Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." - The most famous quote from one of the most "universally" loved classics.
Published in 1813, four years before Austen's death, it has since become one of her most famous novels. It was initially titled First Impressions, but obviously it was never published under that title. Austen also first published it under the pseudonym, A Lady - there's an interesting fact for you.
Anyway, to the real business of blogging - the review. Now, I find it very difficult to review something that's both widely loved and nearly two hundred years old, but I'll give it my best shot.
The best thing about this novel is that, despite being set in a different society from today's, it's still funny. Austen's satire highlights the ridiculous characters in her society - the fussy, melodramatic mother (Mrs Bennet), the husband that regrets marrying (Mr Bennet), and the seemingly charming gentleman (Wickham). Of course, we still have these characters portrayed in modern satires - Monica from Friends, Ben from My Family and Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones' Diary. Therefore, Austen's novel is humourous to both the nineteenth and twenty-first century reader - we can all find a character in her novel that we can recognise.
The character of Elizabeth Bennet, from whose point of view the novel is mainly based, is very interesting; she is stubborn, a seemingly intelligent and independent woman. Quite similar to many modern heroines. However, Austen undermines these characteristics by showing her folly in falling for the dodgy Wickham, and how she eventually comes to depend on Darcy for love and money. Austen constantly ridicules the position of women in her society; they are expected to marry the first man who proposes to them; they are expected to marry for money and not love; and they are expected to marry for high status, connections and a good inheritance. Not exactly the same criteria we look for today. Clearly, Austen disagrees with them too; she herself never married, probably because she didn't believe in a loveless marriage. However, Austen is proof that a woman could be successful without having to marry someone already well-established.
The role of women is a very important theme in Austen's novel; the author suggests that in her society it was up to the woman to marry well first for their family's sake, then their own and to behave properly. Jane Bennet is the proper lady of the family; well groomed, well spoken, good natured and obedient; the perfect asset to her family. Whereas, Lydia Bennet acts as the complete opposite; flirtacious, irresponsible and a shame to her whole family when she elopes with Wickham. Austen has just about covered all the characters in her society, obviously conveying them to the extreme, from the arrogant Catherine de Bourgh to the stubborn heroine of Elizabeth. Austen clearly displays the ridiculous nature of her society and the people in it and with Catherine's obvious ill-breeding and Lydia's irritable immaturity, she makes the novel the successful, comical satire that it is.
Without a doubt, every book lover should read Pride and Pejudice, if you haven't already done so - it's guaranteed to become one of your favourites to be read over and over again.
A Lady.
PS. I've never seen the film - my love stems purely from the novel!
Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of "Pride and Prejudice".
"It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." - The most famous quote from one of the most "universally" loved classics.
Published in 1813, four years before Austen's death, it has since become one of her most famous novels. It was initially titled First Impressions, but obviously it was never published under that title. Austen also first published it under the pseudonym, A Lady - there's an interesting fact for you.
Anyway, to the real business of blogging - the review. Now, I find it very difficult to review something that's both widely loved and nearly two hundred years old, but I'll give it my best shot.
The best thing about this novel is that, despite being set in a different society from today's, it's still funny. Austen's satire highlights the ridiculous characters in her society - the fussy, melodramatic mother (Mrs Bennet), the husband that regrets marrying (Mr Bennet), and the seemingly charming gentleman (Wickham). Of course, we still have these characters portrayed in modern satires - Monica from Friends, Ben from My Family and Daniel Cleaver in Bridget Jones' Diary. Therefore, Austen's novel is humourous to both the nineteenth and twenty-first century reader - we can all find a character in her novel that we can recognise.
The character of Elizabeth Bennet, from whose point of view the novel is mainly based, is very interesting; she is stubborn, a seemingly intelligent and independent woman. Quite similar to many modern heroines. However, Austen undermines these characteristics by showing her folly in falling for the dodgy Wickham, and how she eventually comes to depend on Darcy for love and money. Austen constantly ridicules the position of women in her society; they are expected to marry the first man who proposes to them; they are expected to marry for money and not love; and they are expected to marry for high status, connections and a good inheritance. Not exactly the same criteria we look for today. Clearly, Austen disagrees with them too; she herself never married, probably because she didn't believe in a loveless marriage. However, Austen is proof that a woman could be successful without having to marry someone already well-established.
The role of women is a very important theme in Austen's novel; the author suggests that in her society it was up to the woman to marry well first for their family's sake, then their own and to behave properly. Jane Bennet is the proper lady of the family; well groomed, well spoken, good natured and obedient; the perfect asset to her family. Whereas, Lydia Bennet acts as the complete opposite; flirtacious, irresponsible and a shame to her whole family when she elopes with Wickham. Austen has just about covered all the characters in her society, obviously conveying them to the extreme, from the arrogant Catherine de Bourgh to the stubborn heroine of Elizabeth. Austen clearly displays the ridiculous nature of her society and the people in it and with Catherine's obvious ill-breeding and Lydia's irritable immaturity, she makes the novel the successful, comical satire that it is.
Without a doubt, every book lover should read Pride and Pejudice, if you haven't already done so - it's guaranteed to become one of your favourites to be read over and over again.
A Lady.
PS. I've never seen the film - my love stems purely from the novel!
Please comment if you have anything to add to this review of "Pride and Prejudice".
1 comment:
Mu own opinion of Pride and Prejudice is, ofcourse, irrelevant and musn't take effect on anybody else's judgement of the novel but I must say I don't see what all the fuss is about.
OK, that's a lie. This is one of my favourite novels and I could read it over and over again but purely for one reason: to fall in love with Mr Darcy. In reality, it's a load of tosh. We love to read it because we love to momentarily believe that men such as Mr Darcy exist in the real world. They don't. Saying that, I'm the Queen of Anti-Love and I'm still addicted to this book. However, I do find Austen's motifs hypocrytical (Elizabeth wants to marry for love- she only falls in love with Darcy after seeing Pemberley Estates and his riches. In contrast, Lydia marries Wickham for love and, although only we and Elizabeth know he is wicked, the marriage is seen as a bad thing just because he is poor.).
I must agree that it makes me laugh and it keeps me interested and it does make me fall in love but that's all there is to it. And now I ask myself: what more do you want from a novel? Just because it's not magnificent, creative writing with metaphorical, philosophical sub-texts... does that make it any less enjoyable?
So, since the beginning of this comment, I have changed my mind. God bless Jane Austen for providing us with the most simple novel written! xxxx
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