Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Although her characters are far from perfect, Austen's characterization is flawless. In an age of stringent social mores, she reveals the realities and deceptions of human relationships. She shows the prideful become humble or self-exalted. She reveals prejudice either dissolves with intimacy or increases ignorance. More than these, she developes a love story unmatched by the writers of her day and ours.