Over the last couple of years, I've been gradually replacing all of my cheap copies of Jane Austen's novels with prettier ones. (I'm a sucker for pretty books.) Pride and Prejudice is my favorite of her books and one of my favorite books in general, but it was the only one I didn't have a nice copy of. I had almost decided on the clothbound Penguin edition until I randomly stumbled across this one, which I had never seen before.
You guys. This has to be the most beautiful book I own. It looked pretty enough online, but it's so much better in reality! It's an oversized hardcover, and the edges of the pages are orange with a floral design. The illustrations, by Alice Pattullo, are gorgeous. They're sort of modern but with a folksy feel, and there are lots of unexpectedly bright colors. Besides the illustrations, there are other charming details...like the fact that all of the letters in the novel are in a font that looks handwritten. The pages are sturdy and matte, and they're made from that kind of paper that makes the book smell really good. (I know that sounds weird but it's completely true.)
I was planning on rereading Pride and Prejudice this year anyway, and now I can't wait to reread it in this edition!
{Amazon has it here, but they were out of stock when I ordered mine, so I ordered from Book Depository. They're based out of the UK, but their prices are good, usually the same as Amazon, and they offer free shipping worldwide, no minimum. I'm not affiliated with them at all, by the way. There are also some other illustrated editions of classics by this publisher.}