Reviews

Nothing I say will be much different from the millions of others who have experienced Jane Austen. But wow was this great. I've seen most of the adaptations (I'm partial to the Laurence Olivier and the 1980s adaptation) and thoroughly enjoyed them. I figured I would finally delve into the actual book and it was well worth it. I'd like to rewatch the adaptations to see if my opinion changes, but I can definitely see why the 1995 adaptation is well regarded (which I still really like).

Austen is frankly timeless. Her plotting, her characters, her world are believable no matter when you read it. I truly believe anyone can read and enjoy Austen. I think what's so special about Pride and Prejudice is just how real it feels. The growth of the characters individually and their relationship feel so realistic and natural. There's a moment later in the book where there's a slow down in pace so the characters and story can take a breath and reflect. If you do the same as a reader, you'll see how far you've already journeyed with the characters and how much time you have left. I've read plenty of romance, and a lot of times it feels very quick or the story itself takes place in such a short amount of time. But not here, everything flows perfectly. It's simply a classic.

Quick hits:
- Reading after seeing an adaptation enhances the experience since you have visual representations in your mind already.
- I appreciated Jane much more in this, including her relationship with Elizabeth. In the adaptations, she tends to be somewhat of an afterthought in making Elizabeth the focus. But her secondary story is important and pivotal to Elizabeth.
- The relationship, the growth and the pivotal scenes were all perfect.
- Mr. Bennet definitely seems much more like a poor father than in some of the adaptations.
- Timeless classic.

What else is there to say, it's a classic for a reason. I've ordered the rest of Austen's work (which I've seen many more adaptations for) and I'm excited to continue exploring her important contributions to literary history. It's sad to think about that she never truly got to see her own success and how much her work has meant to generations of people.

rareadss's review against another edition

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hopeful informative lighthearted reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

This book is amazing. There is no other description, this is amazing.

I adore Jane Austen and i always will

I will say in my opinion this book is very overhyped, yes it's good yes its amazing but COME ON THERE ARE OTHER BOOKS THAT ARE BETTER THAN THISS

knoxtheflu's review against another edition

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funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Content Warnings

itsgraziela's review against another edition

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5.0

This is probably the best book written by Jane Austen that I have read so far (I haven't read Emma, Mansfield Park, or her shorter works yet). I have to say that I did enjoy her other books a lot, but I can see why this one became so many people's favourite.

Elizabeth is such a great character to follow! She is smart and speaks for herself, she is stubborn but acknowledges all her mistakes. It is quite an experience to see her love for Mr. Darcy flourish through the pages. I began to like him through Elizabeth's eyes, as he is not the most likeable character at the beginning.

As for the other characters, Jane and Mr. Bingley were a couple that I was cheering for from the start. I found Lydia and Mrs. Bennet very difficult to emphasise with. Mr. Bennet, despite not being the most present at times, cared about his Lizzie and gave us a lovely dialogue with her at the end.

This was an enjoyable read that I will probably read it again many times in the future.

sarahmarstiles's review against another edition

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Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

v_larr's review against another edition

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5.0

Elizabeth and Darcy are the blueprint.

I am super proud of this review although it is a rambling mess.

I was working on my reviews in chronological order but I just rewatched the 2005 film and now I am IN MY FEELS. I have the tabbed book right next to me so I WILL HAVE RECEIPTS FOR THIS REVIEW. One day you will see my essay on why the movie is literally perfect but this is Goodreads not Goodwatches and I will save my P&P book essay(s) for when I take my uni’s Jane Austen course in three years. Although I think this review will have a lot of essay material on its own since there are so many thoughts I have about it.

I once had this breakthrough of the difference between romance as a genre compared to subgenre, and that it is relatively weak as a genre because everything in a story functions around the romance, compared to any other genre where there is more depth since the characters are motivated by something other than just a romantic/sexual relationship. So when you sprinkle a romance on top of it, it’s more satisfying because those characters exist outside of that relationship too.

Considering that idea of romance as a genre, I can’t say Pride and Prejudice fits into that mold. So the question is, has this book redefined my personal definition of the romance genre, or does it fit into another genre entirely?

The answer is yes. And it appears I have fallen victim to romance-obsessed marketing once again.

Because anyone who does even the tiniest bit of research will know that Jane Austen wrote social commentaries, satires, humor.

One word I would use to describe this book is rich. There is so much to learn from this book about the time period it is set in. Having done absolutely no research, I can learn the role of women in society, the importance of reputation/first impressions, and the way class affects relationships. And this isn’t a textbook. It’s not just telling you this, but rather weaving it into this story.

There was a point where I was reading and I was thinking can we get to the romance part? But the more I read the more I realized how imperative everything was to the story. We learn about Elizabeth as a person. Her motivations, her sense of humor, her judgements, her love for her sisters, especially Jane, her defiance of societal expectations, and so much more. She’s so well rounded, she feels like a friend. And her internal monologue is absolutely brilliant. Funny and sharp, especially towards the end of the book.

And there’s this brilliant setup that does take about half of the book, so once the romance truly kicks in, it feels right. Every interaction between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy simply makes sense because of everything we learned about Elizabeth beforehand. And it’s something that I frankly believe is impossible to recreate in today’s standards.

Look. I’ve read enough modern romantic comedies. You know, the tropey ones with the cartoon covers. Some I’ve enjoyed, some I’ve despised. But I have the opinion that I’ve had to drop my standards for all of them because of the fact that they are so tropey and ridiculous. I was just willing to let it slide for some romance or smut. So when I picked up this book, although I went in thinking “Oh yes, this is the original enemies to lovers romantic comedy,” I wasn’t expecting it to not only have so many of the tropes that I see in modern romance, but that it also executes them far better. And I think it’s a result of the time period it’s set in. And the fact that it all works as a social commentary.

Here is a non-exhaustive list of the various rom-com tropes present in Pride and Prejudice:
->Enemies-to-lovers
->Forced proximity
->Miscommunication
->Bickering/banter
->Class differences
->Forbidden romance
->Red herring love interest (who turns out to be a jerk anyways)
->Romantic rival
->Overbearing family
->Obligatory incel character
->“Not like other girls” protagonist
->“It’s always been you”
->Grumpy/sunshine

Some of these tropes would make me close a book and never finish it. But this book just executes them so wonderfully to the point where I can suspend my disbelief because of the book’s setting.

Let’s do an example. Enemies-to-lovers and miscommunication. You read any contemporary romance and you know that the characters are enemies because of a misunderstanding. Maybe one character overheard something about the other and formed an outrageously nasty opinion about them. Maybe the tall, dark and handsome love interest only looks mean, or was mean by accident once, or he is a jerk but for the right reasons and he is simply misunderstood.

And in a sense, Mr. Darcy is all of those things. But the most important thing is that he genuinely made mistakes on top of that. He is prideful and self-important. He makes insensitive classist remarks. He acts upon his own opinion rather than getting the facts. He mistreats Elizabeth and insults her many times. He messes up. He acts like a jerk.

But what matters is that he makes amends. He has his own redemption arc and we get to see it through Elizabeth’s eyes. He is slapped in the face with the fact that he did many things wrong and works to fix them and change his behavior. And he doesn’t do it to manipulate Elizabeth into being with him, but to be a better person and also to help her and her family because he cares about her. And he doesn’t want any prize for it. He just wants her to be happy.

“What did you say of me, that I did not deserve? For, though your accusations were ill-founded, formed on mistaken premises, my behaviour to you at the time had merited the severest reproof. It was unpardonable. I cannot think about it without abhorrence.”

Let’s backtrack a bit. I cannot think of a modern enemies-to-lovers where the (male) love interest was genuinely a jackass. There was always a misunderstanding. He was always in love with the protagonist. Or he hates everyone but her. Or it’s this romanticized toxicity. I think it would be a bit of a risk to make a guy genuinely be a jerk in a contemporary romance in the way that we see in this book.

Oh, that’s another thing! This book was a slow burn. But a real slow burn. Not the kind you see in fanfiction or modern romance where they do love each other but are too cowardly to get out with it. No, here we see the progression of their feelings. Darcy falls first but Elizabeth falls harder. We see indifference to hatred to reluctance to love. And it all feels so natural and real.

“She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me,” (17)

“Yes…but that was only when I first knew her, for it is many months since I have considered her one of the handsomest women of my acquaintance.” (248)

That’s another thing about the book that I personally adore. I find too much romance to be overwhelming. People who say the right thing every time, who have the perfect loving gaze towards each other, as much as I love it (like I did in the film), it just gets too much sometimes. In the book, there’s awkwardness, there’s mishaps and overthinking in a way that doesn’t feel annoying but simply normal. I talked a little bit about Elizabeth’s internal monologue. The way she thinks and reacts to things once she realizes that she does love Mr. Darcy.

She followed him with her eyes, envied every one to whom he spoke, had scarcely patience enough to help anybody with coffee; and then was enraged against herself for being so silly! (308)

AND HE IS SIMPLY SO…..SUCH A LOSER.

Their eyes instantly met, and the cheeks of each were overspread with the deepest blush. He absolutely started, and for a moment seemed immoveable from surprise; but shortly after recovering himself, advanced towards the party, and spoke to Elizabeth, if not in terms of perfect composure, at least of perfect civility. (230)

And even the more romantic interactions between them have a sense of awkwardness to them

[H]er companion added, “You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged; but one word from you will silence me on this subject forever.”

Elizabeth, feeling all the more than common awkwardness and anxiety of his situation, now forced herself to speak; and immediately, though not very fluently, gave him to understand that her sentiments had undergone so material a change…Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eye, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight, diffused over his face, became him; but, though she could not look, she could listen (331)

By the way….consent king…Like I was sobbing and screaming and kicking my feet and giggling and twirling my hair and shit…This is how you do romance for god’s sake. THEY DIDN’T EVEN KISS!!!!!!!

Okay. Let’s dive deeper into why the tropes I mentioned earlier work so well in this book, especially compared to contemporary romance.

->Enemies-to-lovers (already done)
->Forced proximity
->It does feel a little ridiculous at points but the story flows so naturally.
Example: Jane goes to Netherfield to dine with Caroline Bingley->gets sick->Elizabeth goes to her bc sisterly love->Oh hey there’s Mr Darcy, Bingley’s best friend and guest
Example:Mr Collins is to inherit the estate->proposes to Elizabeth to keep the estate in the Bennet family->Elizabeth says no->Mr Collins proposes to Charlotte Lucas, who accepts->Charlotte is Elizabeth’s best friend so she visits them->They visit Lady Catherine de Bourg, Mr Collins’ patroness->Lady Catherine is Mr Darcy’s aunt->oh crap there’s Mr Darcy
Example: Jane goes to visit her aunt and uncle in pursuit of Bingley->Eventually returns->Elizabeth travels with her aunt and uncle->They pass by Pemberley->Oh look it’s Mr Darcy’s house let’s sightsee->Oh crap Mr Darcy is home

While it seems a little silly, it’s also addressed as silly. It’s self aware! And there’s none of that “only one bed” stuff, which kind of just gets old and is based on pure coincidence.

->Miscommunication
Example: Elizabeth is led to believe that Mr Darcy caused Mr Wickham’s misfortune. This is a result of Wickham’s deception as well as gossip. Elizabeth’s opinion of Mr. Darcy goes south and he has no idea of it. When she eventually confronts him about it, he is too awkward to defend himself, but does very shortly after in a very explanatory letter. Elizabeth ends up confused as to what to believe, and thinks about the stories she’s been told and determines which one makes the most sense.

Example: Jane is not very expressive of her feelings towards Mr Bingley, although she cares about him very much. Mr Darcy believes she is leading Bingley on, and not wanting his friend to endure heartbreak, convinces him to leave Netherfield. This ends up in both being heartbroken. Upon learning that his beliefs were false, he convinces Mr Bingley to return.

It’s none of that “only hears half of a conversation then runs away” stupid miscommunication. This is a result of the social circles they are in and it’s realistic.

->Bickering/banter
Read the damn book. And it’s not only between the main characters. We see it with Mr and Mrs Bennet, the Bingleys. The wit is strong all throughout the book and a good chunk is placed in dialogue. The overall writing style is another matter.

->Class differences
Elizabeth is, what, middle class? What did that mean back then? There is an interaction with Lady Catherine de Bourg which shows the difference between the filthy rich and people of lower class like Elizabeth. She gets by, but unless her sisters marry rich, things will go south.

Hmm. And Mr Darcy is buttloads rich. He’s so rich. We love to see it. And this creates a bit of a hurdle in their relationship. He sees her as less than him at one point. I think there’s a point where he considers Jane a bit of a golddigger. It shows the mindset of people who have money and people who don’t.

And there are certain expectations placed depending on your class, which I’ll get into in the next point.

->Forbidden romance
Relating to Elizabeth and Mr Darcy, it doesn’t seem at first that their love is ~forbidden~ and it’s really not. But by the end of the book, Elizabeth is approached by Lady Catherine once again who tells her that there is no way she could marry him because he’s engaged to Lady Catherine’s daughter. This relates to appearances, it would be a disgrace for Mr Darcy to marry someone in such a low class when he’s been set to marry rich since like forever! But Elizabeth doesn’t care! She says screw your appearances I would marry him regardless and then he’s like so true.

->Red herring love interest (who turns out to be a jerk anyways)
Mr Wickham, need I say anything more? Charming and sweet at first, and you almost feel bad for him. I always feel bad for these characters because they’re usually written as jerks for no real reason or they’re just done dirty. But Mr Wickham is not just the brushed aside love interest. He represents Elizabeth’s own prejudices and misjudgements. And how first impressions don’t mean anything if you’re capable of deceit and manipulation. And how you should be wary of gossip and rumours because they are usually not the true story.

->Romantic rival
Caroline Bingley my beloved. I was surprised, in fact, that this trope was in this book to be honest. And Caroline isn’t much of a threat anyways. She’s not there as the Main Rival to Elizabeth, but rather as a bit of comedy. Look at this insecure woman who tries to put others down and fails.

But that’s not her only role in the story. She and the other Bingley sister (I am so sorry I forgot her name) represent, once again, the importance of appearances. Elizabeth and her family are kind of embarrassing. And while Elizabeth doesn’t care to a huge extent, others do. And despite her indifference, this is a society that values etiquette and acting a certain way. If you don’t, there will be judgment. Not that Elizabeth has to change for anyone, but you get the gist.

->Overbearing family
Mrs Bennet is absolutely humiliating, I am so sorry. But this relates to the role of women in society. As a woman, your only job was to find a suitable husband. The fact that there are five girls of marriageable age in the home is…A little bit problematic. Or so it seems based on this book. And by the end of it, three of them are married. Mrs Bennet, as a mother of five daughters, would of course want them successfully married off. And Lydia and Kitty, albeit incredibly annoying, are only boy-crazy teenagers.

->Obligatory incel character
I gave Mr Collins the benefit of the doubt for a good chunk of his time because I, too, talk way too much for my own good. But then he refused to take no for an answer! Cringe. And at least it was stated as something very cringe. I am still seething from Ovid’s Art of Love. And we still see it today!

And I love how the book shows Mr Darcy as the opposite of that. Even upon initial rejection he’s like well I get it, he doesn’t try to convince Elizabeth otherwise, simply stands up for himself when some of her reasoning was not really factual. Like Mr Darcy respects consent way more than any of those contemporary “book boyfriends”

->“Not like other girls” protagonist
The thing about Elizabeth is that she is in defiance of what society wants from her. She’s not quiet, she’s opinionated and headstrong. She refuses to let her class define her. She rejects not one but TWO marriage proposals because she wants true love in a world where stability is the main goal in marriage. She is hilarious and witty and we love to see it. And she doesn’t put other women down because of it. She accepts when she is disliked. She adores her sister Jane, who would be the definition of what a woman Should Be at that time. She does judge people’s decisions but it’s acknowledged that her way of thinking is wrong. And she does improve as a person as well. We love to see it.

->“It’s always been you”
Okay, remember when I said that it was a slow burn? Well, it’s much slower on Elizabeth’s end. Mr Darcy falls pretty quick. And this trope turns on its head because it’s not like they date other people but it’s “never right” or “never the one” and so we see some characters get done absolutely dirty. It’s that everything Darcy does, he does for Elizabeth. He was only thinking of her. And he doesn’t expect anything from her either. I’ve talked about this enough.

->Grumpy/sunshine
She loves to tease and have fun and laugh. He is socially awkward and quiet and brooding. We love to see it.

I love the themes of sisterly love in this book, especially with Jane and Elizabeth. Elizabeth cares about Jane so much, and it’s present all throughout the book. Jane, who can do no wrong. And we see her through what is possibly some unreliable narration. In Elizabeth’s eyes, Jane deserves the world. And these feelings reflect in Elizabeth’s rejection of Mr Darcy, because he ruined the happiness of a beloved sister!

And then when the Lydia fiasco happens, it’s a huge shock. Especially that she got with Wickham. There is so much anxiety and fear and shock and anger when she runs away that it’s horrifying to read. But then Lydia has always been a brat so by the end we’re just annoyed with her.

THAT’S WHAT SISTERHOOD IS, MAN. I must say, Mary seemed kind of irrelevant. I will have to reread in order to appreciate her more. And Kitty…meh at least she’s no Lydia.

Another thing I really enjoyed was the character of Charlotte Lucas. She’s kind of a skeptic, in my opinion, and really shows what it meant to be a woman back in those times.

“I am not romantic, you know. I never was. I ask only a comfortable home; and considering Mr Collins’s character, connexions, and situation in life, I am convinced that my chance of happiness with him is as fair as most people can boast on entering the marriage state"

I don’t know whether to feel bad for her or not.

The final thing is that I love how accessible the writing is. I struggle with classic literature because I’m too used to an “easier” contemporary writing style. I like challenging myself now, and this book did take some time but I am glad I understood what was going on. And there are so many aspects that have aged incredibly well. I don’t trust when people say a man is “written by a woman,” because you know what women have been capable of writing? Twilight. Fifty Shades. The Spanish Love Deception. After. THOSE ARE TOXIC. Tell me a man is written by Jane Austen. Then we’ll talk.

_nki_'s review against another edition

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emotional funny reflective relaxing slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.75

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