Some Books Miss Elizabeth Might Have Read

Samuel Johnson – The Rambler (1750–1752)A collection of essays on morality, literature, and human behaviour. Elizabeth, with her sharp mind and love of reflection, would likely enjoy Johnson's moral seriousness mixed with intellectual play.

Laurence Sterne – A Sentimental Journey Through France and Italy (1768)

A humorous and reflective travel novel, admired for its wit and irony, two qualities Elizabeth enjoys. Austen herself read it and may have been influenced by its style.

Charlotte Lennox – The Female Quixote (1752)A comic novel about a young woman whose head is filled with romantic fiction, leading to social blunders. It satirises the dangers of too much fantasy – something Elizabeth, who is not overly romantic, would appreciate."She was always more inclined to believe than to reason, and was guided by her imagination rather than her judgment." Elizabeth, always armed with judgment over delusion, would find this both amusing and cautionary.

Fanny Burney – Evelina (1778)

One of Austen's favourite novels. A tale of a young woman navigating society with intelligence and modesty. Elizabeth would relate to Evelina's mixture of social awkwardness, strong principles, and quiet strength.

Maria Edgeworth – Belinda (1801)A novel about a young woman navigating London society with innocence and insight. Austen adored it. A progressive piece exploring female education, interracial marriage, and rational love. Edgeworth was admired by Austen and was widely read. Elizabeth, being an independent-minded person, would find this novel intriguing and affirming."To be happy, it is necessary to be forgiven." This mirrors Elizabeth's eventual self-reflection and her ability to forgive Darcy – and herself.

William Cowper – Poems (1782–1799)Elizabeth quotes Cowper in Pride and Prejudice, so we know she read him. His nature poetry and moral sensibility appealed to thoughtful readers, and his quiet melancholy may have resonated with her as her own feelings grew more complex.

Fordyce's Sermons to Young Women (1766)

She likely read this because she was expected to, not because she enjoyed it. Mr. Collins tries to read it aloud, and Elizabeth barely hides her amusement. It was didactic, moralising, and exactly the sort of book that clever women learned to smile through.

Richardson's Sir Charles Grandison (1753)

A lengthy, sentimental novel full of moral righteousness. Austen knew it well and even parodied it. Elizabeth might find it excessive, but she'd recognise its social values.

Shakespeare's PlaysAusten admired Shakespeare, and Elizabeth likely read or heard his works performed. Plays like Much Ado About Nothing, with its sharp-tongued lovers, would surely appeal to her.

A Note on Reading in Austen's Time

Books were expensive. The Bennets were not poor, but they weren't rich either. Still, they likely subscribed to a circulating library in Meryton, where novels, essays, poetry, and periodicals could be borrowed. Reading wasn't just education for Elizabeth – it was her escape, her companion, and a quiet form of resistance. In a world where a woman's voice was often expected to be soft and agreeable, Elizabeth's mind was sharpened by words – and she used them well.

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Elizabeth's Little Joke at Netherfield

In Pride and Prejudice (Chapter 10), Elizabeth is in the park with Louisa and meets the walking Caroline and Mr. Darcy. As they are on a narrow path that fits only three, Caroline and Mrs. Hurst squeeze in, leaving Elizabeth to step aside. When Darcy suggests walking on the broader avenue, Elizabeth teasingly says, "No, no; stay where you are. You are charmingly grouped and appear to uncommon advantage. The picturesque would be spoilt by admitting a fourth."By calling their trio "charmingly grouped" and "picturesque," she's both flattering and poking fun – especially to Caroline's dramatic performance.

Elizabeth's line isn't just witty – it signals her knowledge of William Gilpin's 'rule of three' in landscape design. According to Gilpin's Observations on the River Wye and writings on the 'picturesque,' a composition of three trees, cattle, or figures was considered ideal."Two cows will hardly combine. Three make a good group… If you increase the group beyond three…it spoils the picturesque." So, while Elizabeth is socially stepping away, she also casually uses Gilpin's aesthetic theory to mock the staged elegance of her companions. She takes her revenge without her victims any the wiser. 

Although I would like to think that Darcy would catch that.

Kinga Brady