It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

For Mrs Bennet, a mother to five daughters, little else is of consequence than the prospect of a successful and advantageous marriage for each of them. Her daughter Elizabeth, independent and spirited, has other ideas.

When the wealthy and eligible bachelor Mr Bingley moves into the neighbourhood he seems everything one could want in a husband; engaging friendly and obliging he forms a quick attachment with Elizabeth’s beloved sister Jane. His friend and companion Fitzwilliam Darcy makes a less favourable first impression on Elizabeth, she thinks him arrogant and conceited whilst he seems indifferent to her quick wit and lively mind.

When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between Bingley and Jane, their relationship seems destined to be one of animosity but both are about to learn the folly of judging from first impressions.

In the sparkling comedy of manners that follows, Jane Austen creates one of the most powerful and enduring love stories of all time whilst superbly satirising the gossip, snobberies and social conventions of provincial middle-class life.

Part of Penguin's beautiful hardback Clothbound Classics series, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith, these delectable and collectible editions are bound in high-quality colourful, tactile cloth with foil stamped into the design.