About the product
Austen's novel Pride and Prejudice was written in 1813. The book describes the life of the English nobility in the outback in the first half of the 19th century. The main theme in the work is the theme of love, the ability to manage your life at your own discretion.
To better prepare for a literature lesson, we recommend reading online a summary of “Pride and Prejudice” in parts and chapters. You can test your knowledge using a test on our website.
The material was prepared jointly with a teacher of the highest category, Kuchmina Nadezhda Vladimirovna.
Experience as a teacher of Russian language and literature - 27 years.
Popular retellings today
- The Mistress of the Copper Mountain - a summary of Bazhov's fairy tale
It was a long time ago. In those days, clerks still mocked the poor people. And the Mistress of the Copper Mountain sometimes showed herself to people. - Chink - a summary of the story by Seton-Thompson
Chink is a small and stupid, but very cheerful puppy. Naturally, he is still very far from being an adult dog - basically, his day consists of mischief. The owner quite often catches him in the act. - Bianki
V.V. Bianki is a famous Russian children's writer. The future children's master of words was born on January 30, 1894 in the city of St. Petersburg - 24 hours in the life of a woman - a summary of Zweig's book
The author of this short story was relaxing in a boarding house on the Riviera. Nearby was the Palace Hotel, whose guests played cards and dominoes and walked around the park. Each of them found entertainment to their liking
Other characters
- Mr. Bennet is the head of the family, an ironic, reserved, intelligent man.
- Mrs. Bennet is Mr. Bennet's eccentric, ignorant wife.
- Mary, Kitty, Lydia are the youngest daughters of the Bennet couple.
- Mr. Collins is a priest, a relative of the Bennets, to whom their estate should go.
- Mr. Wickham is a young, attractive officer, mean-spirited and materialistic.
- The Gardiner couple are close relatives of the Bennett family, kind, decent people.
Summary
Book one
Chapters 1–12
Residents of Hertfordshire were excited by unexpected news: young Mr. Bingley was going to settle in the rich Netherfield estate. They were already looking at him “as the rightful prey of this or that neighbor’s daughter,” and the mothers, whose families had girls of marriageable age, dreamed of getting this tidbit.
The Bennett family, who had five unmarried daughters, was no exception. Mrs. Bennet "was an ignorant woman of insufficient intelligence and unstable spirits" who desperately dreamed of marrying off her daughters. Mr. Bennet, on the contrary, was a calm, reasonable and ironic person. These qualities were inherited only by his two daughters, the eldest - Jane and Elizabeth, who were already ready for marriage.
Mrs. Bennet managed to find out that Mr. Bingley intended to arrive at the upcoming ball “with a whole group of his friends.” Mr. Bingley "appeared to be a young man of noble and pleasant appearance." He appeared at the ball accompanied by two sisters, the husband of his elder sister and his good friend, Mr. Darcy, whom everyone considered an arrogant and unpleasant young man.
At an evening party, Mr. Bingley was fascinated by Jane, a beautiful, modest, sweet girl. He drew his friend's attention to Elizabeth, but he showed no interest in the girl. Elizabeth unwittingly witnessed this conversation and developed a deep dislike for Mr. Darcy.
Soon, Mr. Bingley's sisters invited Jane Bennet to dine with them. However, the girl, caught in the pouring rain, caught a bad cold and remained in Netherfield until she recovered. Elizabeth arrived at the estate to care for her sick sister. Unwittingly she found herself in a society in which only Mr. Bingley showed sincere interest in her sister. As soon as Jane recovered, the sisters returned home.
Chapters 13–23
The Bennet family was visited by Mr. Collins, Mr. Bennet's cousin and his only male heir. He was still a young man, a pastor, who “was honored with the arrival of Lady Catherine de Bourgh at the estate of her ladyship.” It was she who advised Mr. Collins to get married as soon as possible, and he remembered his relatives. At first, his choice fell on Jane, but after learning that her heart was taken, he simply exchanged “one cousin for another” and invited Elizabeth to become his wife. The girl gave a decisive refusal, which unspeakably upset her mother: Mrs. Bennet dreamed that the marriage of one of her daughters to Mr. Collins would solve problems with the inheritance. However, the pastor did not waste time and before leaving he managed to get engaged to Charlotte, Elizabeth’s close friend.
Mr. Darcy began to show signs of attention to Elizabeth, but the girl was sure that he despised her. Her negative attitude towards the young aristocrat only strengthened when she heard a story from Mr. Wickham about Mr. Darcy's dishonest behavior. According to him, Darcy allegedly did not fulfill the will of his late father and denied him the promised position as a priest.
Book two
Chapters 1–4
Jane received a letter from which she learned “that Bingley and his sisters had settled in London for the whole winter.” Her hopes of a quick wedding with Mr. Bingley were dashed. Having learned about Jane's personal drama, her aunt, Mrs. Gardiner, invited her to stay at their house in London. In addition, she became interested in the story told by Mr. Wickham: as a girl, she lived in those parts, and heard something about it.
Once in London, Jane sadly realized that the Bingley family did not intend to maintain acquaintance with her.
Chapters 5–19
In the spring, Elizabeth received an invitation from Charlotte, now Mrs. Collins, to visit them at Hunsford. Upon meeting, she noticed that “marriage did not at all change the manners of her cousin,” who from the first minutes tired her with his eloquence.
Soon the whole company was honored to be invited to the house of Catherine de Bourgh, a wealthy aristocrat who dreamed of marrying Mr. Darcy to her “pale and sickly” daughter. After a while, Mr. Darcy himself visited Hansford. He deliberately arranged meetings with Elizabeth, during which the girl was able to discern many positive qualities in him. However, everything changed when Elizabeth learned that Darcy had saved Bingley "from the trouble of an unwise marriage" to her sister. This news caused Lizzie deep emotional shock.
That same day, Mr. Darcy confessed his feelings to Elizabeth. In response, he heard unflattering words addressed to himself, since his “malicious and ignoble interference” in Jane’s fate, as well as his vile behavior towards Mr. Wickham, indicated his cruel, selfish, arrogant character, which Elizabeth was not ready to accept.
The next morning, Mr. Darcy handed Elizabeth a letter in which he expressed regret for interfering in the relationship between Jane and Bingley. He also opened his eyes to the true nature of Mr. Wickham, who turned out to be a vile, greedy and hypocritical person. After reading the letter, Elizabeth “felt infinitely ashamed of her behavior.”
Book three
Chapters 1–8
Together with her beloved Aunt Gardiner and her husband, Elizabeth went on a short trip around Derbyshire. On their way there was also the beautiful old estate of Pemberley, which belonged to Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth began to examine it with curiosity, imagining herself as its owner. From the housekeeper she learned many interesting facts from the life of Mr. Darcy, whom she literally idolized for his kindness, justice and gentle disposition.
Unexpectedly, Mr. Darcy himself appeared at the estate, which embarrassed Elizabeth - “she felt completely depressed from shame and humiliation.” However, Mr. Darcy was so kind and considerate that Lizzie soon calmed down. He turned out to be a hospitable host who completely charmed the Gardiners.
Elizabeth's rest was disrupted by an alarming letter from Jane. A big shock for the entire Bennett family was the escape of one of the youngest daughters, Lydia. The young coquette was flattered by Wickham’s sweet speeches and ran away with him, covering not only herself, but also all her sisters with indelible shame.
This became known to Mr. Darcy, who, without saying a word to anyone, left the estate. Elizabeth was sure that he simply did not want to stain himself by communicating with her.
Uncle Gardiner immediately went to London in search of the fugitives and, to his great surprise, soon found them. In a letter to the Bennets, he announced the imminent wedding of Lydia and Mr. Wickham. Everyone decided that “of course, it couldn’t have happened without my uncle.” He probably promised the scoundrel Wickham a tidy sum so that he would save the dummy Lydia from shame and marry her.
Now Elizabeth “bitterly repented that in her frustration she had expressed to Mr. Darcy her fears for Lydia’s fate.” One could hope that Darcy would not have learned anything about his sister's shameful act. But now it was too late.
Chapters 9–19
When they met, Lydia told her sisters that Mr. Darcy was present at her wedding. Elizabeth was deeply shocked by this news. From Uncle Gardiner she learned that it was Mr. Darcy who forced Wickham to marry Lydia by paying him a large sum.
Mr. Bingley returned to Netherfield and hurried to pay a visit to the Bennet family. He proposed to Jane, and it was "the most prosperous, wisest and most natural ending." Mrs. Bennet, overjoyed, “told all her Meryton acquaintances about it.”
An explanation also took place between Darcy and Elizabeth, this time it was final. They married, and lived "a quiet and dignified family life at Pemberley."
Pride and Prejudice summary
novel Pride and Prejudice was written in 1813. The book describes the life of the English nobility in the outback in the first half of the 19th century. The main theme in the work is the theme of love, the ability to manage your life at your own discretion. To better prepare for a literature lesson, we recommend reading online a summary of “Pride and Prejudice” in parts and chapters .
Main characters Mr. Darcy is a smart, proud, reserved young aristocrat with a sense of self-esteem. Mr. Bingley is a handsome young man, rich, well-mannered, romantic. Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bennett is a smart, insightful, sensible girl. Jane Bennet is the eldest daughter of the Bennet couple, a beautiful, gentle, intelligent girl, Elizabeth’s closest person. Other characters Mr. Bennet is the head of the family, an ironic, reserved, intelligent man. Mrs. Bennet is Mr. Bennet's eccentric, ignorant wife. Mary, Kitty, Lydia are the youngest daughters of the Bennet couple. Mr. Collins is a priest, a relative of the Bennets, to whom their estate should go. Mr. Wickham is a young, attractive officer, mean-spirited and materialistic. The Gardiner couple are close relatives of the Bennett family, kind, decent people. Summary
Book One Chapters 1-12 Residents of Hertfordshire were excited by unexpected news - young Mr. Bingley was going to settle in the rich Netherfield estate. They were already looking at him “as the rightful prey of this or that neighbor’s daughter,” and the mothers, whose families had girls of marriageable age, dreamed of getting this tidbit. The Bennett family, who had five unmarried daughters, was no exception. Mrs. Bennet "was an ignorant woman of insufficient intelligence and unstable spirits" who desperately dreamed of marrying off her daughters. Mr. Bennet, on the contrary, was a calm, reasonable and ironic person. These qualities were inherited only by his two daughters, the eldest - Jane and Elizabeth, who were already ready for marriage. Mrs. Bennet managed to find out that Mr. Bingley intended to arrive at the upcoming ball “with a whole group of his friends.” Mr. Bingley "appeared to be a young man of noble and pleasant appearance." He appeared at the ball accompanied by two sisters, the husband of his elder sister and his good friend, Mr. Darcy, whom everyone considered an arrogant and unpleasant young man. At an evening party, Mr. Bingley was fascinated by Jane, a beautiful, modest, sweet girl. He drew his friend's attention to Elizabeth, but he showed no interest in the girl. Elizabeth unwittingly witnessed this conversation and developed a deep dislike for Mr. Darcy. Soon, Mr. Bingley's sisters invited Jane Bennet to dine with them. However, the girl, caught in the pouring rain, caught a bad cold and remained in Netherfield until she recovered. Elizabeth arrived at the estate to care for her sick sister. Unwittingly she found herself in a society in which only Mr. Bingley showed sincere interest in her sister. As soon as Jane recovered, the sisters returned home.
Chapters 13-23 The Bennet family was visited by Mr. Collins, Mr. Bennet's cousin, and his only male heir. He was still a young man, a pastor, who “was honored with the arrival of Lady Catherine de Bourgh at the estate of her ladyship.” It was she who advised Mr. Collins to get married as soon as possible, and he remembered his relatives. At first, his choice fell on Jane, but after learning that her heart was taken, he simply exchanged “one cousin for another” and invited Elizabeth to become his wife. The girl gave a decisive refusal, which unspeakably upset her mother - Mrs. Bennet dreamed that the marriage of one of her daughters to Mr. Collins would solve problems with the inheritance. However, the pastor did not waste time, and before leaving he managed to get engaged to Charlotte, Elizabeth’s close friend. Mr. Darcy began to show signs of attention to Elizabeth, but the girl was sure that he despised her. Her negative attitude towards the young aristocrat only strengthened when she heard a story from Mr. Wickham about Mr. Darcy's dishonest behavior. According to him, Darcy allegedly did not fulfill the will of his late father and denied him the promised position as a priest.
Book Two Chapters 1-4 Jane received a letter from which she learned “that Bingley and his sisters had settled in London for the whole winter.” Her hopes of a quick wedding with Mr. Bingley were dashed. Having learned about Jane's personal drama, her aunt, Mrs. Gardiner, invited her to stay at their house in London. In addition, she became interested in the story told by Mr. Wickham - as a girl she lived in those parts, and heard something about it. Once in London, Jane sadly realized that the Bingley family did not intend to maintain acquaintance with her.
Chapters 5-19 In the spring, Elizabeth received an invitation from Charlotte, now Mrs. Collins, to visit them at Hunsford. Upon meeting, she noticed that “marriage did not at all change the manners of her cousin,” who from the first minutes tired her with his eloquence. Soon the whole company was honored to be invited to the house of Catherine de Bourgh, a wealthy aristocrat who dreamed of marrying Mr. Darcy to her “pale and sickly” daughter. After a while, Mr. Darcy himself visited Hansford. He deliberately arranged meetings with Elizabeth, during which the girl was able to discern many positive qualities in him. However, everything changed when Elizabeth learned that Darcy had saved Bingley from "the troubles of an unwise marriage" to her sister. This news caused Lizzie deep emotional shock. That same day, Mr. Darcy confessed his feelings to Elizabeth. In response, he heard unflattering words addressed to himself, since his “malicious and ignoble interference” in Jane’s fate, as well as his vile behavior towards Mr. Wickham, indicated his cruel, selfish, arrogant character, which Elizabeth was not ready to accept. The next morning, Mr. Darcy handed Elizabeth a letter in which he expressed regret for interfering in the relationship between Jane and Bingley. He also opened his eyes to the true nature of Mr. Wickham, who turned out to be a vile, greedy and hypocritical person. After reading the letter, Elizabeth “felt infinitely ashamed of her behavior.”
Book Three Chapters 1-8 Together with her beloved Aunt Gardiner and her husband, Elizabeth went on a short trip around Derbyshire. On their way there was also the beautiful old estate of Pemberley, which belonged to Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth began to examine it with curiosity, imagining herself as its owner. From the housekeeper she learned many interesting facts from the life of Mr. Darcy, whom she literally idolized for his kindness, justice and gentle disposition. Unexpectedly, Mr. Darcy himself appeared at the estate, which embarrassed Elizabeth - “she felt completely depressed from shame and humiliation.” However, Mr. Darcy was so kind and considerate that Lizzie soon calmed down. He turned out to be a hospitable host who completely charmed the Gardiners. Elizabeth's rest was disrupted by an alarming letter from Jane. A big shock for the entire Bennett family was the escape of one of the youngest daughters, Lydia. The young coquette was flattered by Wickham’s sweet speeches and ran away with him, covering not only herself, but also all her sisters with indelible shame. This became known to Mr. Darcy, who, without saying a word to anyone, left the estate. Elizabeth was sure that he simply did not want to stain himself by communicating with her. Uncle Gardiner immediately went to London in search of the fugitives, and, to his great surprise, soon found them. In a letter to the Bennets, he announced the imminent wedding of Lydia and Mr. Wickham. Everyone decided that “of course, it couldn’t have happened without my uncle.” He probably promised the scoundrel Wickham a tidy sum so that he would save the dummy Lydia from shame and marry her. Now Elizabeth “bitterly repented that in her frustration she had expressed to Mr. Darcy her fears for Lydia’s fate.” One could hope that Darcy would not have learned anything about his sister's shameful act. But now it was too late.
Chapters 9-19 When they met, Lydia blurted out to her sisters that Mr. Darcy was present at her wedding. Elizabeth was deeply shocked by this news. From Uncle Gardiner she learned that it was Mr. Darcy who forced Wickham to marry Lydia by paying him a large sum. Mr. Bingley returned to Netherfield and hurried to pay a visit to the Bennet family. He made an application to Jane, and it was “the most prosperous, wisest, and most natural ending.” Mrs. Bennet, overjoyed, “told all her Meryton acquaintances about it.” An explanation also took place between Darcy and Elizabeth, this time it was final. They married, and lived "a quiet and dignified family life at Pemberley."
Conclusion Jane Austen's work describes the problem of freedom of choice. The main character, in spite of everything, defends her desire to marry for love, and not for calculation, as was customary in those days. As a result, she finds well-deserved happiness.
After reading the brief retelling of “Pride and Prejudice,” we recommend reading the work in its full version.
Novel test
Check your memorization of the summary content with the test:
- /10
Question 1 of 10Who is the author of Pride and Prejudice?
Start test
Hall of Fame
To get here, take the test.
- Lada Denisova
8/10
- Marina Erykalina
10/10
- Anastasia Bukaeva
9/10
- Elena Gnutova
7/10
- Anastasia Zinchenko
9/10
