Country: United Kingdom
Genres: novel, fiction, satire, romance novel, novel of manners
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Publication date 01 Jun 1996
Publisher Konemann UK Ltd
Language English
ISBN10 3895082074
(Buy it on eBay)
In this historic romance, young Elizabeth Bennet strives for love, independence and honesty in the vapid high society of 19th century England.
Oops it's the beginning of May already and I'm only in the book one on my reading challenge list. I picked up Pride and Prejudice assuming it would have been an easy start comparing to Homer. But oh boy I was wrong. I was struggling even with the first part of the book starting from the opening line - one of the most famous first lines in the history of literature, " It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife. " The language style, the English in the eighteenth- and nineteenth-centuries is very hard to understand at times was putting me off. Moreover its indirect narrative style I found boring. Which was best described on the Literature Network 's introduction: " The point of view in Pride and Prejudice is limited omniscient; the story is told through Elizabeth, but not in first person. As a result, the mood of the novel lacks dramatic emotions."
I almost put it down and returned the book to the library. But I gave it a chance and decided to watch the 2005 film adaptation starring Keira Knightley first. It worked. I was starting to enjoy the book and somewhat obsessed. This is the first (hopefully not the last) classical book I managed to finish in its original form and language. I feel more literate somehow. :P
The characters are very well written. It is easy to like and dislike them. Jane, the first daughter, is your typical Cinderella-type heroine in a romance book. A pretty, naive, sweet girl who is looking for her prince charming. Elizabeth, the second daughter, is a witty, outspoken girl and less pretty than Jane. The fact that she is the main character of the book instead of Jane made this book different in some way. Mr. Bingley, a rich charming gentleman which his arrival in the nearby village of Longbourn started this story, is either a too naive or just a plain stupid man. I'm not very fond of him. As a man, he was easily stirred by his sister, Caroline, and his best friend Mr. Darcy.
Mr. Darcy, a richer-than-Mr.Bingley-with-10.000 pounds a year (I cringed every time anyone asset was mentioned in the book by another person), is a proud, rude, conceited man. That was Elizabeth's first impression of him and she kept judging him base on that. What I like the most about Mr.Darcy is he doesn't change his attitude toward Elizabeth after the first failed proposal and kindly do anything to make her happy in his way.
Jane and Elizabeth's mother, Mrs. Bennet, is a crazy mama. I just wanted to keep her mouth shut up. But by putting myself in her shoes I somehow understand her obsession. Women’s life at that time was hard and limited. Their main roles were at home and marriage was the main and most of the time the only goal of their life. They expected to marry a man for protection, wealth, and social status. Once you marry your status was higher as what Lydia, the youngest daughter, told Jane the oldest one: “Ah! Jane, I take your place now, and you must go lower, because I am a married woman.” She really got on my nerves. Mrs. Bennet has 5 daughters, and with no son, the family's inheritances go to the cousin male, Mr.Collins. Therefore she was obsessed in marrying them off. I got an impression she doesn't care who the man is as long as her daughter marry her dream come true.
Romance book, with comedy themes and strong female leads, male lead falls in love first, rich/handsome male lead, and rivals become lover categories, work like a charm for me (blame shoujo manga for that :)). This book has them all in one package. It was considered the first book that starting this theme.
I can tell I'm quite obsessed. I watched the 2005 film adaptation while reading the first part of the book. I finished reading it shortly after I finished watching the 1995 BBC series featuring Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy who greatly influenced the late 20th and early 21st-century reception of Pride and Prejudice[1]. I'm now in the middle of reading the Death Comes to Pemberley a British novel by P.D. James that continues the story with a murder mystery. As I am writing this I have finished watching all the 100 episodes of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, an American web series adapted from the story and I bought the book adaptation of the series compulsively online. I stumbled upon the old 1940 film adaptation last night and will watch it soon. The last one on the list that will complete my obsession is reading Pride and Prejudice Zombie.
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| Pride and Prejudice Zombie is missing. |
1. https://lareviewofbooks.org/article/pride-prejudice-forever/
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