Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, published in 1813, is among the most beloved novels in the English language and a cornerstone of the novel of manners. Through the sharp-witted Elizabeth Bennet and her sparring with the proud Mr. Darcy, Austen turns courtship and marriage in Regency England into a comedy of misjudgment, social pressure, and hard-won self-knowledge. Its irony, free indirect style, and psychological acuity made it enduringly influential on the development of the novel.