One of the most universally loved and admired English novels, Pride and Prejudice was penned as a popular entertainment. But the consummate artistry of Jane Austen (1775–1817) transformed this effervescent tale of rural romance into a witty, shrewdly observed satire of English country life that is now regarded as one of the principal treasures of the English language. At the heart of the all-consuming enterprise of marriage is the headstrong Elizabeth Bennet and her aristocratic suitor Fitzwilliam Darcy; two lovers whose pride must be humbled and prejudices dissolved before the novel can come to its splendid conclusion.