Pride & Prejudice: The Novel

 The cover of my first copy of P&P

 As well as a few of my favorite covers

This is rather a lengthy, but thoroughly enjoyable (in my opinion) post for several reasons. I love the book! I wanted to share the delight that reading Jane Austen can bring. I also wanted to share some of my most favorite passages - yes, these are all highlighted in my book. (I pulled out my printed copy, not my Kindle version!) Every time I watch one of the movies I am left a little unsatisfied and usually have to pull out my copy and read the last couple of chapters to fully end the story for me.

These quotes are all in the order in which they appear in the book. I haven't cited them because I thought it would be fun to try and guess at which point they are found in the story. Enjoy!

His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in in the world.

But no sooner had he made it clear to himself and his friends that she had hardly a good feature in her face, than he began to find it was rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes... he was forced to acknowledge her figure to be light and pleasing; and in spite of his asserting that her manners were not those of the fashionable world, he was caught by their easy playfulness... He began to wish to know more of her; and, as a step towards conversing with her himself, attended to her conversation with others.

Elizabeth could not help observing, as she turned over some music books that lay on the instrument, how frequently Mr. Darcy's eyes were fixed on her. She hardly knew how to suppose that she could be an object of admiration to so great a man.

Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed that, were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger.

Elizabeth had been at Netherfield long enough. She attracted him more than he liked; and Miss Bingley was uncivil to her, and more teasing than usual to himself. He wisely resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admiration should now escape him.

The commonest, most theardbare topic might be rendered interesting by the skill of the speaker.

That would be the greatest misfortune of all! To find a man agreeable whom one is determined to hate!

Mr. Darcy looked a little ashamed of his aunt's ill breeding...

She could easily see that he had no doubt of a favourable answer. He spoke of apprehension and anxiety, but his countenance expressed real security.

"You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it."  Again his astonishment was obvious; and he looked at her with an expression of mingled incredulity and mortification.

That she should receive an offer of marriage from Mr. Darcy! that he should have been in love with her for so many months! so much in love as to wish to marry her... it was gratifying to have inspired unconsciously so strong an affection.

Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly.

At that moment she felt that to be mistress of Pemberley might be something!

This was praise of all others most extraordinary, most opposite to her ideas. That he was not a good-tempered man had been her firmest opinion. Her keenest attention was awakened; she longed to her more.

Elizabeth walked on in quest of the only face whose features would be known to her. At last it arrested her--and she beheld a striking resemblance of Mr. Darcy, with such a smile over the face as she remembered to have sometimes seen, when he looked at her... There was certainly at this moment, in Elizabeth's mind, a more gentle sensation towards the original than she had ever felt in the height of their acquaintance.

Their eyes instantly met, and the cheeks of each were overspread with the deepest bluch. He abolutely started, and for a moment seemed immovable from surprise.

Never in her life had she seen his manners so little dignified, never had he spoken with such gentleness as on this unexpected meeting. What a contrast did it offer to his last address in Rosings' Park.

Her thoughts were fixed on that one spot of Permberley House, whichever it might be where Mr. Darcy then was. She longed to know what at that moment was passing in his mind; in what manner be thought of her, and whether, in in defiance of every thing, she was still dear to him.

Her astonishment, however, was extreme; and continually was she repeating, "Why is he so altered? From what can it proceed? It cannot be for me, it cannot be for my sake that his manners are thus softened. My reproofs at Hunsford could not work such a change as this. It is impossible that he should still love me."

They soon drew from those inquiries the full conviction that one of them at least knew what it was to love... the gentleman was overflowing with admiration was evident enough.

She wanted... to make herself agreeable to all; and the latter object, where she feared most to fail, she was most sure of success, for those to whom she endeavoured to give pleasure were prepossessed in her favour. Bingley was ready, Georgiana was eager, and Darcy determined to be pleased.

But above all, above respect and esteem, there was a motive within her of good-will;--gratitude, not merely for having once loved her, but for loving her still well enough to forgive all the petulance and acrimony of her manner in rejecting him.

She respected, she esteemed, she was grateful to him, she felt a real interest in his welfare; and she only wanted to know how far she wished that welfare to depend upon herself, and how far it would be for the happiness of both that she should employ the power, which her fancy told her she still possessed, of bringing on the renewal of his addresses.

But angry people are not always wise.

Never had she so honestly felt that she could have loved him, as now, when all love must be in vain.

She began no to comprehend that he was exactly the man who, in disposition and talents, would most suit her. His understanding and temper, though unlike her own, would have answered all her wishes. It was an union that must have been to the advantage of both: by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved; and from his judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance.

The happiness which this reply produced was such as he had probably never felt before; and he expressed himself on the occasion as sensibly and as warmly as a man violently in love can be supposed to do. Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eyes, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight, diffused over his face, became him.

"My object then," replied Darcy, "was to show you, by every civility in my power, that I was not so mean as to resent the past: and I hoped to obtain your forgiveness, to lessen your ill-opinion, by letting you see that your reproofs had been attended to. Ho soon any other wishes introduced themselves, I can hardly tell, but I believe in about half an hour after I had seen you."

Elizabeth... rather knew that she was happy than felt herself to be so.

My real purpose was to see you, and to judge, if I could , whether I might ever hope to make you love me.

I am happier even than Jane; she only smiles, I laugh.