Great Works of English Literature: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Welche Bücher haben die englischsprachige Literatur geprägt? Die Rubrik „Great Works of English Literature“ stellt einige der bekanntesten Werke vor. In der aktuellen Ausgabe der Read On stellen wir anlässlich des 250. Geburtstags der großen englischen Schriftstellerin Jane Austen ihren vielleicht beliebtesten Roman vor, Stolz und Vorurteil. Lesen Sie hier einen Auszug aus dem Artikel über die zeitlose Liebesgeschichte zwischen Elizabeth Bennet und Mr Darcy.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

The quintessential enemies-to-lovers story is one of the most beloved novels of all time.

By Franziska Lange

1                 It is a truth universally acknowledged that Jane Austen’s novel Pride and Prejudice is regularly at the top of lists of most-loved books.

2                 First published in 1813, it has never gone out of print and is one of the most beloved novels of all time, thanks to the captivating love story between Mr Darcy and the intelligent and lively Elizabeth Bennet.

3                 The novel, which is set in the English countryside in the early 19th century, starts with one of the most famous sentences in English literature: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

4                 Mr and Mrs Bennet, a couple with five daughters, are having a conversation about just such a man: young, single, and rich Charles Bingley has just moved into Netherfield Park, a nearby country estate. Mrs Bennet hopes he will marry one of their daughters.

5                 And indeed, Bingley dances with the eldest Bennet daughter, Jane, at a ball. And the two immediately like each other – much unlike his friend, the proud and even richer Fitzwilliam Darcy, and the second Bennet daughter, Elizabeth. For them, it’s what might be called hatred at first sight.

6                 Soon after, Jane receives an invitation from Charles Bingley’s sister. Encouraged by Mrs Bennet to ride to Netherfield on horseback, Jane gets into some heavy rain on her way there and falls ill.

7                 Elizabeth goes to Netherfield to care for her sister. While there, she sees that Bingley is already very much in love with Jane.

8                 She also gets to know Darcy a bit better, and the reader discovers that Darcy develops an interest in Elizabeth, although she is unaware of this.

…

Den vollständigen Artikel lesen Sie in der aktuellen Ausgabe der Read On.

Vocabulary

0                 Pride and Prejudice dt. Titel: Stolz und Vorurteil — quintessential archetypisch; der Inbegriff einer … — enemies-to-lovers story Liebesgeschichte, bei der sich zwei anfänglich verfeindete Charaktere ineinander verlieben — beloved beliebt

1–2             truth Wahrheit; Tatsache — universally allgemein — to acknowledge s.th. etw. anerkennen — to never to go out of print kontinuierlich verlegt werden — captivating hinreißend — lively lebhaft, quirlig

3–8             to be in possession of s.th. im Besitz von etw. sein — fortune Vermögen — to be in want of s.th. etw. bedürfen — country estate Landsitz — hatred at first sight Hass auf den ersten Blick — on horseback zu Pferde — to be unaware of s.th. sich etw. nicht bewusst sein

Picture: Wikimedia Commons