Gentle Readers: in celebration of ‘Pride and Prejudice without Zombies’ I have asked several of my fellow Jane Austen bloggers to share their knowledge and interest in Austen’s most popular novel. Today, please welcome guest blogger Katherine from November’s Autumn as she shares with us the long and winding publishing history of Jane Austen’s “darling child”, Pride and Prejudice.
It’s difficult to believe that the work synonymous with Jane Austen struggled being published. Originally titled First Impressions Jane completed the first draft when she was only twenty-one years old. Often read aloud at home it became a family favorite. Her father, the Rev. George Austen, sent a copy to Thomas Cadell of London’s Cadell & Davies publishing on November 1, 1797 introducing it as:
“A Manuscript Novel, comprised in three Vols. about the length of Miss Burney’s Evelina”
It was rejected by a return of unopened post. It’s curious to ponder what would have happened had it been published at this point. No doubt Austen’s genius still shone through. Maybe early success as a writer would have given us more than the precious six novels. Alas, Pride and Prejudice wouldn’t be published until eleven years later. It went through extensive revision, changing from a series of letters, perhaps from Elizabeth to Jane, into the famous novel we’re acquainted with.
Continue reading at November’s Autumn
Further reading
- Group reading schedule
- Pride and Prejudice: Reading Resources
- Pride and Prejudice without Zombies Event Schedule
Upcoming Event Posts
Day 4 – June 19 Group Read: Chapters 8-14
Day 5 – June 20 P&P (Naxos Audio) Review
Day 6 – June 21 Fashions at the Netherfield Ball
Aia HY
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Katie P.
Lisa Galek
Lucy Warriner
Sarah Emsley
shelleydewees
Virginia Claire
Veronica Monique
Kimberly (Reflections of a Book Addict)
That’s really interesting. I didn’t realize the first version was epistolary.
Jane Austen herself was not aware of her fathers’ correspondence with Thomas Cadell and his atempt to publish “First Impressions” because he never told her.
Boris – I was not aware of this. Thanks for sharing.
Greetings Katherine,
Wow, very interesting indeed! I have often wondered that too in regards to if she had been ‘known’ years earlier, how different the outcome may have been?
I admit although I would like to have more finished Jane Austen novels, I am glad that Pride and Prejudice is not epistolary. I have a hard time following that style and I do love the Pride and Prejudice we have now.
I am grateful too that P&P was rejected and evolved into its new format. We might not me singing its praises to the skies today and it might be relegated into a dusty corner and dismissed such as Lady Susan for being old fashioned.
Many thanks to Katherine for this very informative post. Great job!