Study Guide

Austenland Prologue

By Shannon Hale

Prologue

"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a thirty-something woman in possession of a satisfying career and fabulous hairdo must be in want of very little" (Prologue.1).
Hmm, that sounds familiar. Yep, it's Pride and Prejudice's classic first line updated by two hundred years of women's right's progress. (In case you're curious, the original goes like this: "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." Blah. We like Shannon Hale's version much better.)
The rest of the brief prologue to Austenland introduces us to our protagonist, Jane Hayes. Here's a cheat sheet of her defining characteristics:
- Single
- Thrifty
- Likes Cocoa Pebbles
- Has an unhealthy obsession with Colin Firth
We can relate.