Mr Darcy voted dream date

Mr Darcy, the dashing hero of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, has topped a survey of fictional characters women would most like to go on a date with. Austen's creation beat other fictional heroes, such as James Bond and Superman, in the poll of more than 1900 women. The character - played by Colin Firth in a hit BBC adaptation - appealed most to women in their 20s and 50s, said the survey by Book Marketing Limited.

Top 10 dinner party dates

1 Mr Darcy
2 James Bond
3 Superman
4 Hercule Poirot
5 Inspector Morse
6 Heathcliff
7 Sherlock Holmes
8 Rhett Butler
9 Prince Charming
10 Sharpe
Source: Books Marketing Limited

Another survey found Mr Darcy was top of a guest list for a fictional dinner party. Pride and Prejudice was also chosen as the top book by a woman for women readers over 40, in a poll ahead of the Orange Prize for Fiction 2003. The top book for women under 40 was Helen Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary.

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