Happily Ever After

by Susannah Fullerton

In 2013 Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice turns 200. Again and again in polls conducted around the world, it is regularly chosen as the favourite novel of all time. Read and studied from Cheltenham to China, there are Jane Austen Societies from Boston to Buenos Aires, dedicated to sharing the delights of Jane Austen's masterpiece.

Here is the tale of how Pride and Prejudice came to be written, its first reception in a world that didn't take much notice of it and then its growing popularity. As well as discussing the famous characters – sex-symbol Mr Darcy, charming heroine Elizabeth Bennet, and the superb range of comic characters who make readers laugh again and again – Susannah Fullerton looks at the style of the novel – its wicked irony, its brilliant structuring, its revolutionary use of the technique known as 'free indirect speech'.

Readers through the years have both loved the book and hated it – the reactions of writers, politicians, artists and explorers can tell us as much about the reader as they do about the book itself. Pride and Prejudice has morphed into many strange and interesting forms – screen adaptations, sequels, prequels and updates. Happily Ever After explores these, and the wilder shores of zombies, porn, dating manuals, T-shirts, tourism and therapy.

Genres: Nonfiction, Books About Books, Literature, Literary Criticism, Biography, British Literature

240 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2013

About the author

Susannah Fullerton, OAM FRSN, is Sydney’s best-known literary historian and lecturer on classic novels. She is a worldwide authority on Jane Austen's life and fiction, and her books have been praised by Claire Tomalin, Maggie Lane, Deirdre le Faye and Hazel Jones. She has been President of the Jane Austen Society of Australia since 1996.

Her latest book, 'Great Writers & the Cats Who Owned Them', published by Bodleian Library Publishing in 2025, is receiving rave reviews. Other books include Brief Encounters: Literary Travellers in Australia, Jane Austen and Crime, A Dance with Jane Austen: How a Novelist and her Characters went to the Ball, Happily Ever After: Celebrating Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, and Jane & I: A Tale of Austen Addiction. She has written and recorded two audio CDs Finding Katherine Mansfield, the first audio CD about New Zealand’s great short story writer, and Poetry to Fill A Room, a delightful edition of Susannah reading her best loved poetry.

Susannah grew up in New Zealand and has lived in Australia since 1986. She lectures regularly at the State Library of NSW, at conferences, schools and libraries. She gives talks on famous writers and their novels, poems and plays at a great variety of places around NSW, Australia and overseas.

Reviews

[Kirk · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 This should have a warning label..."Harsh opinions ahead." An irony given my 'John Knightley' views but wow.

[Laurel · Rating 4 out of 5]

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

Besides being trotted out for the opening of every news article containing anything vaguely related to Pride and Prejudice, its author, its characters, its plot or any other self-serving cause, I have seen this famous first line from the novel on T shirts, mugs, book bags and stationary. It is indeed a truth universally acknowledged that Pride and Prejudice is a phenomenon!

Exalted by scholars and embraced by the masses, it is indeed a literary treasure for the everyman. In this year of its 200th birthday, the outpouring of celebration in the press, online and in print confirms our longstanding love affair and addiction. We just can’t get enough of it.

Just in time for the year-long festivities is Celebrating Pride and Prejudice: 200 Years of Jane Austen’s Masterpiece, an in-depth exploration of Jane Austen’s classic novel by Susannah Fullerton. At 240 pages, it is packed full of text and many full-color illustrations—something for everyone from the novice reader to veteran Janeite. The volume covers a range of topics as the chapters are broken down by categories such as the writing of, the reactions to, the style of, the heroine, the hero, illustrations, sequels and adaptations, theatrical versions, and, of course a whole chapter devoted to the famous opening line quoted above.

My “first impressions” of this tribute to one of my favorite novels was the stunning cover resplendent with the plume of a peacock (the iconic symbol or pride) and appropriately in peacock blue! They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but I do. If a publisher does not care enough about that “first impression” then why should I buy their book? Flipping through the pages the overall design is polished and each of the illustration is credited. Huzzah! And boy do the illustrations pop. Each page has something iconic or new, even to this die-hard Austen book collector who owns numerous illustrated editions of Pride and Prejudice dating back to the 1890’s!

Fullerton discusses every aspect of this novel imaginable, but one subject is of particular interest to me: Sequels and Adaptations. Are you surprised dear reader? Yes, I have read a few Austen-inspired novels in my day and can appreciate Fullerton’s keen eye for the sublime and the ridiculous and the “uses and abuses” by many. She does however look at the phenomena of the Austen spinoff with her tongue firmly set in her cheek; occasionally taking a painful stab.

“There is only one Pride and Prejudice and for many readers, that is simply not enough. They want more! And if Jane Austen could imagine lives for her characters after the ending of her novel – a clergyman husband for Kitty and one of Uncle Philip’s clerks for Mary – why should not other authors do the same?” p. 155

Many could argue the point, and do, but Fullerton is celebrating Pride and Prejudice and its impact on readers and culture, warts and all. She goes on to enlighten us on the differences between mixed sequels such as Old Friends and New Fancies, by Sybil Briton (misspelled Brunton), continuations like A Match for Mary Bennet, by Eucharista Ward, “Jane Austen would surely have been the first to scoff at such Evangelical claptrap,” (ouch) and retellings and their variation the “what if” like Fitzwilliam Darcy An Honourable Man, by Brenda Webb. However, we were not amused when her historical outline turned into finger pointing and our eyebrows often reached our hairline over such statements as…

“Abigail Reynolds has written “A Pemberley Medley of five variations of Darcy’s story, and Mary Simonsen has had at least three goes at making Darcy do what she wants him to do. Perhaps readers should pause over Mr. Darcy Takes the Plunge to ask what depths this hero must be further expected to plumb?” p. 160

The chapter continues with explorations of Austen-inspired mysteries, paranormal, children’s adaptation, chick lit and regencies, and pornographic novels. Fullerton states that no other novel has inspired so many prequels, sequels etc. than Pride and Prejudice. She bluntly asks if these other books are vital to the enjoyment of the original or “simply derivative rubbish we can all live without?” and then softens her blow in the last line of the chapter, “For with Pride and Prejudice it has turned out that “The End” was really just the beginning.” p. 173

Fullerton has supplied her view of a great novel and given us a volume to treasure and debate. I greatly enjoyed the details and images, and most of the observations in this tribute, yet I have come away feeling my heart divided between admiration and resentment for the author. Could it be that our “personal” Pride and Prejudice and its characters are so deeply entrenched in the hearts of many, and interpreted so differently by most, that others will be at odds with her choices too? Am I pulling a Lizzy Bennet and “not making allowance enough for difference of situation and temper”? Quite possibly, but I will not let it ruin my happiness. Celebrating Pride and Prejudice is a must read this year, if only to rejoice in our differences of opinion and laugh in our turn.

Laurel Ann, Austenprose

[~Geektastic~ · Rating 3 out of 5]

With a baby and a tight book buying budget, I rarely buy books new. When 3 shiny B&N giftcards were delivered by Santa this year, I was very excited to have the chance to buy Celebrating Pride and Prejudice.

Unfortunately, it didn't live up to my expectations, but I wouldn't say this disappointment is necessarily the fault of the book. This is a very light, mostly surface-only "appreciation" of one of the greatest novels in Western literature, and one of my all-time favorites, so it was never really going to live up to its source. I've read maybe a dozen or more academic works focused on Austen, and especially on Pride and Prejudice, so it's really my own fault. I always get burned by the pop lit studies take on literature (Flirting with Pride and Prejudice was another one, but that one was infinitely weaker than this one, with it's focus on "chick lit" and sequel stories).

This is not to say the book wasn't enjoyable-it was- just not as deep as I would have liked. It essentially breaks the book and its surrounding culture into sections, beginning with biographical information on Austen, and then looking at the writing style, the characters and essential plot items before moving away from the actual text to look at adaptations, sequels, merchandise and other secondary elements.

There are lots of interesting trivia items dispersed throughout, like the reactions of the community to the work and the homes possibly used as models for Rosings and Pemberly. They aren't new to a hardcore Austenphile, but anyone just branching out from P&P to studies of the work will find things to enhance their reading experience. Fullerton obviously loves her subject (she is the head of the Australian chapter of the Jane Austen Society and author of several other more academic studies of Austen's work) and writes with wit and deep enjoyment.

Her examination of the worlds that have sprung up around the novel, from Darcy worshiping websites and zombie slaying variations to t-shirts and totebags, is very detailed and offers some perspective on the cultural status of the novel. She also offers a fairly in depth look at translations from around the world, emphasizing just how difficult it is to carry Austen's exquisite irony successfully into other languages. While she is a bit judgmental when it comes to the erotic and/or monster-y spin offs the novel has produced (I'll admit I am, too), she gives a detailed catalog of the works, both good and bad.

To sum up, I don't regret buying this book. It was fun and it did make me want to re-read P&P for the umpteenth time, but I could have used a little more depth in the examination of the text and sacrificed some of the space given over to listing the title in other languages and describing film adaptations that are no longer extant.

[Brigid Keely · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book in a goodreads first reads contest, the first one ever. Yay! It arrived very quickly and I was absolutely blown away by the physical book. It's gorgeous, a hardcover with a stunning peacock-designed cut-out dust jacket. The interior paper is heavy weight, the typography is lovely, and there's a lot of illustrations including color illustrations throughout the book.

The actual contents of the book are well written but a bit shallow. Fullerton seems intimately familiar in an emotional way with Jane Austen in general and Pride & Prejudice specifically, which is fitting as she's been President of the Jane Austen Society of Australia for 15 years (!!) and has written and lectured pretty extensively about Austen. This seems more like an introduction to scholarly writing on Austen/P&P than scholarly writing. One could find most of the information in this book in other formats by browsing various Austen/Regency websites if one were so inclined. Of course, that info would be scattered and not pulled together, so YMMV. However, the shallowness of the book is not necessarily a bad thing. This feels like a great introductory text for someone who enjoys Austen and is interested in finding out more in a casual sort of way.

I was disappointed, though, that Fullerton didn't go into more detail concerning the original Janeites and the impact of the book during the World War I era. She touches on it lightly but I would have loved more exploration of the topic, and given the recent popularity of Downton Abbey (set in that era) seems like it'd be a popular topic. I can go out on my own, however, and hunt up books/online articles about that.

Fullerton also discusses the difficulty of translating P&P into other languages, both in terms of grammar/vocabulary (word choice, shades of meaning, etc) as well as culture (early translations into other languages were heavily edited to make the characters/situations more culturally relevant/acceptable to the new markets) and that's a really interesting discussion, but Fullerton mentions that modern non-English speakers won't know what a "couch and four" signifies in terms of class/money, or that a "morning visit" would actually be in the afternoon. I'd argue that most modern English speakers wouldn't know either without annotation or discussion. She also draws distinction between "Croat" and "Serbo-Croat" in two or three places in the book, which is like drawing a firm line between Canadian English and American English.

Fullerton also mentions Colin Firth lasciviously several times while putting down erotica/porn versions of Austen's works as automatically inferior. It's a bit hypocritical to talk about how sexy Firth is and how his wet bod rekindled interest in Austen's work because he's a sexy sex sex and then frown sternly at actual sex because it's icky and intrusive.

This is a beautifully put together book, gorgeously presented, and a really nice introduction to the topic for people who aren't well versed in the area. Fullerton is an expert in the field, and she does a great job of presenting interesting information in a manageable way, not overwhelming a less experienced reader with minutia or scholarly theory. It's really put me in the mood for some annotated Austen (frex, she mentions that Lydia uses the word "fun," which at the time was bleeding edge slang considered low class by a lot of people. Modern readers totally lose that kind of nuance if they don't know!).

This book has put me in the mood for some juicier more in-depth looks at Austen and her influences, and more detailed discussions of her books/world. I really recomend it for someone just getting their feet wet in the vast pool of Austen.

[QNPoohBear · Rating 3 out of 5]

The author takes an in-depth look at all aspects of Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen's most famous novel. Chapters discuss the writing of the novel; reactions to the book; the style of Pride and Prejudice; chapters on the characters; the translations, and more modern topics such as the sequels, retellings, etc. and the branding of Jane Austen. There is even a chapter dedicated to the first sentance.

I liked the beginning of the book where the author discusses the actual novel and how it came to be. I also liked the literary explanations on the style and the characters. It caused me to think more about certain characters and how I feel about them. I enjoyed learning about the translations, especially since I just read a novel in which the French first edition makes an appearance. The section on the book covers was very interesting. Everyone has their own idea of what the characters are supposed to look like and some publishers ignore the characters and make the covers appeal to a certain readership. I enjoyed the breakdown of the sequels and adaptations. It will help me decide which, if any, I want to read next, though she omits some. I know which ones I do NOT want to read and that's important.

Then the book started to lose me when the author discussed the film and TV adaptations. She inserted her own prejudices and opinions in her summaries and I wish she had left the subjective out and let the reader decide. Everyone has their own favorite version. I felt like she was too biased and didn't appreciate the somewhat condescending tone of the writing. I happen to enjoy the BBC/A&E version by Andrew Davies. I've never seen the 1980s version and I don't think I'd like it because I enjoy watching newer BBC adaptations that are more cinematic than theatrical.

The discussion on Selling Pride and Prejudice and the last chapter on Pride and Prejudice now and in the future felt a bit redundant. I already read Among the Janeites and watched the documentary The Many Lovers of Jane Austen (look it up on YouTube). This was more of the same.

My favorite part was all the amazing pictures, especially ones from Jane Austen's lifetime and the early illustrated editions of the novel.

If you are new to Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice is your favorite novel, I suggest this is a good place to start learning more.

[The Lit Bitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fullerton took on a lot when she started this novel. There is so much out there on P&P and Austen and trying to compartmentalize would be a challenge for anyone. It is difficult to cover so much info without things getting overly scholarly or without veering off tack into other discussions and lengthy volumes.

That said, I felt Fullerton did a bang-up job hitting all the high notes and giving the reader things to consider and leaving the door open for future books detailing one chapter or another. Her information was presented in a well organized manor and the argument wasn’t overly scholarly which helps appeal to a weirder audience.

See my full review here

[Georgiana 1792 · Rating 5 out of 5]

L'Oceano Orgoglio e Pregiudizio

Orgoglio e Pregiudizio è come un mare, anzi, un oceano.
Tutto è nato da una piccola goccia perfetta, versata da una scrittrice inglese incredibilmente dotata su dei fogli di carta con una penna d'oca. A ogni rigo scritto da quella 'signorina' le gocce continuavano ad aumentare fino a diventare quell'enorme oceano che – esattamente duecento anni dopo – lungi dal ritrarsi nel suo cantuccio come un vecchietto ormai arido, continua a espandersi e rischia di sommergerci. Ma noi siamo ben contenti di affogare sotto le onde vorticose dell'ironia di Jane Austen e le indimenticabili citazioni dei suoi personaggi.

Perché questo romanzo, come mai nessun altro, spinge i suoi lettori a leggerlo e rileggerlo e poi a discuterne e a immaginare continuazioni, alternative e retelling da diversi punti di vista.

We live in an age when so many forms of entertainment compete for our time. So why, some readers ask, should time be spent rereading Pride and Prejudice when there are so many other good books waiting to be read? But do those same readers listen only once to a Beethoven symphony and then tick it off as something done, never to be done again? Do they never return to the art gallery to study Vermeer, believing that once they have viewed it, there's no need to look at it a second time? Rereading Pride and Prejudice is as necessary as listening again to favourite music or looking once more at a much-loved painting.

[Viviamo in un'epoca in cui molte forme di divertimento si disputano il nostro tempo. Alcuni lettori si chiedono perché, dunque, sprecare del tempo a rileggere Orgoglio e Pregiudizio quando ci sono tanti altri libri validi che attendono di essere letti. Ma forse che quegli stessi lettori ascoltano una sola volta una sinfonia di Beethoven e poi la spuntano dall'elenco come 'ascoltata', da non ascoltare più? Non ritornano mai in una galleria d'arte per studiare Vermeer, perché credono che aver visto una sola volta i suoi quadri, faccia in modo che non ci sia alcun bisogno di osservarli una seconda volta? Rileggere Orgoglio e pregiudizio è necessario esattamente come riascoltare la nostra musica preferita o guardare ancora una volta un dipinto che amiamo molto.]

E così l'entusiasmo per questo meraviglioso romanzo si propaga crescendo in maniera esponenziale da ormai duecento anni.

Nel vasto oceano che è Orgoglio e pregiudizio ci sono innumerevoli forme di vita. Nessuno, credo, riuscirà mai a catalogarle tutte. Susannah Fullerton, che in A Dance with Jane Austen è riuscita a sviscerare completamente l'argomento 'ballo' nel mondo di Jane Austen e delle sue opere, qui non tenta nemmeno l'impresa. La Fullerton, infatti, sa che mentre il suo saggio veniva scritto e poi pubblicato, centinaia di prodotti collegati a Pride and Prejudice venivano lanciati sul mercato, che fossero romanzi ispirati al libro o gadget disegnati sotto la sua influenza; viaggi sulle orme della scrittrice inglese o nuove Jane Austen Societies sparse nel mondo.
Partendo dalla genesi del romanzo si giunge alla sua immortalità analizzando la sua storia – che, come abbiamo detto, ai giorni nostri sfugge al controllo anche dello studioso più attento – lo stile, i personaggi e la fama.

Da aspirante scrittrice sono rimasta incantata dal capitolo dedicato allo stile, perché avevo sempre dato per scontata la tecnica del 'Free Indirect Discourse' (Discorso indiretto libero), una terza persona interna, che valuta le situazioni dal punto di vista del personaggio a cui si riferisce. Non mi ero mai resa conto che fosse stata Jane Austen con il suo istintivo talento di Zitella Illetterata e l'esperienza di scrittura giovanile di romanzi epistolari, a utilizzare per prima questa tecnica che coinvolge emozionalmente il lettore molto più di una terza persona onnisciente e tuttavia non si focalizza su un singolo personaggio come potrebbe accadere utilizzando la prima persona. Jane Austen, nondimeno, riesce a scrivere diversi brani in prima persona, grazie alle numerosissime lettere presenti nel libro: quarantaquattro a cui si fa riferimento nell'arco del romanzo e diciotto citate in parte o interamente. Splendido il racconto in forma epistolare di Darcy dopo il primo rifiuto da parte di Elizabeth.

Quando si giunge ai giorni nostri, nel vasto oceano dei derivati (sequel, spin-off, mash-up, ecc), è naturale che alcuni pesci sfuggano alla rete della Fullerton. Molti dei libri citati, inoltre, risentono di una valutazione soggettiva dell'autrice con cui non concordo completamente. Alcuni titoli validi vengono trascurati, mentre Old Friends and New Fancies di Sybil G. Brinton – da cui noi Lizzies abbiamo tratto il nome del nostro blog dedicato ai derivati austeniani – è sì citato fra i mixed sequel (che vedono, cioè, i personaggi di Orgoglio e pregiudizio mischiarsi con altri personaggi dei romanzi di Jane Austen) come il primo esempio di Austen Inspired Novel, ma è trattato con un certo sdegno:
(Sybil Brinton did not provide an inspiring beginning to Pride and Prejudice sequels... but there was worse to come. – Sybil Brinton non ha dato un avvio promettente ai sequel di Orgoglio e pregiudizio... ma sarebbe arrivato di peggio.)

Forse dipende dal fatto che, essendo il pioniere del genere, ha dischiuso il vaso di Pandora che i puristi avrebbero preferito mantenere ermeticamente chiuso? Eppure la Fullerton sa benissimo che l'attuale moltiplicazione di derivati e gadget austeniani non proviene dal romanzo della Brinton, bensì dalle trasposizioni televisive e cinematografiche più recenti di Pride and Prejudice.

Anche per quanto riguarda il capitolo dedicato alle versioni cinematografiche e teatrali Susannah Fullerton esprime il suo parare personale. Del resto, come dice alla fine del capitolo:

We lose much and we gain much when we watch a film or a play of Pride and Prejudice. We get thoroughly enjoyable entertainment, but we do not truly get Jane Austen's classic. The films will come and the films will go, but the novel has lasted 200 years and has not yet delighted us for long enough.
[Perdiamo tanto e guadagnamo tanto quando guardiamo un film o un adattamento teatrale di Orgoglio e pregiudizio, ma quel che abbiamo non è, in realtà, il calssico di Jane Austen. I film vanno e vengono, ma il romanzo è lì da 200 anni e non ha ancora finito di deliziarci.]

Il mondo cambia: cambiano abitudini, tecnologie, comportamenti, la geografia del mondo. Pride and Prejudice è sempre lì, sempre attuale, pronto a ospitarci fra le sue pagine offrendoci il conforto di un bagno ristoratore in un'estate afosa. E come accontentarsi di un solo bagno quando abbiamo a disposizione l'oceano più fresco e meraviglioso del mondo?

Potete leggere la recensione completa QUI

[Anne (In Search of Wonder) · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author explores various factors that contributed to and/ or demonstrate the enduring charm of arguably the most popular novel in the world. From analyses about the book and its characters to discussions of the various responses to and iterations of the book (who knew there were so many musical versions?!), this book leaves no Pride and Prejudice stone unturned. It's unable to answer the fundamental question of WHY we love this book so much, it's just enough to know that we do.

I do have one issue with the author: she holds the 1995 BBC in contempt. Pretty sure we can't ever be friends but I still like her book.

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found this to be a great bit of non-fiction about P&P to commemorate it's 200th anniversary. It discusses the appeal to the reader, the characters, as well as the surrounding fandom. It was a good overview of the impact that Pride and Prejudice has had on society. I never realized until I read it in this book that there are no scenes in P&P that do not have a woman present!

As for the rest, I especially liked how my major issues with the 2005 film where echoed in this book. Justification! LOL!

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m not sure what made me put this on my to-read list, but it certainly wasn’t because I agree with the author about much! This is a nice overview of Austen’s work and the paraliterature, movies, television, merchandise, and scholarship that surround P&P but it’s not particularly deep, and anywhere an opinion was stated, I was likely to disagree entirely. In fact, I started to doubt myself enough that I had to come back and check my ratings on the paraliterature that I thought I remembered, just to be certain I wasn’t forgetting something. However, that aside, this is a nice read for a P&P fan who is not too thin-skinned about their own preferences.

[Beth Farley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pride and Prejudice is now 210 years old and still as much of a world wide sensation. And how could it not be, when "the marvelous dialogue, beautifully constructed plot, wit and superb characters all sparkle from the page". A fun and informative celebration of all things Pride and Prejudice.

[Urszula · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first book I won through the Goodreads giveaway. What a win! Thank you Voyager Press & Goodreads for giving me the opportunity to read this fantastic book.

The saying goes: “Don’t judge a book by its cover”, but I did just that, when I entered the competition. I love the cover: the colour and the cut out window. When I picked up the book for the first time I could not put it down. It is a real celebration of Pride & Prejudice.

I really liked the structure and the style of this book. It starts with the birth of Pride & Prejudice and how it was published for the first time, following with the description of main characters, which leads to various publications and film adaptations, as well as theatrical versions. Most of the pages are filled with colour and black & white pictures and drawings from books, photos from films, various covers of books published not only in English, but in other languages. There is also a chapter dedicated to various sequels written by authors who wanted to follow the lives of the Bennet sisters, the Bingley sisters or even Ann De Bourg. It also lists horror books and erotica books that have been based on this classic romance.

As a person living outside England, I found the chapter on Pride & Prejudice merchandise very interesting. I’ve added many places of interest to my list, that I will visit on my next trip to England, and all relating to this classic book by Jane Austen.

I think this book is great for anyone who appreciates Pride & Prejudice. I would have loved to have it when I was studying P&P during English in my last year of high school. It would have given me a great insight to 19th century England, the culture, the society structure, all without the feel of a text book.

While reading this book I had a feeling I was reading about my closest friends. On most things I have the same opinion as the author (which made it more pleasurable), some facts I knew and some facts I was not aware of. Thus I’ve learned a lot by reading this book. In conclusion this book not only gave me pleasure but also knowledge.

“It is a universally acknowledged truth that Pride & Prejudice is the greatest romance ever written” – thank you for celebrating 200 years of Pride & Prejudice.

[SM · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read the full review at Life Takes Lemons

Much like rereading P&P, spending a few hours with Susannah Fullerton’s Celebrating Pride and Prejudice: 200 Years of Jane Austen’s Masterpiece is a balm to the dismal fact that there is but one P&P among myriad imitations. It’s a bonus that Fullerton’s enjoyment in writing the commemoration is palpable; what the book tries to accomplish and indeed does is evoke the delight of what Austen called “my own darling child” by exploring what makes the novel unforgettable.

The table of contents is enough to get this reader excited. My favorite chapter is ‘Did They all Live Happily Ever After?: Sequels and Adaptations’ as it is an amusing summary of what happens when a novel enters the public imagination. Visually, Celebrating also has much to recommend itself. The pages offer illustrations adorning various editions, covers on translations and teen imprints, and historical depictions of place and person. Fullerton’s character analyses of Elizabeth as a luminously unique heroine in her time and Darcy as the mold from which many beloved romance heroes now spring are likewise irresistible.

Underscoring all is a history of the novel’s journey, from its inception in 1796, to its underwhelming public reception before it eventually reached epic literary status. By the book’s end, Celebrating presents an engrossing study of why P&P is so appealing. For Janeites, it is a thoughtful guide to everything P&P. For writers, it invites us to consider the forest for the trees. History buffs and literary enthusiasts will also enjoy a look inside the evolution of a masterpiece, from publication to metamorphosis through films, literary sequels and adaptations, and yes, merchandising.

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a book for fans by a fan - it would be pointless to read if you don't love Pride and Prejudice, but then the book never pretends it should be any other way.

But if this is something you are interested in, this book is perfect. It deals with everything you could think of (and then some), and it is written by someone who knows what she's talking about - dealing with subjects from narrative analysis and character studies, to modern sequels and merchandise. (And well... it helps that she views things much the same way as I do.)

[Hannah • So Obsessed With · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first spotted this book on Austenprose, and I was utterly in love with the cover. From the bold turquoise color to the stunning peacock design (reminiscent of Hugh Thompson's peacock edition of Pride and Prejudice), I knew I had to get this book!

Read my full review at So Obsessed With!

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

An engaging look at all aspects of Pride and Prejudice - publishing history; sketches of all major characters; information about stage, musical, movie versions; comments on many, but certainly not all, of the sequals, prequals, retellings, etc.; merchandising. In short, almost anything you would want to know about the book.

[Alice · Rating 5 out of 5]

Il s'agit ici d'un ouvrage très approfondi sur Orgueil et Préjugés, son écriture, son contexte, ses adaptations et bien d'autres choses encore. Beaucoup de passages sont passionnants mais d'autres m'ont un peu moins plu comme la décortication mot par mot de l'incipit ou la description sans fin et avec peu de photos des différentes couvertures de l'ouvrage au fil des ans. Je vais dire, comme une enfant, que plus d'images n'auraient certainement pas nui à ce livre.

Comme pour le travail fourni par Hazel Jones et Maggie Lane, s'il y a une grande partie de faits objectifs, l'avis de l'auteur est également très présent. Je regrette toujours un peu quand la distinction n'est pas faite clairement mais comme, une nouvelle fois, je suis absolument d'accord avec tout ce qu'elle dit, je ne peux pas vraiment m'en plaindre.

Enfin, nous avons un objet sans conteste plus précieux que le précédent et là encore une couverture très belle, aussi bien avec la jaquette "Peacock", que la version sans qui est très sobre.


http://janeausten.hautetfort.com/arch...

[Courtney · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this lively romp into the world of Pride and Prejudice. However, I'm not sure who the intended audience was. I've lost count of the times I've read this book, so the chapters detailing the family members of Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy were not necessary. However, discussion of the Regency period and the social customs of the time would have been a great asset to frame the book in its place in history (And it's something I know less about!) For the ardent Janeite, this is a fun read, but there's not a whole lot of new information within the pages.

[Karen (Living Unabridged) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having recently re-read P&P (via audio book), I was in the mood to read something related. This is a deep dive into many aspects of P&P (the characters, the writing of, the adapting of, etc.) published in 2013. There would be more aspects to explore now, but the main point is simply celebrating Austen's brilliance in giving the world this story that continues to live on 200 years after it was published.

[Lea · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an in depth look at P&P. It has a lot of good information and is fun for the die hard fan.

[Jacki · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread story,

[Tammie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read- December 2019 for The Winter Magical Readathon (a book with plants on the cover)
- Actual Rating- 4.5 Stars

[Mell · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fullerton’s book is one of the better Austen treatments I have read in the past several years. Her writing is thoughtful and well informed, but lively, and moves you along as she recounts Jane Austen’s life and the circumstances that led to the creation, publication, and world-wide love affair with Pride and Prejudice (P&P). This book traces the entire history of P&P, from literary idea to world-wide phenomenon, but does so in a way that is fun and sincere.


The author also recaps Austen’s actual words, characters, and descriptions from the story, which may have been muddied for many folks after watching all the recent TV and movie treatments. These summaries are quite good, and full of humor and facts. Fullerton adeptly addresses Regency culture, rules and etiquette, and how various characters conform or veer away from proper behavior. She offers her own insight into each character’s strengths and flaws, and cites popular opinion about the characters most admired (Mr. Darcy) and disliked (Mr. Collins) by the avid fanbases around the world.


I most enjoyed the sections addressing the films and the many, many prequel, sequel, spin-off and mash-up books that have resulted from Austenmania. While P&P enjoyed a loyal following from its first edition, Fullerton traces the multi-million dollar industry that is Austenmania to the 1995 BBC miniseries starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. She spares no words in pointing out historical anachronisms, bad costumes, smutty fanfictions, and questionable interpretations as she analyzes most of the film and TV adaptations and many of the books. Fullerton chooses winners and losers in a style that is outright funny: she gives her own verdict on the best portrayals, costumes, and overall success of adaptation, but also references popular culture and fan reaction (the unpopular 1940s choice of hoop gowns, the frenzied 1990s reaction to the wet shirt.)


This book will amuse both long term, devoted Janeites (savvy in the facts of P&P), and folks who know Austen only through film and TV. This will be a nice review for people who already know the Pride and Prejudice lore. While well researched, this book is *not* an academic treatment of Austen and her best known book; Fullerton’s approach to the subject remains fun and very readable throughout. I recommend as a very good read.

[Milliebot · Rating 3 out of 5]

This review and others posted over at my blog.

This work examines the language, setting and characters of Pride and Prejudice and how Jane Austen’s creation has come to be so beloved. It discusses the myriad of sequels, prequels and spin-offs written in admiration of her work, as well as the various TV, movie and theatrical adaptations, and even touches on the merchandise that has become available, all long after the respected author’s lifetime.

I’ll say right now, if you really love Pride and Prejudice and you just want to know more about the work and what it has inspired, then read this book. If you’ve never read the book or you weren’t a fan, I’m not sure why you’d pick this up.

Reading this book is sort of like studying, mixed with a slew of facts that would be useful in a P&P themed trivia night. For myself it was also a pretty useful source for Austen-inspired reading (added a few books to my Amazon wishlist) as well as a handy guide to those works that might not be worth pursuing.

It was interesting to read about what other writers thought about Austen’s most famous work and I especially liked hearing that A.A. Milne (of Winnie-the-Pooh fame) thought that if you didn’t enjoy Pride and Prejudice there was something wrong with you. Apparently he smuggled a copy of out of his school library (which didn’t allow borrowing?!) to read at night and that image just makes me smile.

The book has a chapter dedicated to the various translations of Jane’s work and made me remember how fortunate I feel to be able to read the book in its original language. Just reading about how hard it can be to accurately translate the first sentence of the book, because of the many meanings of certain phrases and the difficulty in conveying Jane’s wit, made me wonder how the book reads in other languages.

Even on film, it can be hard to capture the original source – Elizabeth and Darcy sometimes fall flat, Lady Catherine is constantly portrayed as too old, Mary becomes a caricature, the scenery is wrong, etc. Pride and Prejudice holds a sort of magic for its fans that can never be captured by any other writer or medium.

I certainly learned a few things about the style of Jane’s writing that I never picked up on before and I think it will add to my next re-read. If you’re a big fan, pick this up!

[Katy Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Without knowing anything about the writer, you can instantly tell that her passion for Jane Austen is deep, long-standing and well-grounded.
This is a book for Janeites (if you like that term) or for lovers of Pride and Prejudice like me, who love to learn new things about the book and see it in different ways. You’ll get that from Fullerton’s work.
I was thoroughly absorbed in her chapters (almost character studies) of Darcy, Elizabeth and each of the minor characters, and picked up valuable information about Austen’s writing style which I’d never even considered before. She was a trend-setter for her era. I enjoyed the brief history surrounding the publication and reception of P&P as well, and the quotes from famous people at the time, writing their initial thoughts of a book that no-one knew would gain so much in popularity over the next two centuries.
I must admit, I skimmed sections in the chapters about international translations and some TV versions – they didn’t interest me. Not because they weren’t well-written, but they just didn’t interest me personally. Neither did the chapter regarding all the merchandise relating to the book.
It all did made me think though, when reading about the 1995 ‘Colin Firth’ adaptation – was I a Darcy-lover because of that TV programme, or because of a love of the book?
After much contemplation (well, a few moments reflection), I concluded that Colin Firth did spark the interest of my fifteen-year old self, but the book, once I’d first tried and fallen in love with it, is now the only book I re-read every year.
A very enjoyable, intelligent but not too academic read into the world of Elizabeth and Darcy.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have only read Pride and Prejudice once, and that was approximately five years ago, when I also read Jane Austen's other five novels, having been gifted an all-in-one collection. Reading Susannah Fullerton's pleasant homage to the timeless novel upon its 200-year anniversary has me now wanting to read it again, as soon as possible, and again perhaps every five years of my life. Fullerton, president of the Jane Austen Society of Australia, effectively demonstrates the reasons for the novel's perfection and its ever-increasing appeal for readers of either sex, of all ages, in nearly every community worldwide.

It was especially amusing to learn of all the various editions, versions, translations, sequels, retellings, mash-ups, adaptations, film interpretations, and other assorted Austen-inspired endeavors that have fueled a sort of Pride-and-Prejudice mania. Darcy-mania culture took off on the tails of the sexy 1995 BBC film version, starring Colin Firth (of the infammous lake scene), and kindled much new interest in the reading of the novel. Fullerton pretty much concludes that no sequel author or film producer has ever really matched Jane Austen's masterful style and that what lovers of the novel should really ever do is just keep reading and re-reading Pride and Prejudice. I agree that the masterpiece stands alone but Austen did very effectively infect most of her readers with a desire to continue knowing Elizabeth and Darcy and to learn ever more about each well-drawn character's future. Imagine if she'd lived long enough to write her own sequels, or to taste the fame her novels eventually gave her!

[Damon Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite Fullerton's rightful enthusiasm, there is a hint of regret in Happily Ever After. Fullerton welcomes interest in Austen's novels and life. But with popularity comes faddishness, sentimentality and superficiality: Colin Firth's Darcy on souvenir coffee cups, but not Austen's Darcy, that sterling alloy of author's phrase and reader's imaginative response. Fullerton notes the tasteful simplicity of Austen memorabilia before the 1995 BBC series; the ''infinite'' superiority of Austen to those who pay homage to her; the sacrifices made as Pride and Prejudice becomes cinematic.

This is the Janeite's familiar ambivalence: not everyone will enjoy Pride and Prejudice with the same taste for irony, history and virtue. Shared pleasures can be pleasures compromised.

Happily, Austen's works are also the remedy for this malaise: they increase our intimacy with human character and its curious variations. If Pride and Prejudice is the bible of a cult, we devoted Janeites are not fundamentalists: there are many ways to adore this novel. Happily Ever After is an encyclopaedia of this love - and an expression of it.


Read the full review here: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/b...

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a new book about the best book ever, must be read by any self-respecting Janeite.

When one of the book newsletters I get mentioned this book coming in January, I knew I had to read it—and it did not disappoint! It’s all things P&P, including an examination of the opening sentence, character analysis, critiques on adaptations, an overview of tie-in merchandise (BTW—I am SO looking for the Trivial Pursuit-styled game!), and much more. I knew I was a goner when there was a photograph of Miss Austen’s writing desk and I said—out loud—“OOOOO this is so good,” even though I have already been to Chawton, seen the same desk in person, and even have my own photo of it. I figure it’s safest to just not question the crazy.

For all my gushing, this book does have a few flaws. I noticed a quote wrongly attributed to Mrs. Bennet (yes, I pulled out one of my P&P copies to double-check), and the analysis of the opening sentence dives a bit too deep for my taste (did Miss Austen really consider all the factors mentioned when she came up with that gem?). These are minor, however, and this book is a must read for any Jane Austen aficionado.

[Janna Rice · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a perfect book to read for anybody who loves Pride and Prejudice. I can never really get tired of analyzing the novel, or its author, and I can never get enough detail about the time and culture it came from. There is so much information in this book I may have to read it a second time, and for a book that has so much in it it's very well written and readable. My only problem with it is the tone can come off a little snobby; the author is clearly biased about certain things and makes that abundantly clear in a way that can be annoying if you don't agree with her. She alternates at times between obsessive reverential devotion to all things P&P and snarky superiority when discussing adaptations or ideas she doesn't like. Overall though, I geeked out over every page and will probably read it again and continue boring friends and family with all the delightful tidbits of information and insight. ;)