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February 2011: Jane Austen: Pride and Prejudice

It was okay. To be honest, the other sisters and the marriage plotting really didn't hold my interest. I was too interested in the Elizabeth/Darcy romance to care about who was going to be married to whom. But to be positive, I really enjoyed Austen's dialogue. Some of the exchanges between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet were so funny.
 
I have Emma and Northanger Abbey in my TBR pile. What did you think of those? Just from reading the plot summaries, I think I'm more interested in NA.
 
Jane Austen's books are all of a similar vein. She was very interested in the lives of women - that is, that they didn't have many options, other than marriage. Thus the opening lines in Pride and Prejudice. In Emma the heroine is fairly well off, so she has the means to not ever marry if she chooses. Northanger Abbey is more a satirical novel, where Austen is parodying other gothic writers of the time. Radcliffe is one of them. The heroine getting into trouble and being saved type scenario. They're both excellent books. In real life Austen was described as being really sarcastic, but I find it interesting that even though there is an underlying sarcasm to the circumstances of all her women they nevertheless fine romance.
 
I came to enjoy Pride & Prejudice from a completely opposite direction than normal for me, that is, I saw the BBC version and that made me want to read the book. I enjoy her character development, in that you know people like that even today. I have made forays into some of her other titles but found none to be as likeable as Lizzie and Darcy.
 
I just read the first three chapters. The story held my attention so far. Sorry Anamnesis, I guess I'm one to be for gossip, perhaps that is a requirement for liking the story early on, I don't know.:whistling: There is a tinge of intrigue in that you try to predict who will pursue who, and who thinks what of who, if that makes any sense.:lol:

Fantasy Moon-He is a brash one, no doubt about that. He stands out so much from the rest of the crowd. He is the rebel you have to love at first, at least, that is my opinion so far, perhaps I'll reconsider that view later on.
 
Fantasy Moon--
I think maybe Colin Firth may have something to do with that for me ;)
But seriously, I think it is the whole "fairy tale" concept that so many fall for. True, there are serious ups and downs, but in the end you cannot argue with the "happy ending".
 
I'm totally hooked... I never thought I would be so caught up in it since I've already seen the movie and, therefore, already know the story. But the truth is I'm enjoying every single moment I can to read it!
 
scribeswindow said:
Jane Austen's books are all of a similar vein. She was very interested in the lives of women - that is, that they didn't have many options, other than marriage. Thus the opening lines in Pride and Prejudice. In Emma the heroine is fairly well off, so she has the means to not ever marry <a href="http://www.bcduplication.com" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0) ! important; text-decoration: none ! important; cursor: default ! important;">bulk cd printing</a>. Northanger Abbey is more a satirical novel, where Austen is parodying other gothic writers of the time. Radcliffe is one of them. The heroine getting into trouble and being saved type scenario. They're both excellent books. In real life Austen was described as being really sarcastic, but I find it interesting that even though there is an underlying sarcasm to the circumstances of all her women they nevertheless fine romance.
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Couldnt have said it better myself ;)
 
Mrs. Bennet is quite the character. I love how she sent Elizabeth to Bingby's in the driving rain. The father appeared to be horrified that she came down with being sick, but the Mrs. thought that was to the family's advantage. :lol:A conniving one she is, wow. I also loved how Mr. Darcy had to balance his attention so that Miss Bingby and Elizabeth wouldn't have a quarrel, or at least, have the former mad at him, so he kept his nose in a book when Elizabeth was up and around. I love books set in this time period when mere physical actions display a lot about emotion and intention, I'm not disappointed at all in that regard. The gossip pertaining to the Bennet family is very cutting too, the ladies are quite the sharks.
 
I read this two years ago, here's what I thought then:

So with the prospect of zombie mayhem looming, I figured I should finally pull my thumb out and actually read Pride And Prejudice.

And I'm really glad I did. Despite the book's reputation for being more than just a love story, I wasn't sure what to expect of a 200-year-old romantic comedy. But it pretty much won me over from the first page on; that famous opening line - "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife" - turns out to be dripping with irony as Austen sets about sending up the social, sexual and class-related norms of her day. Which, occasionally, aren't all that different in nature, if not degree, to ours.

Of course, reading Austen with 200 years' worth of perspective on those issues (and no personal experience of 19th century upper class twits), it's probably easy to read it as more revolutionary than it was intended.
Elizabeth does end up marrying wealth, after all - and doesn't protest when her father says she wants to "look up to [Darcy] as a superior".
The Second Sex it certainly ain't - not even A Doll's House. Still, it makes its points and makes them well - simply by sketching how the world worked and then inserting a female protagonist who asks, perhaps not the world, but at least a say in what part of the world she'll end up with - without ever getting preachy, and with characters so well-described (not in appearance, but in personality) that they still feel real all these years later. As an aside, I can't help thinking that it would be nice to slip this into the hands of people currently claiming to defend the ancient, sacred institution of marriage, too. Somehow I doubt that this is what most of them truly want to go back to.

"My reasons for marrying are, first, that I think it a right thing for every clergyman in easy circumstances (like myself) to set the example of matrimony in his parish; secondly, that I am convinced that it will add very greatly to my happiness; and thirdly--which perhaps I ought to have mentioned earlier, that it is the particular advice and recommendation of the very noble lady whom I have the honour of calling patroness. (...) To fortune I am perfectly indifferent, and shall make no demand of that nature on your father, since I am well aware that it could not be complied with; and that one thousand pounds in the four per cents, which will not be yours till after your mother's decease, is all that you may ever be entitled to. On that head, therefore, I shall be uniformly silent; and you may assure yourself that no ungenerous reproach shall ever pass my lips when we are married."

It was absolutely necessary to interrupt him now.

"You are too hasty, sir," she cried. "You forget that I have made no answer. Let me do it without further loss of time. Accept my thanks for the compliment you are paying me. I am very sensible of the honour of your proposals, but it is impossible for me to do otherwise than to decline them."

"I am not now to learn," replied Mr. Collins, with a formal wave of the hand, "that it is usual with young ladies to reject the addresses of the man whom they secretly mean to accept, when he first applies for their favour; and that sometimes the refusal is repeated a second, or even a third time. I am therefore by no means discouraged by what you have just said, and shall hope to lead you to the altar ere long."
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Romantic fellow, that Collins, isn't he? And bear in mind that this is considered a favourable marriage by just about everyone except Elizabeth herself (and her father, but he's what he is.)

Of course, it's all very obvious how it's going to turn out and apart from one twist that I should probably have seen coming (
Wickham running off with Lydia
) it's not the kind of book you read for the plot. But still, even if the basic story is a bit by-the-numbers, it's beautifully written (though I was glad of the footnotes) and holy crap, the dialogue! Rapid-fire back-and-forths (especially Elizabeth and her father) loaded with barely-hidden sarcasm that just... zings as well as sings. Ah, dry British wit, how happy you make me. Even in a tale as dated as this undoubtedly is - though it's far from irrelevant - both the jokes and the subtly serious points still carry enough truth and venom to sting and tickle. :star4: with lots of plusses after.
 
I love how Mr. & Mrs. Bennet tangle. :)

Upon being demanded to force Elizabeth to marry Mr. Collins, after she rejected him.

--
An unhappy alternative is before you Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never se you again if you do NOT marry Mr. Collins, and I will never se you if you DO.
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:lol:

And his two part request towards his wife;

First, that you will allow me the free use of my understanding on the present occasion; and secondly, of my room. I shall be glad to have hte library to myself as soon as may be.
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:lol::lol:

Absolutely loving the humor in this book. Mr. Darcy is a jerk, but I'm beginning to doubt the character of Wickham more and more. the jury is still out......
 
After seeing Pride and Prejudice's perennial high placing on Top 100 book lists, I knew sooner or later I'd bite the bullet and tackle it.

And what a pleasant surprise it was! Full of witty banter and characters that were richly described and imagined. The way of the world in older times was quite mind boggling but really helped one's immersion into 19th century England.

The language at times was challenging but this reflects the dynamic nature of the English language over time.

Highly deserved of the title "Classic".
 
eldog said:
. The way of the world in older times was quite mind boggling but really helped one's immersion into 19th century England.
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Great comments. I have said it often, but I just love novels of that time period. This book did a masterful job of showing how each character tried to get what they wanted through intrigue, gathering intelligence from others, not to mention trying to sway others with their own agendas. Wickham was very good at this, a true shyster if there ever was one, I was completely fooled at first.

On a different note, did anyone get the feeling that the kind of match-making and concern about material success over love was a main point of criticism by Austen?:whistling:
 
SFG75 said:
On a different note, did anyone get the feeling that the kind of match-making and concern about material success over love was a main point of criticism by Austen?:whistling:
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I am still a while from finishing it but yes.I don't think it's far from other stories of their time and still in the present.Five daughters,they would want to marry them off to have a better life and alot of mariages happened by match-making and still do.

I am enjoying the wittyness of the book,Donald Sutherland:blush: as Mr. Bennet and Keira Knightley represented them very well.
 
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