In the English countryside, the five Bennet sisters face a future shadowed by a hard fact: their family's estate will pass to a distant male cousin, leaving marriage as their surest path to security. So when a wealthy, amiable bachelor takes a nearby house for the season, their mother sees opportunity. Sharp, quick-witted Elizabeth Bennet is less easily swept up, especially by the newcomer's proud and aloof friend, Mr. Darcy, who manages to insult her within moments of meeting. Austen's beloved 1813 novel sets two strong-willed people on a collision course of first impressions, wounded pride, and stubborn misjudgment.