Sunday, January 27, 2013

By a Lady...


Pride

and 

Prejudice:

A novel.

In three volumes

***

By the 

Author of "Sense and Sensibility."

***


Facts about Pride and Prejudice

It went on sale as three, hard-backed volumes on January 28, 1813 - available for 18 shillings.

It was originally titled "First Impressions" and written as an epistolary novel. This draft was written in less than a year from 1796 to 1797 (age 20 to 21).

The author sold the manuscript to the publisher for £110.  Despite its instant success, this was all she ever made off it even though her publisher made ~£450 from the first two editions alone.

Austen's name was never associated with it during her lifetime.

The final title was most likely inspired from a line the last chapter of Cecilia by Fanny Burney - one of Austen's favorite female authors.

After being set to type, the original manuscript in Austen's hand was destroyed.

[Austen's writing desk]

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