Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Book Title:
Pride and Prejudice (*affiliate link)
Author:
Jane Austen
Genre:
classic
First
published: 1813
262 pages
My rating:
5/5
“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”
The Bennet family has five daughters and only a moderate amount of money to share as dowries to them. It is no wonder that Mrs. Bennet’s dearest wish is to see her daughters well married – preferably to men of good fortune. Her second daughter Elizabeth, however, believes in first impressions and is determined not to marry just anyone. So when the rich but extremely proud and disagreeable Mr. Darcy slights her, she knows exactly what to think about him. But appearances can be deceiving, as Elizabeth is forced to acknowledge after Mr. Darcy becomes captivated by her lively manners, bright eyes, and sparkling wit.
It’s odd to write a review of a book I’ve loved ever since I read if for the first time 25 years ago and have read multiple times afterwards. Pride and Prejudice is my favorite Jane Austen novel, and although it was not the first Austen novel I read (that honor belongs to Mansfield Park), it was the book that made me binge-read everything else Austen had written. The humor, the wit, the characters, the historical setting, and the world and the people Jane Austen so accurately describes and at times ridicules are all features that made me fall in love with her writing, and Pride and Prejudice is a perfect example of Austen’s style.
As this was my first time participating in Jane Austen July, I wanted to revisit my favorite novel, and I wanted to try something new: annotating. I’ll make another post later about my annotation process and what I learned during this experiment, but let me tell you that I loved the experience. Annotating made me read the book at a much slower pace and to analyze it in a deeper level than I would have otherwise done – although I’m certain that there are elements that I missed! That’s one of the reasons why Austen’s books are highly rereadable. There are always new things to pick up.
I noticed this time how the age fifteen cropped up several times. First time it’s mentioned (as a foreshadowing?) when Mrs. Bennet talks about Jane’s first admirer, and Miss Darcy and Lydia are both fifteen years old when Wickham courts them. It made me wonder whether in Regency England fifteen was considered as an especially dangerous age for girls in general. Was it somehow especially tempting for rakes to try to take advantage of a fifteen-year-old girl? Unfortunately, I don’t think a lot has changed over the centuries, as teenage girls still face a lot of sexual harassment from older men.
Alongside the reread, I watched my favorite Jane Austen adaptation, the 1995 BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice. It’s such a great series, and I always notice new things when I rewatch it. This time I noticed that Darcy rides a black horse in the first three episodes, but once we learn that he’s not the villain he’s set out to be by Wickham, in the episode four Darcy is riding a white horse instead. I thought that was a nice touch and possibly also a nod to the old westerns with their good characters in white hats. It was also interesting to note some of the differences between the book and the adaptation, although this adaptation is the most faithful Austen adaptation I’ve seen.
If you’ve never read Jane Austen before, Pride and Prejudice is the perfect starting place. The plot is tight, there’s a lot of funny banter, and the character development is top-notch. I will forever be giving this book five stars. If you’ve never read a classic set in the Regency period England, it may be helpful to get an edition with notes or to watch some Youtube videos explaining the customs of the time (Ellie Dashwood’s channel is my favorite resource). If you’re a Jane Austen fan already, let me know in the comments which is your favorite Jane Austen novel!
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