Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin is probably her most famous novel and it is certainly one of my favourites. There have been many excellent adaptations of Pride and Prejudice by the BBC and by Hollywood, plus other writers have been inspired by the novel, such as Bridget Jones Diary and Bride and Prejudice. My favourite adaptation is BBC’s staring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle, which seems well casted and devotes enough time to do the story justice, with a few interesting additions, such as an extra sister for Mr Bingley. The heroine of is Elizabeth Bennet, who is a brave, spirited and intelligent woman. Her sisters seem to encapsulate every female stereotype, the loose woman, the nun and the sweet wife. As usual Jane Austin uses her characters to explore social issues, such as the rights of women, what it means to be a gentleman and the differences in social distinctions. At its heart I feel is a commentary on how to bring up young women to be virtuous, and how fragile their reputations can be. Yet also, as the title suggests, a warning not to listen to rumours and gossip, but to have an open mind about people, as the two love interests of Elizabeth’s are not what they seem. A modern reader will probably find all these sensibilities very quaint, but you can still sympathise with the well developed characters and enjoy the fast paced story. Pride and Prejudice is a fantastically romantic yet intelligent novel with many likeable characters and many sub plots that you can enjoy reading many times.