One of the most famous opening lines of a novel is from my favorite by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice: ‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.’ 

It’s the perfect introduction to this story. In Jane Austen’s day, most upper-class women wanted to marry someone who could take care of them financially, while the men wanted a woman who could give him heirs and run his household – Stability and progeny was the name of the game. Austen’s writing poked fun at these tropes, modeling the extremes in characters like Mrs. Bennet, who was trying to marry off 5 daughters to the wealthiest men around, and Charlotte Lucas, who took her friend Elizabeth’s castoff suitor solely for the purpose of that stability. 

The humor is subtle, dry and witty, and the ending happy for most of the characters. I’ve found as I’ve read more modern novels that I like a happy ending in my stories. Too many new books don’t have that satisfying bow tying it all up. 

If you’d like to read a more in-depth analysis of Pride and Prejudice check out our collaborative blog posts earlier under this page; this is only a brief overview and appreciation post.