by Julian Earwaker 

Jane Austen is one of Britain’s best-loved authors. Her six novels have been continuously in print since they first appeared. Pride and Prejudice, originally published in 1813, is a favourite with Austen fans. It opens with the memorable line: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” Jane Austen wrote the first draft of the novel, originally called “First Impressions,” in the 1790s, while living at home with her family at Steventon Rectory in Hampshire.

Jane Austen was born on 16 December 1775. Although she began to write at an early age, none of her work was published until she was in her thirties. When her father retired, Jane moved with the family to live in Bath. She moved again in 1809 after the death of her father and eventually settled back in Hampshire, living in a comfortable cottage in the village of Chawton with her mother and sister Cassandra. Here she began to write prolifically.

Speak Up. Cover story. Ano XIX, nº. 227. p. 18/19. [Texto adaptado] 

Foto disponível em: <http://www.pemberley.com/janeinfo/janevict.gif >. Acesso em: 09 maio 2006. 

Segundo Julian Earwaker, a afirmação inicial da obra Pride and Prejudice é uma