If the Brontes taught us high school English students how to love with passion, Jane Austen taught us how to choose our great loves with intelligence. Eliza Bennett chooses Fitzwilliam Darcy with her head before her heart, after freeing herself of pride and prejudice. This one stands up to multiple rereads because it’s thick with irony and humour and brilliant characters. Classic. And if you hanker for more, try Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld – a worthy modern update.
