A short summary of the book Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This page contains a short summary of the key scenes and plot points of the novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I wrote this list in order to analyze how many different “scenes” occur in a novel like Pride and Prejudice. My friend and I are working on writing our first novels and were having a discussion of how to increase the length or how many different things needed to happen to keep the book interesting and feel like there was enough going on. I decided to use one of my favorite books Pride and Prejudice as an example to see how exactly the plot was laid out. With this quick summary you can see how many different parts there are and what all happens during the course of the novel. I don’t think I forgot anything major. I may have left out little talking parts or things that were not main events.

Summary of Pride and Prejudice

This list contains spoilers if you have not read the novel!!

1. The Bennet family is introduced at their home of Longbourn and discuss new neighbor of Mr. Bingley taking the house at Netherfield.
2. Country ball is held where Bingley & Darcy meet the Bennet sisters, Bingley is immediately taken by Jane, but Darcy snubs Elizabeth and refuses to dance with her.
3. Jane is taken ill when she visits Caroline Bingley and must stay at Netherfield.
4. Elizabeth visits Netherfield and stays there also while Jane recovers.
5. Mr. Collins, a clergyman, heir to the Bennet estate visits and Mrs. Bennet hopes he will marry one of the girls.
6. The girls and Mr. Collins meets Mr. Wickham and the story of his mistreatment by Mr. Darcy is circulated.
7. Mr. Bingley holds a dance at Netherfield and Elizabeth and Darcy dance for the first time.
8. Mr. Collins proposes to Elizabeth, she refuses, he gets engaged to Miss Lucas.
9. Mr. Bingley and party leave to London.
10. Jane visits her Aunt & Uncle in London in hopes of seeing Bingley.
11. Elizabeth goes to visit Charlotte Lucas & Mr. Collins in Kent. They live in the parsonage next to Rosings Park, home of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, Mr. Darcy’s aunt.
12. Mr. Darcy comes to Kent to stay with his Aunt at Rosings Park and spends time with Elizabeth. She learns from his cousin that he prevented Bingley from proposing to Jane and is very upset.
13. Mr. Darcy proposes to Elizabeth and she refuses based on his treatment of Jane, Mr. Wickham and his proud disposition.
14. Mr. Darcy writes a letter to Elizabeth to try to defend and explain his actions.
15. Some months pass, Elizabeth’s younger sister Lydia goes away with the militia.
16. Elizabeth goes with her Aunt and Uncle on a tour of Derbyshire where Mr. Darcy’s has his estate Pemberley.
17. Elizabeth runs into Darcy unexpectedly while touring Pemberley. They start to form a closer acquaintance.
18. Elizabeth is notified by letter of the elopement of her sister Lydia to Mr. Wickham and tells Mr. Darcy the news when he visits her while she is reading the letter.
19. Elizabeth and family return to Longbourn, Lydia & Wickham are forced to marry. The couple visit Longbourn before leaving to live in the North.
20. Elizabeth finds out it was Mr. Darcy who was responsible for finding and making Wickham marry Lydia.
21. Mr. Bingley and Darcy return to Netherfield.
22. Lady Catherine de Bourgh visits Elizabeth at Longbourn in order to clear up the rumor she heard that Darcy and Elizabeth were engaged. Elizabeth refutes this rumor.
23. Bingley and Jane get engaged.
24. Darcy & Elizabeth get engaged.
25. The couples are married and live happily ever after.

I was also curious how many words, chapters and typical page count Pride and Prejudice has in print, so here is a look at some of the stats:

Number of Chapters: 61

Numbers of Words: 121,880

Average Page Count for various editions: 275-300 pages