#FirstLineFriday#2 Submissions Are Now Closed – Here’s the Answer to Our Quiz and the Names of Our Winners

/ Marcia

Submissions for #FirstLineFriday are officially closed now. My thanks to all who emailed me with their guesses. Today, I’m delighted to say we have FIVE  WINNERS!  Congratulations go to:

Janet Gogerty, Alex Craigie, Darlene Foster, Harmony Kent, and Teri Polen. Thanks so much for playing, ladies, and for being so quick to recognize this opening line!

Now, without further ado, here’s the answer to today’s quiz:

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.” is the opening line to 1813’s Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  Those who love the classics will be very familiar with this one, I’m sure, while many will not have read it yet. I do recommend giving it a try, to see why a book written over 200 years ago has remained so popular for so long.

The novel follows the character development of Elizabeth Bennet, the dynamic protagonist of the book who learns about the repercussions of hasty judgments and comes to appreciate the difference between superficial goodness and actual goodness. Its humor lies in its honest depiction of manners, education, marriage, and money during the Regency era in Great Britain.

Pride and Prejudice has consistently appeared near the top of lists of “most-loved books” among both literary scholars and the reading public. It has become one of the most popular novels in English literature, with over 20 million copies sold, and has inspired many derivatives in modern literature. For more than a century, dramatic adaptations, reprints, unofficial sequels, and many, many films and TV versions of Pride and Prejudice have portrayed the memorable characters and themes of the novel, reaching mass audiences.

WHAT AMAZON SAYS:

Austen’s most popular novel, the unforgettable story of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Nominated as one of America’s best-loved novels by PBS’s The Great American Read.

Pride and Prejudice is a novel of manners by Jane Austen, first published in 1813. The story follows the main character, Elizabeth Bennet, as she deals with issues of manners, upbringing, morality, education, and marriage in the society of the landed gentry of the British Regency. Elizabeth is the second of five daughters of a country gentleman living near the fictional town of Meryton in Hertfordshire, near London. Page 2 of a letter from Jane Austen to her sister Cassandra (11 June 1799) in which she first mentions Pride and Prejudice, using its working title First Impressions.

Set in England in the early 19th century, Pride and Prejudice 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 neighborhood. While Bingley takes an immediate liking to the eldest Bennet daughter, Jane, Darcy has difficulty adapting to local society and repeatedly clashes with the second-eldest Bennet daughter, Elizabeth.

Though Austen set the story at the turn of the 19th century, it retains a fascination for modern readers, continuing near the top of many lists of “most loved books.” It has become one of the most popular novels in English literature, selling over 20 million copies, and receives considerable attention from literary scholars. Modern interest in the book has resulted in a number of dramatic adaptations and an abundance of novels and stories imitating Austen’s memorable characters or themes.

A True Classic that Belongs on Every Bookshelf!

BUY PRIDE AND PREJUDICE HERE

And that wraps up this week’s quiz, folks! Again, congratulations to our winners, and for the rest, best of luck next time!

#FirstLineFriday will be back in two weeks.  See you then!

 

18 thoughts on “#FirstLineFriday#2 Submissions Are Now Closed – Here’s the Answer to Our Quiz and the Names of Our Winners”

    • Thanks on behalf of all five winners, Priscilla. It has certainly stood the test of time beautifully, and though I remember that I enjoyed it when I read it clear back around 1956, I definitely need to re-read this one again. Imagine writing a book that is still being read and enjoyed 200 years later! 😯 😀

      Thanks for stopping by and taking a moment to congratulate today’s winners. See you again in two weeks! 😀

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    • I was truly expecting you to be among the winners, Jeanne, as I was just sure you’d read this one at some point. Sorry it wouldn’t come to you, but thanks for congratulating these readers who did manage to connect the line with the book. (I love that Darlene has it done up in cross-stitch. 😀 )

      Thanks for stopping by and good luck on the next one! 🙂

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

  3. I have read this book a number of times and still get something new out of it every time. There are so many hidden messages and witticisms. When we watch a movie adaptation I often say the line before it is uttered. Here is my favourite line from the book, uttered by Mr. Bennett, “An unhappy alternative lays before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. – Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

  4. I got one! Thanks, Marcia. I love this book. The older I get, the more I appreciate Austen’s dry wit. I’m wondering if I can get hold of a cross-stitch sampler like Darlene’s!

    Liked by 3 people

    Reply

    • And to YOU, Harmony! SO happy you won this week. In fact, I’m thrilled that we’ve had 5 winners. That has only happened a couple of times, and then we’ve had too many weeks lately with NO winners. 😦 I hate those. But THIS week, full house! Yippeee. Thanks for playing and congratulations on winning, too! 😀

      Liked by 2 people

      Reply

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