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Jane Austen ‘quote’ on the new £10 note isn’t what it seems – and people aren’t happy

To commemorate the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen’s death, the Bank of England has put her portrait on its new plastic £10 note.

Except the quote they have used …

“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading!”

… wasn’t actually spoken by Austen, and the character who said it (in Pride and Prejudice) was one of her most obnoxious creations who didn’t actually mean it anyway.

Is it too late for a refund?

You can read all about it in this Guardian piece here.

“The trouble is that these words are spoken by one of Austen’s most deceitful characters, a woman who has no interest in books at all: Caroline Bingley.

“She is sidling up to Mr Darcy, whom she would like to hook as a husband, and pretending that she shares his interests. He is reading a book, so she sits next to him and pretends to read one too.”

Maybe it’s because there are just so few memorable Jane Austen quotes to choose from.

Oh, hang on.