Introduction and Notes by Dr Ian Littlewood; University of Sussex. Pride and Prejudice; which opens with one of the most famous sentences in English Literature; is an ironic novel of manners. In it the garrulous and empty-headed Mrs Bennet has only one aim - that of finding a good match for each of her five daughters. In this she is mocked by her cynical and indolent husband. With its wit; its social precision and; above all; its irresistible heroine; Pride and Prejudice has proved one of the most enduringly popular novels in the English language.