Most Popular Books by Jane Austen

One of BBC''s 100 Novels That Shaped Our World. Jane Austen''s best-loved novel is an unforgettable story about the inaccuracy of first impressions, the power of reason and, above all, the strange dynamics of human relationships and emotions. Part of the Macmillan Collector’s Library; a series of stunning, clothbound, pocket sized classics with gold foiled edges and ribbon markers. These beautiful hardbacks make perfect gifts for book lovers, or wonderful additions to your own collection. Gorgeously illustrated by the celebrated Hugh Thomson, this edition also includes an afterword by author and critic, Henry Hitchings. A tour de force of wit and sparkling dialogue, Pride and Prejudice shows how the headstrong Elizabeth Bennet and the aristocratic Mr Darcy must have their pride humbled and their prejudices dissolved before they can acknowledge their love for each other.

Pride and Prejudice is an 1813 romantic novel of manners written by Jane Austen. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book, who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and eventually comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness. A classic piece filled with comedy, its humour lies in its honest depiction of manners, education, marriage and money during the Regency era in Great Britain.

Along with the plays of William Shakespeare and the works of Charles Dickens, Jane Austen''s novels are among the most beloved books of Western literature. Pride and Prejudice (1813) was in Austen''s lifetime her most popular novel, and it was the author''s personal favorite. Adapted many times to the screen and stage, and the inspiration for numerous imitations, it remains today her most widely read book. Now, in this beautifully illustrated and annotated edition, distinguished scholar Patricia Meyer Spacks instructs the reader in a larger appreciation of the novel''s enduring pleasures and provides analysis of Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, Lady Catherine, and all the characters who inhabit the world of Pride and Prejudice.

Emma, first published in 1816, was written when Jane Austen was at the height of her powers. In a novel remarkable for its sparkling wit and modernity, Austen presents readers with two of literature’s greatest comic creations—the eccentric Mr. Woodhouse and that quintessential bore, Miss Bates. Here, too, we have what may well be Jane Austen’s most profound characterization: the witty, imaginative, self-deluded Emma, a heroine the author declared “no one but myself will much like,” but who has been much loved by generations of readers. Delightfully funny, full of rich irony, Emma is regarded as one of Jane Austen’s finest achievements.

Introduction and Notes by Professor Stephen Arkin, San Francisco University. ''Young women who have no economic or political power must attend to the serious business of contriving material security''. Jane Austen''s sardonic humour lays bare the stratagems, the hypocrisy and the poignancy inherent in the struggle of two very different sisters to achieve respectability. Sense and Sensibility is a delightful comedy of manners in which the sisters Elinor and Marianne represent these two qualities. Elinor''s character is one of Augustan detachment, while Marianne, a fervent disciple of the Romantic Age, learns to curb her passionate nature in the interests of survival. This book, the first of Austen''s novels to be published, remains as fresh a cautionary tale today as it ever was.

For her last novel’s plot, Austen returns to the tensions of inheritance; but the once satisfactory solution—security on a landed estate—no longer applies. Here, Anne, the unappreciated middle daughter of the Elliots, has new choices to make, between the customs and traditions in which she was brought up and the excitement of the unknown.

This special edition of Sense and Sensibility includes the famous illustrations by Charles Edmond Brock, created in 1898. Brock and his brothers were all successful illustrators of the day and often posed for each other using costumes, props and furniture in their Cambridge studio. Brock''s younger brother, Henry, also illustrated Austen''s books and joined him in illustrating other Austen releases for this set of 1898 editions. Sense and Sensibility, first published in 1811, was Austen''s first published novel. The story revolves around the Misses Dashwood, Elinor and Marianne, left in reduced circumstances after their father''s death. Their new home is a cottage on a distant relative''s property, where they experience both romance and heartbreak. Marianne meets the dashing John Willoughby who courts her with poetry and flowers. Meanwhile, staid, sober neighbor Colonel Brandon also falls in love with Marianne, but she makes her preference for his rival clear. Elinor is in love with the diffident Edward Ferrars, a young man of good breeding and high moral standing. Their sentiments are quite compatible but his ambitious sister Fanny has other plans for him and works to separate these kindred souls. As true love finds its way to persevering over all obstacles, the impetuous sister gains maturity and balance and the cautious sister has her emotional awakening.

Pride and Prejudice is a romantic novel of manners written by Jane Austen in 1813. The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness. Its humour lies in its honest depiction of manners, education, marriage, and money during the Regency era in Great Britain.MrBennet of Longbourn estate has five daughters, but his property is entailed and can only be passed to a male heir. His wife also lacks an inheritance, so his family will be destitute upon his death. Thus it is imperative that at least one of the girls marry well to support the others, which is a motivation that drives the plot. The novel revolves around the importance of marrying for love, not for money or social prestige, despite the communal pressure to make a wealthy match.Pride and Prejudice has consistently appeared near the top of lists of "most-loved books" among literary scholars and the reading public. For more than a century, dramatic adaptations, reprints, unofficial sequels, films, and TV versions of Pride and Prejudice have portrayed the memorable characters and themes of the novel, reaching mass audiences.