Pride and Prejudice (Collector’s edition)

Pride and Prejudice is one of the most beloved books of all time, and nothing captures the vivid emotion and keen wit of Jane Austen’s novel better than the characters’ correspondence. It is, after all, Darcy’s heartfelt letter that finally changes Elizabeth’s feelings from hostility and suspicion to respect and love.

Barbara Heller’s specially curated edition, first published in 2020, brought these epistles to life and became a fan favorite. Pockets throughout the novel contain handwritten replicas of nineteen letters, from Mr. Collins’s unctuous letter of introduction to Jane’s urgent missive announcing Lydia’s elopement. Readers can pull out each piece, peruse its contents, and feel transported to the breakfast table at Longbourn.

Now, this collector's edition offers a luxurious cloth binding, deluxe paper, and new printed ephemera that lend an additional dimension to the reading experience:

• A newspaper clipping announcing that Netherfield Park is available to let
• An invitation to the ball at Netherfield
• An illustrated guide to Pemberley
• Darcy and Elizabeth’s marriage license
• The first four manuscript pages of Austen’s unfinished novel The Watsons

Heller's research notes shed fascinating light on how she imbued each letter with the character's unique personality and recreated historical postage marks. Delve deeper into the history with guest essays by Philip Palmer, curator and department head at the Morgan Library & Museum, and Dr. Juliette Wells, curator of the Morgan’s 2025 exhibition of Austen’s own letters, A Lively Mind: Jane Austen at 250. For anyone who loves Austen, and for anyone who still cherishes the joy of letter writing or collects printed memorabilia, this book offers an immersive experience of a favorite story.