For all its popularity, Pride and Prejudice has sometimes been dismissed as petty, provincial and passionless. Here, leading Austen scholar Janet Todd takes a very different view. Drawing on a wide range of critical opinions about the novel, she argues that not only is Elizabeth Bennet one of literature's most engaging heroines but that, in her portrait of Mr Darcy, Austen comes as near to representing sexual infatuation as she could within the conventions of the time. This entertaining, accessible guide is a must-read for students and general readers alike.