The Jane Austen and Brontes Newsletter Issue #3 Happy Pride & Prejudice Day!
The enduring love of Pride and Prejudice
Happy Pride and Prejudice Day!
January 28th marks the 211th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice. While it’s considered Austen’s most beloved and famous work, personally I’m more of a fan of Persuasion. But that’s just me.
I’ll keep this issue nice and short but wanted to celebrate with some known and unknown facts about the book.
As all of us probably know, its first title was First Impressions
The book was finished in 1797 but would not be published until 1813
Austen was middling on the story itself. In her letter to Cassandra on February 4, 1813, Austen writes:
Upon the whole however I am quite vain enough & well satisfied enough. ─The work is rather too light & bright & sparkling; ─it wants shade; ─it wants to be stretched out here & there with a long Chapter─of sense if it could be had, if not of solemn specious nonsense─about something unconnected with the story;
She sold the copyright for £110 now worth £10,000 in today’s money
Pride and Prejudice is one of the most adapted and inspired novels in the English language
Since its publication in 1813, it’s never been out of print
The first movie adaptation of Pride and Prejudice was in 1938 staring Curigwen Lewis as Elizabeth and Andrew Osborn as Darcy
Austen’s work has been adapted over 100 times in film and video formats (and that’s not the complete list!)
The lake scene in the 1995 adaptation was not in the book
The hand flex scene in the 2005 adaptation when Darcy helps Elizabeth into the carriage was improvised by McFayden and Joe Wright, the director, liked it so much he kept it in the movie
Firth and Ehle were dating during the filming of the 1995 adaptation
Firth plays Darcy again as Mark Darcy in the 2003 adaptation Bridget Jones’ Diary
Pride and Prejudice’s name comes from Fanny Burney’s Cecilia where the phrase “pride and prejudice” is used numerous times
Austen finished the book when she was 21
The book was first rejected sight unseen by Thomas Cadell in 1797
Mr. Darcy is considered the preeminent romantic male hero
Darcy and Elizabeth’s courtship and relationship is the grandmother of the romance trope, enemies to lovers
Jane Austen and her books are popular with the fan fiction communities
How will you be celebrating Pride and Prejudice Day? I’m going to watch the 2005 adaptation later on today, I think!
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While I hoped to keep this newsletter somewhat sporadic and not pushy (I hate pushy newsletters), did want to give everyone a head’s up that Hallmark Channel’s annual Loveuary theme this year is Jane Austen! Every Saturday through the month of February will be a new Austen inspired movie. I’ve got my reminder set!
I will be recapping the movies via the newsletter the week it comes out. I may miss the February 3 movie as I’ll be out of town. I’m hoping that it gets replayed during the week and not at some godawful hour.
Have a wonderful week!