Books

First published in 1813, "Pride and Prejudice," Jane Austen's witty comedy of manners - one of the most popular novels of all time - tells the story of Mr and Mrs Bennet's five unmarried daughters after the rich and eligible Mr Bingley and his status-conscious friend, Mr Darcy, have moved into their neighbourhood. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." So begins the novel, that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues.

Taken in by rich relatives, quiet and sensitive Fanny never feels she is a part of the grand surroundings of Mansfield Park. Her cousin, Edmund, is the only person who pays her any attention. But when the sophisticated Crawfords move into the neighbourhood, even Edmund falls under their spell, and Fanny finds herself more alone than ever.

Marianne and Elinor Dashwood are complete opposites: Marianne is as open to love as Elinor is guarded and sensible. But what are sisters for if not to support each other? As they struggle through love and loss together, the sisters learn that it's best to mix sense with sensibility to find happiness in a society where status is king

Catherine Morland longs to be as interesting as the gothic heroines she reads about in novels. When she is invited on her first trip away from home, she leaps at the chance. New friendships and flirting lead her to the imposing Northanger Abbey, where Catherine discovers that a little imagination can be a dangerous thing.

"It's such a happiness when good people get together."

Rich and confident Emma is perfectly happy with her life the way it is. That doesn t stop her from enjoying a good love story though as long as it s not her own. But as she blunders through a scheme to find a suitable husband for her new friend Harriet, Emma begins to realise that her judgement is not as good as she thought.

An adapted and illustrated edition of Jane Austen's romantic classic - at an easy-to-read level for all ages.

Laura has lived a fairy-tale life until a stranger knocks on her cottage door. Then her adventures and her troubles begin. In dramatic letters, Laura tells of heartless fathers and runaway children, long-lost grandfathers and thieving cousins. Hers is a story of doomed love, fierce friendship, and the unexpected dangers of fainting.