It was on January 28, 1813, that the classic of world literature, Pride and Prejudice, was published for the first time, so today is “Pride and Prejudice day”. “Egerton gives £110 for him.—I would rather have £150, but we both could not be satisfied, & I am not in the least surprised that he has not decided to risk so much,” Jane Austen wrote to a friend. To his sister and confidant, Cassandra, he called his copy “dear son”. The novel is more than two centuries later a favorite of any romantic soul.

As I dare to confess, Persuasion is still my favorite of all, but there isn’t a Jane Austen fan who isn’t in love with Elizabeth Bennet. The book is perfect (or almost), with humor, surprises, drama, and fun, creating Mr. Darcy the prototype of a man of integrity, and passion that could only exist in the pages of a book.

Since it became a bestseller, almost straight away, Pride and Prejudice have been adapted for TV, theater, and film several times. The most faithful – and beloved – version is 1995 one, starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. The 2005 film featured Keira Knightley as Lizzie, Rosamund Pike as Jane, and Matthew Macfadyen as the most thankless of all roles: surpassing or matching the iconic Mr. Darcy by Colin Firth. Can we agree? A success. It’s Matthew’s shy Darcy that resonates with the work’s newer fans, as a friend at the time described it: “he made the role his own.”

For those not in England who can attend the Jane Austen House celebrations for the day (which include a rare opportunity to see and handle some of the Pride and Prejudice treasures in the Museum’s collection, from early editions to personal letters from Austen), it’s the day to review the movie and the series. As if we needed encouragement!