Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice has been variously described as a novel of historical fiction, romance and/or coming of age (bildungsroman). Written in the third person, the narrator has access to the internal lives of the characters and communicates to the reader their thoughts and feelings, and through the interjection of commentary particular to events and characters, influences the reader’s perception. Through the lens of protagonist Elizabeth Bennet, Austen delivers a glimpse into the everyday life of a well-drawn set of characters at the turn of nineteenth century England, skilfully adding irony and humour to her moral commentary on society and dialogue to propel or impede the plot and character development.

Originally penned under the working title, First Impressions, Austen began writing Pride and Prejudice in 1796, later making several revisions before publishing in 1813. As with all of Austen’s novels, Pride and Prejudice was published anonymously, most likely due to the social taboo of women pursuing professions at the time. Whilst Pride and Prejudice received favourable reviews on publication, it was not until the 1940s that the novel, along with all of Austen’s work, began to receive serious scholarship attention. Today, it is considered a classic of English literature with a vast legacy through multiple adaptations in film, television and theatre and through its inspiration for other literary works that are not direct adaptations.

During Austen’s lifetime, there was a significant increase towards reading; literacy had increased in England by 1800 and almost everyone in the middle classes and above could read, while the literacy rates for the rest of the population were rising. The growth of print culture in 1780 increased the affordability and accessibility of novels, through smaller formats and subscriptions libraries, however taxes imposed on novels (as well as newspapers and other reading material) to deter their access by the lower classes in a time of unrest at home and revolutions overseas, meant the novel was still a treat for many until the mid-nineteenth century.