‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife’
The opening of Jane Austen’s ever-popular novel sets the tone of her sparkling comedy of manners and morals. There are five daughters in the Bennet family and marriage is the only career open to them. There is naturally much excitement when two young men of good fortune move into the district. But before there can be a happy ending, the hero must conquer his overwhelming pride and Elizabeth, the spirited heroine, her prejudices against him. Only by taking the route to self-knowledge can they reach a mature understanding of each other and find lasting contentment.
