“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.”
Thus begins the book, Pride and Prejudice. January 28th is the 200th anniversary of the book that has swept the hearts of millions of female readers ever since its release.
It is the most widely read of Jane Austen’s books and perhaps the most popular. In light of the fact that Jane Austen had to originally publish her own material, it is hard to imagine a world without her literary creations.
Perhaps, this is just my view, as I am a die-hard Jane Austen fan, but considering all of the Jane Austen websites, books, and filmography available, I doubt that I am the only one. Even as I sit here, I am wearing a Jane Austen (“I Love Mr. Darcy”) necklace and looking at a Pemberley computer background. She has achieved an almost cult-like status that predates Twilight and Nicholas Sparks, creating a much larger Austen fan base that transcends generations.
Pride and Prejudice may have been published as her second book (Sense and Sensibility was the first), but it was actually the first novel that she wrote. For those few who may be unfamiliar with the novel, Pride and Prejudice follows the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, as she navigates through the trials and tribulations of love, life, and family. Along her journey, she learns that first impressions (hence the original title of the book, First Impressions) can be deceiving and that true love does exist. Although she may not fight dragons or save a country, she is a heroine in her own right, fighting patriarchy, the ideas of marriage at the time, and the expectations set for her by other people. She is an independent person, who is not afraid to speak her mind or fight for what she believes in.
In light of its 200th birthday, several different places are thus honoring the famous novels anniversary. The BBC is going to recreate the Regency ball that takes place in the book at Chawton House in Hampshire, where Jane Austen wrote several of her books and spent her last years. The BBC will release the documentary of the recreation of the ball later this year in the UK, which means that the US should be able to view it next year. Bath and other towns in England are holding celebrations, as are many in the US. Goucher College is hosting a variety events, including a Regency ball, tea, and a talk with Goucher Professor Juliette Wells about her book, “Everybody’s Jane: Austen in the Popular Imagination.” However, all of these events are very far away, so how can we celebrate closer to home?
Here are several ways in which you can celebrate the 200th Anniversary:
- Watch a Pride and Prejudice movie, television mini-series, or web series with your friends.
Movies:
- Pride and Prejudice (1940) starring Greer Garson and Sir Laurence Olivier
- Pride and Prejudice (2005) starring Keira Knightley and Matthew Macfadyen
- Bride and Prejudice (2004) starring Aishwarya Rai
- Pride and Prejudice: A Latter-Day Comedy (2003) starring Kam Heskin and Orlando Seale
- A Modern Pride and Prejudice (2011) starring Caleb Grant and Maia Petee
Television Mini-Series:
- Pride and Prejudice (1995) starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth
- Pride and Prejudice (1980) starring Elizabeth Garvie and David Rintoul
- Lost in Austen (2008) starring Jemima Rooper and Elliot Cowan
Web Series:
- The Lizzie Bennet Diaries (2012) starring Ashley Clements and Daniel Gordh
- Read Pride and Prejudice or a Pride and Prejudice-themed book.
Books:
- Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
- Mr. Darcy’s Daughters and The Exploits and Adventures of Miss Alethea Darcy by Elizabeth Aston
- Darcy’s Story and Dialogue with Darcy by Janet Aylmer
- Pemberley: Or Pride and Prejudice Continued and An Unequal Marriage: Or Pride and Prejudice Twenty Years Later by Emma Tennant
- The Book of Ruth and Jane Austen Ruined My Life and Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo
- Precipitation – A Continuation of Miss Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
- by Helen Baker
- Searching for Pemberley by Mary Simonsen and Mr. Darcy Takes a Wife and its sequel Darcy & Elizabeth: Nights and Days at Pemberly by Linda Berdoll.
- Seducing Mr. Darcy by Gwyn Cready
- Pride and Prejudice. Her Pemberley Variations series includes Mr. Darcy’s Obsession, To Conquer Mr. Darcy, What Would Mr. Darcy Do, Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy: The Last Man in the World, and others and The Man Who Loved Pride and Prejudice, a modern-day adaptation, all by Abigail Reynolds
- Pride and Prejudice and Zombies and Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Jane Austen and Seth Grahame-Smith
- Fitzwilliam Darcy, Gentleman trilogy by Pamela Aiden
- Death Comes to Pemberley by P.D. James
- Buy something Jane Austen-themed.
http://www.cafepress.com/+pride-and-prejudice+gifts
http://janeaustengiftshop.co.uk/acatalog/index.html
http://www.theliterarygiftcompany.com/jane-austen-180-c.asp
http://www.philosophersguild.com/search.php?mode=search&page=1
http://www.zazzle.com/jane+austen+gifts
http://www.pemberley.com/pemberleyshoppe.html
(Even a board game!)
- Any combination of the three!
If Jane Austen saw the phenomenon her book started, she would be probably be astounded, especially because the original copy was by the “Author of ‘Sense and Sensibility’”. Her real name was never used in the original publication! However, millions today know who she is and are celebrating her triumph and work of art. She has inspired us with her words and characters, so toast the 200th Anniversary of Pride and Prejudice and here is to the idea that one day, a man might say to you the famous words,
“In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.”
Sources:
http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/ppv1n01.html
http://www.goodreads.com/work/quotes/3060926-pride-and-prejudice?auto_login_attempted=true
Photo Sources:
http://ia.media-imdb.com/images/M/MV5BMTA1NDQ3NTcyOTNeQTJeQWpwZ15BbWU3MDA0MzA4MzE@._V1._SY317_.jpg