The eNotes Blog Celebrating 200 Years of Pride and Prejudice (and Darcy,mmmm)

Celebrating 200 Years of Pride and Prejudice (and Darcy,mmmm) I want to tell you that I have got my own darling child from London. These are the words Jane Austen wrote to her sister Cassandra 200 years ago, on January 29th, 1813. And the darling child she spoke of? None other than her firstborn novel, of coursePride Prejudice. The novel was published just a day before, after many years of submissions to and rejections by various London publishers. Austen had completed the manuscript with its original title of First Impressions in 1797. From there, so many prospective publishers declined to even see the work that PP underwent 14 years of heavy editing to become what it is today. At last, the editor Thomas Egerton bought the book for a meager  Ã‚ £110, the equivalent of just $172 today. Thankfully, as it is a truth universally acknowledged, Pride Prejudice went on to become not only the fashionable novel of its time, but one of the most beloved (and borrowed) stories of English literature. 200 years on, it inspires everything from its explicit spin-offs (Death at Pemberley, Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, etc), to the more subtly taken chick-lit and movie plots of today. And now, in the week of this milestone anniversary, a slew of articles dedicated to all things Austenesque. So feast your eyes on these literary nibbles, Darcy lovers: 12 Things You Didnt Know About Pride Prejudice The 2 Problems in Pride Prejudice, According to PD James Making the case for the best Darcy: will it be Colin Firth, or Matthew Macfadyen? The Real Face of Jane Austen Heres another interesting couple of tidbits I came across today Ever wondered what Austens contemporaries and fellow authors thought of her self-confessed light, and bright, and sparkling novel? It seems that Charlotte Brontà «Ã‚  was none too impressed, though surprisingly it was on account of the novels lack of a characteristic landscape more than anything else: Charlotte Brontà «,  in a letter to [the critic] Lewes, wrote that  Pride and Prejudice  was a disappointment, a carefully fenced, highly cultivated garden, with neat borders and delicate flowers; but   no open country, no fresh air, no blue hill, no bonny beck. Meanwhile, in 1937 the poet W.H. Auden cheekily mused that Austen was far too experienced for a gentlewoman of her time and social standing: You could not shock her more than she shocks me, Beside her  Joyce  seems innocent as grass. It makes me most uncomfortable to see An English spinster of the middle class Describe the amorous effects of brass, Reveal so frankly and with such sobriety The economic basis of society. So there you have it, a few juicy details surrounding by far the greatest romance plot in British literature. But if youd like to learn more, there are plenty of study guides for, you know, all that important academic stuff: Pride Prejudice Study Guide Jane Austen Biography Historical Context of the Novel Character Analysis of the Novel and much more on ! Be on the lookout for ways to celebrate the anniversary in your area. With this many Austenites around the globe, there has got to be a Meryton ball somewhere nearby. How will you celebrate 200 years of PP?