Jane Austen
1813
Around 300 pages
Prepare for a rave, ladies and gentlemen. I have nothing but good things to say about this novel; I have read it multiple times and have seen the 2005 film adaptation an embarrassing amount of times. Most people have already read this by now because it is such a classic novel. More than that, it is just plain fun. I know some people think of reading classics as tests of endurance (maybe rightfully so; I just read Crime and Punishment and felt like I had run a marathon) but this novel is a funny, even a bit goofy sometimes, and easy.
Do I have to give a plot summary? The story follows the Bennet family which consists of:
- Mrs. Bennet who is absolutely obsessed with marrying off her daughters and embarrasses them considerably in the process
- Mr. Bennet who is a complete doormat to his wife but still uses dry humor to irritate her
- Jane Bennet, the eldest, kindest, and prettiest daughter
- Elizabeth Bennet, our heroine who is extremely intelligent but very judgmental
- Mary Bennet, the plain sister who considers herself very wise from all the books she reads but is actually quite silly (god, that sounds like me)
- Kitty Bennet, an insipid girl who copies everything Lydia does
- Lydia Bennet, a selfish idiot who is eager to marry
Well, that about covers our main characters. The plot mostly centers on the relationship between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth. At first they don't get along…but then they FALL IN LOVE????? All right, it has been done a thousand times since then, but it is never done better.
Okay, enough about the plot since you probably know it already and skimmed through that brief character description that I painstakingly wrote out for you. Like I said, this novel is really funny; I don't think there has ever been a more hilarious character than Mr. Collins. Not to mention the fact, men, that Mr. Darcy is the standard of which most men are compared to; in fact, in tenth grade, my friend Mara and I used to categorize the boys in our grade by Bingleys, Darcys, and Collinses (most guys fell into the Collins category). Irrelevant Amanda fact for you.
I feel like I am not explaining this book well. This is probably because I grew up with it. I have a thousand memories associated with this book, from watching the film version in my sister's apartment to rereading it to make myself forget the pain of my surgery when I was in bed for two months. Everyone has books like this that have major sentimental value. I know, though, objectively that this is a great book and you are missing out if you don't read it. All right, I have babbled on long enough.
RATING: *****
Interesting Facts:
Originally entitled First Impressions.
Film adaptations include Bridget Jones' Diary, Pride and Prejudice (2005), and Pride and Prejudice (1940).
Charlotte Bronte was a vocal critic of the novel. Shut up, Charlotte, you are just jealous.
Can we not even bring up Pride and Prejudice and Zombies please?
1 comment:
Austen's characters are just so much caricatures that they can serve as types. I could imagine a lot of Collins'es
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