Jane Austen · 1813 · First edition text, 1813
Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice (1813) follows Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy from mutual dislike to marriage, by way of Austen’s precise, funny narration. The Quiz Master reading companion in IO reader tests what you actually caught — inference works well on a novel this reliant on subtext and misread signals.
Read the opening in Reels
PART I · PARAGRAPH
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.
Pride and Prejudice · Jane Austen
Interactive demo — real text, web replica of the reading view
Read it with a reading companion
Generates comprehension, inference, and open-ended questions to test understanding.
Read it with the Quiz Master in IO reader.
Response from the Quiz Master in IO reader · 2026-09-04
1.[Comprehension] According to the text, what is the specific requirement for a single man to be considered "in want of a wife"?
2.[Inference] Based on the phrasing "universally acknowledged," what does the narrator suggest about the social pressures or expectations placed upon wealthy men in this society?
3.[Reflection] To what extent does the opening sentence function as a genuine observation of human nature versus a satirical critique of 19th-century marriage customs?
The facts
| Length | about 127,400 words · 5,940 sentences |
|---|---|
| In sentence cards | about 396 minutes |
| Difficulty | gentle |
| First line | It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. |
| Themes | Volume I · Volume II · Volume III |
Is Pride and Prejudice hard to read?
No — it's one of the more approachable classics here, driven by dialogue. In sentence cards it's about 396 minutes.
Which translation is this?
None needed — Austen wrote in English; this is the original 1813 text, public domain.
How long is Pride and Prejudice?
About 127,400 words across three volumes; roughly 5,940 sentences.
Read Pride and Prejudice in IO reader
Colophon
Text: First edition text, 1813, from Project Gutenberg (pg:1342). Cover: Standard Ebooks CC0 cover, jane-austen/pride-and-prejudice. Reviewed 2026-09-04.