Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

Ryan · Post by **Ryan** » 23 Sep 2014, 19:41

Austen has everything you want an author to have: wit, an original style and an eye for detail. She has all of these in abundance and no more so than in Pride and Prejudice. The way she creates a nexus of relationships is equaled only by Agatha Christie, and her characters are deeper than people at first give her credit for. The entire novels is just a thorough exploration of the different kinds and levels of silliness in society. I know many Misses Bingley, that's for sure!

-- 23 Sep 2014, 20:53 --

David Dawson wrote: "Well the word and the notion of a political philosophy may not have arisen until the late 19th/ early 20th century, but - for instance - Jane Austen was in her teens when Mary Wollstonecraft's A Vindication of the Rights of Women was published, so it is not as though there was no argument for women's rights going on at the time."

Very true, but Wollstonecraft was never taken as seriously as she would've liked. Especially after her husband Godwin published a detailed biography of her life in which the illegitimacy of one of her children was explained. This ultimately reversed any affect she had on gender politics of the time. But her work revived in the hands of later feminists. As for Austen, Pride and Prejudice certainly contains many ideas that would usually be considered by feminists, such as the effect that marriage has on women, their political and financial power (Lady Catherine de Bourgh springs to mind) and individualism within a patriarchal society. This is the beauty of Austen -- she always explores more than you think! Whether you've read it ten or twenty times, there's always something more to explore!

Radhika_17 · Post by **Radhika_17** » 05 Oct 2014, 09:00

Pride and Prejudice was my first classic read and the first of Jane Austen too. To tell you the truth, I had heard about it on a TV show when I was in grade 5 or 6 and the way the character told about it, it aroused interest in me. So I decided to read it and I have mixed reactions. Although the story seemed a little stretched than required but I loved it when it ended. The plots of all her book were amazing but there came one point in all the books that I had to question myself whether I want to continue reading or not. It became just too boring at some places and too exciting at some. So, I would say, I love it!

amybo82 · Post by **amybo82** » 06 Oct 2014, 11:58

I'm not a Jane Austen fanatic, but I do quite like her! (On a side note, have you seen Austenland? Now, that lady was a fanatic!) I read Pride and Prejudice when I was in middle school, so I probably didn't fully appreciate it, but I did love the story. I also thought the writing was so interesting! It made me go out and pick up other books by Austen and the Brontes.

ajmiller99 · Post by **ajmiller99** » 30 Oct 2014, 07:45

I too am late to the party and just read this book a few months ago. I did find the book enjoyable enough to finish it in a reasonable amount of time, however isn't the kind that you just "can't put down". I was surprised at how short the book is! Overall, it was a good read.

kcondo · Post by **kcondo** » 18 Nov 2014, 13:16

I am new to this site but at an old hand at pride and prejudice. Elizabeth Bennit is simply one of those characters in whom it is easy to find oneself. We all have issues with our parents with the people we love and the gossip of small towns and big cities. Jane Austen has a beautiful way of endearing herself and her characters to all those who have read her. My one criticism of the book is that I want to know more. What happened to Elizabeth and Darcie? What happened to Jane and Bingley.

Fran · Post by **Fran** » 18 Nov 2014, 14:13

kcondo wrote:I am new to this site but at an old hand at pride and prejudice. Elizabeth Bennit is simply one of those characters in whom it is easy to find oneself. We all have issues with our parents with the people we love and the gossip of small towns and big cities. Jane Austen has a beautiful way of endearing herself and her characters to all those who have read her. My one criticism of the book is that I want to know more. What happened to Elizabeth and Darcie? What happened to Jane and Bingley.

"An old hand" at P & P you say & yet you spell the names of both Elizabeth Bennet AND Mr Fitzwilliam Darcy incorrectly! I really do hope Lady Catherine de Bourgh doesn't hear of this outrage or there will certainly be no invitation to take tea at Rosings for you my dear.

ajmiller99 · Post by **ajmiller99** » 18 Nov 2014, 16:35

It has been quite a while since I read Pride & Prejudice, however I do recall feeling that it ended too quickly and I was wishing for a sequel

Poe_vs_King · Post by **Poe_vs_King** » 25 Nov 2014, 15:57

I'll admit that the only reason I managed through to the end of teh book was that I'm a sucker for a good love story and I had the image of Matthew Macfadyen as Mr. Darcy in my mind the whole time. *swoons*
I think if I hadn't seen the 2005 movie before reading the book my image of the characters and the family would be all wrong, but at the same time the book helped fill in gaps that the movie left open. All in all I liked the story very much and am happy that the book takes a spot on my shelves.

Aspen_Reads · Post by **Aspen_Reads** » 01 Dec 2014, 16:17

This novel is one of my all time favorite books-it DEFINITELY makes my short list! I love how she puts such an emphasis on Lizzy being dependent and how marriage is such a huge deal in that time period. This is one novel that I have read again and again, and I will continue to read it again and again! I loved it!

pretzelsnow · Post by **pretzelsnow** » 02 Dec 2014, 07:19

I personally had to read Pride and Prejudice for school and this is what I concluded:
The characters area shallow,I didn't understand much of the book because of it's different culture, and Austen put in these unnecessarily way too much descriptive scenes. So I read it once but I will not reread it.

kgarms · Post by **kgarms** » 05 Dec 2014, 22:44

I have read Pride and Prejudice multiple times, and I find that I get almost giddy as I anticipate certain climactic scenes! Though I hate to choose favorites, this book just might be it for me!

Batesblogger · Post by **Batesblogger** » 09 Dec 2014, 10:54

I have to say that I love Pride and Prejudice. I understand the viewpoints about the majority of the Bennets being useless nitwits but they are very funny if you understand the humor of the time. Every time I read this novel or watch the movie I laugh through the whole thing. My husband has tried, he just doesn't understand what is funny about "excellent boiled potatoes."

The dullest character for me was Charlotte. Just ugh. No.

deah319 · Post by **deah319** » 09 Dec 2014, 12:28

One can argue that there are a lot of other writers who may be more sophisticated than Jane Austen but Pride and Prejudice is my all-time favorite. No matter how petty the Bennets may seem, Jane Austen was able to transport me to a time that is very different than ours. It has been more than a century ago since it was first published yet the characters she created are so accessible and easy to identify with. I think everyone of us, at one point or the other, wished we were higher up in society, wished our parents don't embarrass us or our siblings to listen to us. More importantly, whether we admit it or not, we all just want to find love and be loved. I have read this book numerous times and would probably read it again.

Batesblogger · Post by **Batesblogger** » 09 Dec 2014, 20:54

deah319 wrote:One can argue that there are a lot of other writers who may be more sophisticated than Jane Austen but Pride and Prejudice is my all-time favorite. No matter how petty the Bennets may seem, Jane Austen was able to transport me to a time that is very different than ours. It has been more than a century ago since it was first published yet the characters she created are so accessible and easy to identify with. I think everyone of us, at one point or the other, wished we were higher up in society, wished our parents don't embarrass us or our siblings to listen to us. More importantly, whether we admit it or not, we all just want to find love and be loved. I have read this book numerous times and would probably read it again.

I was reading some articles about the novel, and a lot of "experts" in the field say that P&p was the precursor to all modern day romantic/romcom books. It set the tone and the story time line for all romances that followed.

michelleNYclassics · Post by **michelleNYclassics** » 09 Dec 2014, 21:55

I was surprised to read through a great many criticisms about Austen's characters in this thread. I wonder if it's perhaps due to the vast differences in the roles of women today as compared to the early 1800's. It does seem that the Bennets only worried themselves over fickle things and in today's society we would most definitely consider such people shallow. "Get a clue, there are real problems in the world!"

But in that era, it was a lady's whole concern where her match with a husband would take her. And I love that Austen wrote our rebel Lizzie so intelligently well. Witty and thought-provoking, and most importantly able to find happiness in her own way without having to sacrifice herself or conform to cultural expectation and pressure.

I enjoyed rooting for Elizabeth Bennet much more so than I did the sisters in Sense and Sensibility, who I wanted to beat over the head in many chapters. The strain of holding in emotion, reaction and a good ole tongue-lashing when the situation called for it drove me up the wall!