Pride And Prejudice An Annotated Edition [Hardcover]

Along with the plays of William Shakespeare and the works of Charles Dickens,Jane Austens novels are among the most beloved books of Western literature.Pride and Prejudice(1813) was in Austens lifetime her most popular novel, and it was the authors 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 scholarPatricia Meyer Spacksinstructs the reader in a larger appreciation of the novels enduring pleasures and provides analysis of Darcy, Elizabeth Bennet, Lady Catherine, and all the characters who inhabit the world ofPride and Prejudice.

This edition will be treasured by specialists and first-time readers, and especially by devoted Austen fans who think of themselves as Friends of Jane. In her Introduction, Spacks considers Austens life and career, the continuing appeal ofPride and Prejudice, and its power as a stimulus for fantasy (Maureen Dowd, writing inThe New York Times, can hold forth at length on Obama as a Darcy-figure, knowing full well her readers will understand that she wished to suggest glamour and sexiness). Her Introduction also explores the value and art of literary annotation. In her running commentary on the novel, she provides notes on literary and historical contexts, allusions, and language likely to cause difficulty to modern readers. She offers interpretation and analysis, always with the wisdom, humor, and light touch of an experienced and sensitive teacher.

Drawing on extensive knowledge, wisdom, and original insights, Professor Spacks is a monumentally intelligent guide toPride and Prejudice. Reading Austen's masterpiece with her commentaries at hand is like reading it with a better, wiser friend: someone who is able to anticipate our questions and reactions and someone who also knows Austen and her peopllÝ