Colin Firth as a damp Darcy in the BBC’s 1995 adaptation of ‘Pride and Prejudice.’ (BBC)
Before the month is over, we’d be remiss if we failed to note that January marks the 200th anniversary – we’re talking bicentennial – of the publication of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.
The beloved novel, in which both Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy overcome first impressions to realize they were meant for each other, originally appeared in three volumes on January 27, 1813. It has subsequently sold more than 20 million copies.
While we could go on and on about the novel’s long term popularity, wit, meaning and adaptability (movie versions, zombie novels!), let’s use the anniversary to look at Colin Firth in a wet shirt and to muse on stamps.
