‘Pride & Prejudice’ Celebrates Bicentennial

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the 200^th anniversary of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice will be celebrated with a host of Austen-related events and shameless quoting of the literary classic. So tune into a 12-hour “readathon” of the novel that will be broadcast live online from the Jane Austen Center in Bath, England. Or head to the Free Library of Philadelphia for lectures, film screenings, and “pop-up” theatrical performances of scenes from the book (Elizabeth and Darcy at the Netherfield Ball!). The BBC actually filmed a 90-minute reconstruction of the scene last week at Chawton House—the Hampshire manor once owned by Austen’s brother—which will air in May. Meanwhile, Colin Firth fanatics will likely be watching the lake scene from the BBC’s infamous 1995 production.