6 surprising facts about Pride and Prejudice
More than two centuries ago, one of literature’s most ground-breaking authors, Jane Austen, released the classic novel Pride and Prejudice. To celebrate the 204th year since the book was published, we decided to learn more about it – and its author – both of which paved the way for generations of writers. Here are six things you might not have known about Pride and Prejudice.
1. Austen based the Bennet girls on herself – Like the famous sisters in the novel, Austen wasn’t considered of a high enough social (and financial) status in society to be able to marry the man she wanted. Sadly, unlike in the book, Austen never got her happy ending.
2. Mr. Darcy would be a multi-millionaire by today’s standards – In the novel, it’s stated that Mr. Darcy earns £10,000. While it mightn’t sound like much, the Telegraph calculated that in 2013 money, taking into account all financial factors, he would have been earning £12 million – almost $20 million!
3. Elizabeth and Jane’s relationship was based on Austen and her sister – Just like Elizabeth and Jane Bennet in the book, Jane Austen was incredibly close to her sister Cassandra. In fact, when Jane died, Cassandra wrote, “She was the sun of my life, the gilder of every pleasure, the soother of every sorrow.”
4. It took 14 years to be published… – Austen finished the novel when she was just 21 years old – then titled First Impressions – but it was rejected by a publisher and set it aside. After the success of Sense and Sensibility, however, she revised the story and it was released in 1813.
5. …But it was published anonymously – For the entirety of her life, Austen never once saw her name on one of her books. They were simply attributed as “by a Lady”, or “by the author of Sense and Sensibility”. After she died, her brother finally revealed her name.
6. She sold the copyright for £110 pounds – Austen originally wanted to sell the copyright for the book for £150, but her publishes offered £110 and she took it, worrying it may not be successful. Obviously, that was a mistake, as it quickly became a bestseller.
Tell us in the comments below, what’s your favourite book by Jane Austen?
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