{"product_id":"pride-and-prejudice-isbn-9780679783268","title":"Pride and Prejudice","description":"\u003cb\u003eIntroduction by Anna Quindlen\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eCommentary by Margaret Oliphant, George Saintsbury, Mark Twain, A. C. Bradley, Walter A. Raleigh, and Virginia Woolf\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cb\u003eNominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s \u003ci\u003eThe Great American Read\u003c\/i\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” So begins \u003ci\u003ePride and Prejudice, \u003c\/i\u003eJane Austen’s witty comedy of manners—one of the most popular novels of all time—that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues. Renowned literary critic and historian George Saintsbury in 1894 declared it the “most perfect, the most characteristic, the most eminently quintessential of its author’s works,” and Eudora Welty in the twentieth century described it as “irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be.”\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003eIncludes a Modern Library Reading Group Guide\u003c\/b\u003e\"The wit of Jane Austen has for partner the perfection of her taste.\"\u003cbr\u003e--Virginia Woolf\u003cb\u003eAnna Quindlen \u003c\/b\u003eis a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and novelist whose work has appeared on fiction, nonfiction, and self-help bestseller lists. Her work includes the essay collection \u003ci\u003eLots of Candles, Plenty of Cake, \u003c\/i\u003ethe inspirational book \u003ci\u003eA Short Guide to a Happy Life,\u003c\/i\u003e and six novels: \u003ci\u003eObject Lessons, One True Thing, Black and Blue, Blessings, Rise and Shine, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eEvery Last One\u003c\/i\u003e.CHAPTER 1\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIT IS A TRUTH universally acknowledged that a single man in \u003cbr\u003epossession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHowever little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on \u003cbr\u003ehis first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in \u003cbr\u003ethe minds of the surrounding families that he is considered as the \u003cbr\u003erightful property of some one or other of their daughters.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"My dear Mr. Bennet,\" said his lady to him one day, \"have you heard \u003cbr\u003ethat Netherfield Park is let at last?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMr. Bennet replied that he had not.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"But it is,\" returned she; \"for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she \u003cbr\u003etold me all about it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMr. Bennet made no answer.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Do not you want to know who has taken it?\" cried his wife impatiently.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThis was invitation enough.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is \u003cbr\u003etaken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that \u003cbr\u003ehe came down on Monday in a chaise and four to see the place, and was \u003cbr\u003eso much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; \u003cbr\u003ethat he is to take possession before Michaelmas, and some of his \u003cbr\u003eservants are to be in the house by the end of next week.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"What is his name?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Bingley.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Is he married or single?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four \u003cbr\u003eor five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"How so? How can it affect them?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"My dear Mr. Bennet,\" replied his wife, \"how can you be so tiresome! \u003cbr\u003eYou must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Is that his design in settling here?\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Design! nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he \u003cbr\u003emay fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him \u003cbr\u003eas soon as he comes.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may \u003cbr\u003esend them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as \u003cbr\u003eyou are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the \u003cbr\u003ebest of the party.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, \u003cbr\u003ebut I do not pretend to be anything extraordinary now. When a woman \u003cbr\u003ehas five grown-up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her \u003cbr\u003eown beauty.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes \u003cbr\u003einto the neighbourhood.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"It is more than I engage for, I assure you.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it \u003cbr\u003ewould be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined \u003cbr\u003eto go, merely on that account, for in general you know they visit no \u003cbr\u003enewcomers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to \u003cbr\u003evisit him if you do not.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You are over scrupulous surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very \u003cbr\u003eglad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of \u003cbr\u003emy hearty consent to his marrying whichever he chooses of the girls; \u003cbr\u003ethough I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than \u003cbr\u003ethe others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor \u003cbr\u003ehalf so good-humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the \u003cbr\u003epreference.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"They have none of them much to recommend them,\" replied he; \"they \u003cbr\u003eare all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something \u003cbr\u003emore of quickness than her sisters.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? You \u003cbr\u003etake delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They \u003cbr\u003eare my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration \u003cbr\u003ethese twenty years at least.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Ah! you do not know what I suffer.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of \u003cbr\u003efour thousand a year come into the neighbourhood.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"It will be no use to us if twenty such should come since you will \u003cbr\u003enot visit them.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eMr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, \u003cbr\u003ereserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years \u003cbr\u003ehad been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her \u003cbr\u003emind was less difficult to develop. She was a woman of mean \u003cbr\u003eunderstanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was \u003cbr\u003ediscontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life \u003cbr\u003ewas to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.","brand":"Modern Library","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46305284063461,"sku":"NP9780679783268","price":9.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780679783268.jpg?v=1767735090","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/es\/products\/pride-and-prejudice-isbn-9780679783268","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}