The prevalance of Jane Austen's most famous couple in literature

THE bicentenary of Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" on January 28th celebrates one of fiction's most popular romantic couples. In a light-hearted attempt to measure the relative appeal of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr Darcy over the years, we have compared the number of times each is mentioned in books or journals published in Britain. Elizabeth Bennet, as the Jane Austen Society points out, is seen as "the world's sweetheart". This might explain the steady frequency with which her name is mentioned. The brooding Mr Darcy, however, did not fare well during the time of women's suffrage or second-wave feminism. But in the 1990s he bounced back, thanks to a BBC television series featuring Colin Firth in a wet shirt and Helen Fielding's "Bridget Jones's Diary" (the film adaptation of which also starred Mr Firth). Numerous literary adaptations have followed. The novel itself has been re-imagined as a murder mystery and a zombie invasion, while Mr Darcy is now the solo star of countless spin-offs. For romantics, the lines could also represent heartbeats: Elizabeth's simmering desire and Mr Darcy's ardent love fighting with his better judgment. Luckily for them, Austen liked happy endings.