Reviews

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

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katha06's review against another edition

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funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

sebastianletts's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful slow-paced

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

4.5

Pride and Prejudice was the first work to be a part of my university work, and I'm so glad I read it. It is very far removed from what I usually read, which was something I've always looked for, as I want to broaden my horizons with literature. Austen's work more than stands the test of time here, to create an entrancing novel which always feels like it has been written in a different era, while maintaining a lot of aspects that make it so relevant today. It being such a piece of literature, it was not surprising to me that a lot of the stuff today, particularly in feminist media, tries to replicate a lot of "Pride and Prejudice". This is mostly evident in character work, particularly in recreating the character of Elizabeth. What is so special about her is that she represents contemporary feminist ideals without losing her femininity. Elizabeth is a perfectly ordinary person, she gossips, she falls in love, and despite being a cynic and very headstrong the display of these attributes is never masculine, one of the failures of female representation today. This is why I love Elizabeth's character, a figure that feels irreplaceable and completely different to anything I've seen. I love how we see the world through her eyes, how the people around her don't seem to be evolving characters, but they change because of her impressions of them. As a result, the original title is very fitting as "First Impressions" are what evolve the characters in this story. Seeing how Elizabeth's perception of her sisters, Darcy, her mother and her friends change is how we see the story develop, and we learn a lot about Elizabeth in the process, a keen eye that always seeks the truth in people. I was also astonished by how beautiful the prose is in the book, there's something about the meandering sentences in older English that feels so powerful, as Austen initially develops an idea in a somewhat complicated way but always unravels in the end. This was really satisfying, and definitely created one of the most pleasant reading experiences for me.

I find that "Pride and Prejudice" is a book that so many people can find value in. It remains a very interesting approach to humanity and the banal things that mark us at first sight. Would recommend this to just about anyone!