Happy Birthday to Mr. Darcy!

Today is a great day. Not because it's Monday. Not because I snuck a Dr. Pepper in for lunch. And not because I ate cookies too. But because it's the 200th anniversary of the first Pride and Prejudice printing. Elizabeth Bennet is hands down my favorite book character, followed very shortly by her loving dad. While I've never day dreamed of living in their world, I'm happy to escape into it a few times a year. Never read Pride and Prejudice? Lucky for you it's in the public domain!

Lucky for us, Pride and Prejudice has also spawned some pretty amazing things- from book cover art to film to spin off novels. Here are a few of my favorites:

                                                     

                                                      

How STUNNING are those flowers???

                                                       
The classic Penguin Cover

                                                    

And the Pengiun Cover re-imagined for the Work of Art TV show.

Of course, no good book is worth it's salt until a film has been made. Thankfully there are several versions of Pride and Prejudice to suit your fancy, but my favorite is the 2005 Focus Features Film.

                                                   

I could, and sometimes do, watch this version monthly. The cinamatography is so incredible and the light is some of the prettiest I've seen captured on film.

But wait, didn't I mentione spin-offs? Well, there's the ever popular

                                                             

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, but my favorite contemporary spin off is

                                                           

Definitely not Mr. Darcy by Karen Doornebos, which is enjoyable from start to finish. Just like the original. :0)

Enjoy!
-DBC