Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice was Austen's second published novel and included her notable portrayal of the main character Elizabeth Bennett.

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...lets started chapter 1...

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Everyone knows that a single man with a large fortune needs a wife. As soon as such a man enters a neighbourhood, therefore, he is at once considered as the future husband of one of his neighbours' daughters.

'My dear Mr Bennet, said his wife to him one day, 'have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?'

Mr Bennet replied that he had not.

'But it is,' she said, 'Mrs Long has just told me all about it!

Mr Bennet made no answer. 'Do you not want to know who is going to live there?' asked his wife impatiently. 'You want to tell me. I have no objection to hearing it. 'Well, my dear, Mrs Long says that Netherfield has been let to a young

man with a large fortune from the north of England. He came down

on Monday in a carriage with four horses to see the place, and he was

so delighted with it that he agreed immediately. He is to come here

himself in September and some of his servants will move in next week.

"What is his name?'

'Bingley'

'Is he married or single?"

'Oh, single, my dear, of course! A single man, with a large fortune- four or five thousand pounds a year. What a good thing for our girls!" 'Why? How can it affect them?'

'My dear Mr Bennet, replied his wife, 'how can you be so tiresome? You know that I am thinking that he will marry one of them. 'Is that his intention in coming here?'

'Nonsense! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them

And therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes?

I see no reason for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves. Perhaps that will be better, because you are as pretty as any of them and Mr Bingley might like you best! "My dear, you flatter me! I certainly have had a share of beauty, but I do

not pretend to be extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown- up daughters she ought to give up thinking of her own beauty Anyway, I do not promise to go and see Mr Bingley 'But think of your daughters! Think what an excellent marriage it would be for one of them! Sir William and Lady Lucas are going for that reason, although they do not usually visit newcomers.

Of course you must go. It will be impossible for me to take the girls

unless you do

I am sure Mr Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send

a letter with you, promising consent to his marriage with any of the girls whom he likes. I must add a special word of praise for my little Elizabeth, however. "What nonsense! Lizzy is not a bit better than the others, she is not half as pretty as Jane, nor as good tempered as Lydia. But you always

prefer her

"They are all silly and ignorant, like other girls,' said he, 'But Elizabeth

is more intelligent than her sisters.'

Mr Bennet, why do you speak of your own children like that? You enjoy worrying me. You have no pity on my poor nerves!" You are wrong, my dear. I have great respect for your nerves. They are

my old friends. I have heard about them for at least twenty years. But 1

hope that, in spite of them, you will live to see many young men with

four thousand pounds a year come to this neighbourhood.

'It will be no use to us if twenty of them come, since you will not visit them. "When there are twenty, my dear, I promise to visit them all.

Mr Bennet was a strange mixture of intelligence, sarcasm, humour and unsociable reserve. After twenty-three years, his wife still did not understand his character. Her own mind was less difficult to understand. She was a woman of little intelligence and less knowledge. she had a bad temper and, when she was discontented, she blamed her nerves. Her business in life was to get her daughters married. Her pleasure was visiting and gossiping with her friends.

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