sense and Sensibility” (originally titled “Elinor and Marianne”) and “Pride and Prejudice” (originally titled “First Impressions). Jane’s father sent “First Impressions” to a publisher who quickly rejected it without even reading it. A second attempt to republish it was not made. No copy of "First Impressions" has survived. Jane later rewrote (or lop't and crop't) the novel and completed “Northanger Abby” (originally titled “Susan,” different from “Lady Susan”) in the meantime.

Although Jane often wrote of love and romance, she never married. The closest she came to love was a romance with law student Tom Lefroy, a nephew of a Hampshire neighborhood family.  But a marriage between the pair was not in the cards; Lefroy was impoverished and dependent on relatives who did not approve of Jane as a potential wife. She lacked family money or social standing. Lefroy’s family sent him away so he never saw Jane again.

A London publisher purchased the manuscript of “Northanger Abby” in 1803 but the novel was not actually published until after Jane’s death. In 1801, a 25-year old Jane left behind the only home she’d known and moved to the bustling town of Bath with her parents and sister when her father retired. During that time, Jane began writing “The Watsons” but never finished the novel. It was also in Bath where Harris Bigg-Wither, a childhood friend, proposed marriage to Jane. Jane initially agreed to the marriage, most likely out of practicality because Bigg-Wither was wealthy but Jane called off the engagement the next day. Jane may have realized that unlike the heroines of her novels, she didn’t love or have any affection towards him for her intended.

After George’s death, Jane’s brothers contributed what they could to support the women. Mrs. Austen and her two daughters moved around quite a bit. In 1806, the three women eventually moved to Southampton with Frank and his family to save money. Three years later, Jane moved with her sister and mother into a cottage in Chawton village near his Hampshire manor, finally having a home to call their own. The modest cottage with beautiful gardens and landscaping surrounding it still remains today, preserved as the Jane Austen museum.

It was in this cottage that Jane began taking writing seriously. In 1811, Thomas Egerton published “Sense and Sensibility” in London. Jane was credited anonymously as “a Lady.” It was well-received, critically and financially. The first edition sold out completely by July of 1813. Jane’s favorite work was “Pride and Prejudice.” Jane treasured a newly published copy of the novel, excitedly calling it “my own darling child” in a letter to her sister.  Incidentally, Jane’s heroine Elizabeth Bennett was around the same age as she was when she was writing the novel. It was initially a series of letters written between October 1796 and August 1797. Jane rewrote it into a narrative around 1811. She also described Elizabeth Bennett as “delightful a creature as ever appeared in print” and couldn’t imagine how to “tolerate those who do not like her.” But Jane was also reproachful about the novel, writing to her sister that she felt it was "rather too light & bright & sparkling" and in need of a dose of solemnness for contrast. She was unable to correct what she felt were mistakes since she had lost the copyright during the second printing of the novel. 

“Mansfield Park,” and “Emma” soon followed within a four-year period. Egerton put more effort into marketing “Pride and Prejudice” to the public in London. Carey and Lea published the novel in America for the first time in 1832, re-titling it “Elizabeth Bennett.” It was first published in French in 1822. Both critics and readers loved it. A second printing was ordered in November of the same year. Jane’s heroines were typically pretty, young women like Marianne Dashwood and their suitors either charming young rogues in their 20s like Willoughby, or distinguished men in their 30s like Mr. Knightley or Colonel Brandon.

“Mansfield Park” was not as critically well-received but the public couldn’t get enough of Jane’s books. The book became a best-seller and earned Jane more money than her previous books. To capitalize on her success and improve her career, Jane hired John Murray as her new publisher. The family finances were hit hard when a banking venture, of which the entire family invested, of Henry’s failed, and the next printings of Jane’s books did not sell well.

In 1815, Jane began work on “Persuasion” and finished it the next year but her health began to fail. Jane attempted to hide it from her family at first. Speculation now contributes her sickness to Addison’s disease although others argue that it was Hodgkin’s. Jane continued her writing, editing older works and beginning work on “The Brothers,” which would be published after her death as “Sandition” despite often her illness. She and her sister moved to Winchester to be closer to her doctor. Jane was soon confined to bed, unable to walk or even lift a pen. A few months later, Jane passed away on July 18^th of 1817. She was buried at Winchester Cathedral at 41 years old.

“Persuasion” and “Northanger Abby” were published in December of 1817 with a Biographical notice by Henry, identifying Jane Austen as author for the first time. Jane’s popularity grew in leaps and bounds in the 1920s, with her novels recognized as masterpieces. Last February, “Pride and Prejudice” celebrated the 200^th year anniversary of its publication.

 

 

Today, Jane Austen’s novels are still widely-celebrated internationally. Founded in 1979, JASNA, the Jane Austen Society of North America, is a non-profit organization whose mission is “to foster among the widest number of readers the study, appreciation, and understanding of Jane Austen’s works, her life, and her genius.” Her legions of devoted fans call themselves “Janeites.” Her novels have inspired many more books including “Pride and Prejudice and Zombies,” and “The Jane Austen Book Club,” a 2004 novel which became a national best seller and spawned a Hollywood adaptation.

Other popular and successful Hollywood adaptations include “Emma” starring Gwyneth Paltrow, “Clueless” starring Alicia Silverstone, Bollywood-themed “Bride & Prejudice” and the recent “Pride and Prejudice” film starring Keira Knightley for which she was nominated for an Oscar. “Bridget Jones’s Diary” by Helen Fielding is loosely adapted from “Pride & Prejudice” as well. The book featured a character named Darcy. Coincidentally, Colin Firth reprised his prior BBC role as a Darcy for the movie version of “Bridges Jones’s Diary,” playing opposite another British actor Hugh Grant. Anne Hathaway famously portrayed Jane Austen in the 2007 film “Becoming Jane.” The film's accuracy is debatable but Hathaway was nominated as best actress for the British Independent Film Awards and the film was chosen as Best Independent Film for People's Choice Awards.

The well-loved and acclaimed BBC version starring Colin Firth

Big screen version starring Keira Knightley

"Becoming Jane"
Oscar-winning actress Anne Hathaway depicted the author in a film version of her life.

Jane Austen completed only six novels in her lifetime yet the spinster who wrote about love, money and social class remains a celebrated author over 200 years later. Her obituary described her as an “ingenious authoress.”

Citations:

A&E Networks (2013). Jane Austen Biography – Facts, Birthday, Life Story. Retrieved from: http://www.biography.com/people/jane-austen-9192819

Hardwick, Michael. (1973). “A Guide to Jane Austen.” New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons.

Imdb (2012). Jane Austen. Retrieved from: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000807/bio

Jane Austen Society of North America (2013). About Jane Austen. Retrieved from: http://www.jasna.org/info/about_austen.html

Mulder, Megan (2013). Special Collections & Archives Blog – Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen [1813]. Retrieved from: http://zsr.wfu.edu/special/blog/pride-and-prejudice-by-jane-austen-1813/

Poplawski, Paul. (1998). A Jane Austen Encyclopedia. Westport: Greenwood Press.  

Jane Austen.org (2013). Jane Austen. Retrieved from: http://www.janeausten.org/

Trollope, Joanna (2013). The Power of Jane Austen. Retrieved from: http://www.canada.com/entertainment/books/power+Jane+Austen/7906566/story.html

Columbia University Libraries (2012). CU Libraries Exhibitions: Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice. Retrieved from: https://exhibitions.cul.columbia.edu/exhibits/show/lit_hum/austen/pandp

 

 

List of Major Works

Sense and Sensibility (1811)

Pride and Prejudice (1813)

Mansfield Park (1814)

Emma (1815)

Northanger Abbey (1818, posthumous)

Persuasion (1818, posthumous)

Unfinished fiction

The Watsons (1804)

Sanditon (1817)

 

Photographs of "Pride and Prejudice" Book

Half-title Page

 

"Pride and Prejudice"

 

The Story 

 "Pride and Prejudice" is Jane Austen's most popular novel. The central characters are the Bennet family, members of the lesser gentry who inhabit a village near Hertfordshire. The family consists of Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, whose silliness is highlighted for comedic effect, and their five daughters. With no wealth of their own or male heirs, Mrs. Bennet spends much of the story worrying and hoping that her daughters make a good marriage match. The novel famously features the love story between witty Elizabeth Bennett and the arrogant Mr. Darcy.  The title refers to how the characters initially feel towards each other after a series of misunderstandings. The romance between Elizabeth's older sister Jane and Mr. Bingley is also well-known.

 

Famous Austen Quotes from Pride and Prejudice

For what do we live, but to make sport for our neighbors, and to laugh at them in our turn.

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously.... Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.

Book Study Information






 

Title

Pride and Prejudice: A Novel

Printer(s) 
Military Library, Whitehall

Publisher(s)

Printed for Thomas Egerton in 1813

Place of publication

London

Author(s)

Jane Austen

Title page (for early books: is there one, and with what developments?)

Yes, see above photo. 


Incipit and explicit (for incunabula) 
Gilt stamped "Charleton" to upper boards of each volume

Colophon Size and format (folio, quarto, octavo, etc.)
 
 (6 5/8 x 3 7/8 in; 168 x 97 mm)
[iv], 307, [1, blank]; [iv], 239, [1, blank]; [iv, [323, [1, blank] pp
published in a small duodecimo format (the large printed sheet folded to form twelve pages) in a multi-three volumes set

Collation Paper (watermarks?)
 
Page layout
185 pages of text, volume 1 contains chapters 1 to 23, volume 3 contains chapters 24 to 42, volume 3 contains chapters 43 to 61

Foliation/pagination 
Contemporary speckled calf, blind-tooled board edges, edges sprinkled red, original light brown endpapers
 
Printer's Device- Type (i.e., roman, italic, gothic, etc.)
Iron Press. Roman. 

Color printing 
Not applicable

Rubrication
Not applicable

Decoration (MS or printed) 
Green morocco gilt lettering labels on spines. Gilt stamped "Charleton" to upper boards of each volume

Illumination/Painting

Not applicable

Binding

Expertly rebacked with the original spines laid down. 
Housed in a modern half red morocco clamshell case with three individual spines decoratively lettered and tooled in gilt. Leather attached the spines. 

Endleaves and flyleaves 

Marbled paper


Provenance

From the library of German artist and music historian Frida Best (1876-1964), with her bookplate to each volume


Conclusion:



Anything else of interest:

In July of 2002 a first edition of "Pride and Prejudice" was auctioned and sold for £40,000 (translates to almost $61,000), nearly doubling the previous record set for an Austen novel in 2001 of £23,500. It cost 18 shillings in its day. In 2010, another copy sold at a Sotheby's auction for just over 3 times that amount - £139,450.

About 1500 copies were believed to have been printed in its first run. 1000-1200 was a normal number at that time.

Over 20 million copies of "Pride and Prejudice" have been sold to date.

The novel was originally written around 1796 and titled "First Impressions."

When Jane's father George sent the manuscript to Frances Burney's publisher, he described it as "a manuscript novel, comprised in three Vols. About the length of Miss Burney's "Evelina."

Egerton purchased the copyright for £110 ($168). It was hurried into print and was available for sale in London by January 1813. Jane's name did not appear on the title page; she is credited as "the Author of Sense and Sensibility."

A second edition, also consisting of three volumes, was offered for sale in October 1813. A third edition, consisting of two volumes, was published in 1817.

Although the novel was not overtly long, multi-volume sets were the preferred format of private circulating libraries, which were the largest purchaser of books at the time. The theoretical advantage was that more than one reader could check out the book at the same time, exchanging their volume for the next.

Notice the title of page of Emma attributed Jane as the author of "Pride and Prejudice"

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