Generations of readers across the world have been delighted by Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice for its supremely entertaining portrayal of the world and its absurdities. The story of the romantic adventures and misadventures of the Bennet sisters – in which pride meets prejudice head-on, truth confronts opinion, desire challenges social hierarchies and institutions as hasty judgments lead to scandal and anguish, but eventually to sympathetic understanding, self-knowledge and love – has secured its place both within the walls of the academia and outside. Austen balances comedy with seriousness, and dazzling wit with profound wisdom with outstanding dexterity. Readers in widely different temporal, spatial and cultural landscapes have responded enthusiastically to the comedy and compulsion of its brilliantly choreographed plot, its memorable cast of characters and the fluidity and ambiguity of its narrative voice that makes the novel such a captivating and challenging read.

Anuradha Mazumder is Assistant Professor of English in Prafulla Chandra College, Kolkata. An alumnus of Presidency College and Calcutta University, she completed her M. Phil. in English Literature from Jadavpur University, Kolkata. Her areas of academic interest include Victorian Studies, Indian English writing and literature’s interface with cinema and popular culture among other things.