Jane Austen, the English novelist, and her best-known novel, Pride and Prejudice, need no introductions. First published in 1813, this novel's story follows the emotional development of Elizabeth Bennet, who learns the consequences of making hasty judgments and ends up appreciating the difference between the superficial and the essential. Pride and Prejudice has long fascinated readers and continues to appear near the top of lists of "most-loved books" by both critics and the general public. One of the most popular novels in English literature, the book has sold over 20 million copies and has been the inspiration for many film and TV adaptations, and sequels and reimaginations of a sort or another. As a book, the novel has been made available in numerous editions, many with abundant original illustration work. This edition contains the illustrations by Hugh Thomson as they appeared in the 1894 printing by George Allen, London, what has become known as the "Peacock Edition."