It’s quite ironic that this novel is titled Pride and Prejudice. I dreaded having to read this book, a tea party in the garden with cakes and scones drama that had no interest to me at all! How wrong was I? This is a witty and social comedy that never stopped me smiling. As such, I had a prejudice against the book and lots of people do. True to its title the book deals with the workings of society in an ironic fashion concentrating on prides and prejudices. The book follows the lives of the Bennet family and the five daughters, especially Elizabeth the second oldest daughter, as they try to marry ‘well’. 
In the introduction of my version of Pride and Prejudice opens with ‘[I]f Jane Austin remains the most misunderstood of great English writers she must, as an ironist, accept part of the blame’. This couldn’t be more true. Austin’s style of wit is through irony and she does it so well that you may actually fail to realise she is being ironic. A slight problem if your novels strongest strengths are its humour. As such Pride and Prejudice can be conceived by some as an irrelevant drama about village life that lacks interest. For example my dad was picking me up from work over the summer and I told him Pride and Prejudice was a comedy, and he didn’t believe me! This brings me back to my comment in the introduction, there is a prejudice and misunderstanding around Austin and Pride and Prejudice. However, if you understand the irony and the wit of Austin then you won’t stop smiling and grinning to yourself.
Pride and Prejudice is a conversation maker, everyone has their favourite and most hated characters and it changes throughout the book. Each character is so vivid and clear that you find yourself there, I found myself speaking in a feigned posh voice every time Mrs Bennet spoke! Austin’s ability to clearly develop character traits and for so many characters is achieved mainly through dialect. The conversations throughout the book are exemplary, they are so realistic and clear. This with Elizabeth’s personal reviews on situations works just brilliantly. Elizabeth Bennet is where Austin shows most her wit, and it works really well against the backdrop of conversation that is provided.
The story is a love story. It’s not a difficult plot to follow and has a few little twists and turns in it but otherwise it is quite simple. This does not matter at all though, if it was anything different the general feeling of the book would change and the humour would not really work. Again, the plot and Austin’s wit compliment each other well.
Pride and Prejudice truly shocked me and I love the book. So much so, I watched the series by the BBC that my sister tortured me to when I was younger. It is a sharp and witty comedy about social life in regency period. It had me grinning, and smiling, and going ooooo! I thoroughly recommend this book.
Rating: 4.5/5
Some related stuff:
Pride and Prejudice BBC series is a very good likeness to the book and I recommend watching it during or after reading the book.
Becoming Jane is a film about Jane Austin and it gives a great background about Austin and it will enlighten your reading experience because it is possible to see likeness between Elizabeth and Austin. However, remember that it will have the use of ‘artistic licence’!
In the introduction of my version of Pride and Prejudice opens with ‘[I]f Jane Austin remains the most misunderstood of great English writers she must, as an ironist, accept part of the blame’. This couldn’t be more true. Austin’s style of wit is through irony and she does it so well that you may actually fail to realise she is being ironic. A slight problem if your novels strongest strengths are its humour. As such Pride and Prejudice can be conceived by some as an irrelevant drama about village life that lacks interest. For example my dad was picking me up from work over the summer and I told him Pride and Prejudice was a comedy, and he didn’t believe me! This brings me back to my comment in the introduction, there is a prejudice and misunderstanding around Austin and Pride and Prejudice. However, if you understand the irony and the wit of Austin then you won’t stop smiling and grinning to yourself.
Pride and Prejudice is a conversation maker, everyone has their favourite and most hated characters and it changes throughout the book. Each character is so vivid and clear that you find yourself there, I found myself speaking in a feigned posh voice every time Mrs Bennet spoke! Austin’s ability to clearly develop character traits and for so many characters is achieved mainly through dialect. The conversations throughout the book are exemplary, they are so realistic and clear. This with Elizabeth’s personal reviews on situations works just brilliantly. Elizabeth Bennet is where Austin shows most her wit, and it works really well against the backdrop of conversation that is provided.
The story is a love story. It’s not a difficult plot to follow and has a few little twists and turns in it but otherwise it is quite simple. This does not matter at all though, if it was anything different the general feeling of the book would change and the humour would not really work. Again, the plot and Austin’s wit compliment each other well.
Pride and Prejudice truly shocked me and I love the book. So much so, I watched the series by the BBC that my sister tortured me to when I was younger. It is a sharp and witty comedy about social life in regency period. It had me grinning, and smiling, and going ooooo! I thoroughly recommend this book.
Rating: 4.5/5
Some related stuff:
Pride and Prejudice BBC series is a very good likeness to the book and I recommend watching it during or after reading the book.
Becoming Jane is a film about Jane Austin and it gives a great background about Austin and it will enlighten your reading experience because it is possible to see likeness between Elizabeth and Austin. However, remember that it will have the use of ‘artistic licence’!
