Reviews- Rachel's Reading Club 2023/2024

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice was written in 1813 by Jane Austen. It is set in late 1700s to early 1800s England; possibly during the Napoleonic Wars. I had only been introduced to Jane's book by first watching the 2005 version of the movie, starring Keira Knightly and Matthew McFadyon. I very much enjoyed the movie, and when I got a set of Austen's books for Christmas, it was the second book that I read.

The Bennett family has its ups and downs like any other family. The silliness of the mother and two younger daughters - Kitty and Lydia would drive a saint to distraction. The father, though amusing at times has a very rough sense of humor.

The other characters - Jane, is just too wonderful to be real. The heroine of the story Lizzy, or Elizabeth, is a wonderous mix of common sense and a bit of pride in her "liberal" thinking. She has a sharp tongue, and is not opposed to teasing.

Mr. Collins is beyond the pale - a serious "brown-noser" and "yes man" if there ever was one. Very much inflated with his own importance, I am so very glad that Lizzy chose to turn his offer of marriage down.

Lady Catherine de Bourgh is the most snobbish, condescending person in the book. Her opinion is the only opinion that matters, and she has an opinion on everything!

Mr. Darcy, is very enigmatic. A proud person, but conscientious, and a bit on the shy side with people he doesn't know, has developed feeling for Elizabeth, much to his own consternation. He tries to talk himself out of these feeling, but he ends up giving in to them. Timing, they say, is everything, and the timing of the first declaration of love ends up in disaster with harsh words spoken by both of them.

Mr. Wickham is not a nice person. He is slanderous, and a spend-thrift; he tries to make everyone feel sorry for him, and is charismatic in charms. I'm glad that he gets his comeuppance and is forced to marry someone very silly and without thought beyond herself. Payback's harsh at times.

I loved Lizzy's aunt and uncle Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner. They ended up getting Darcy and Elizabeth together in the end.

While I loved the movie, the book filled in many blanks. It was quite entertaining, and I am happy to have read it. I give this book a 5 rating.