[Novel] Pride and Prejudice Book Review

Pride and Prejudice was first published in 1813, although Jane Austen had written it between October of 1796 and August of 1797.  This was at a time when women were expected to stay at home and just be a pretty face, not think for themselves, and not involve themselves in politics or careers. Men were authors; women were not.  Austen’s father first submitted Pride and Prejudice to a publisher in 1797, under the title First Impressions, but it was rejected probably for the sole reason that it had been written by a woman.  Even when Pride and Prejudice was finally published in 1813, Austen’s name did not appear as the author of the book, and in fact, Austen was never given credit for being the author of any of her works while she was alive. 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen tells us the relationship between Fitzwilliam Darcy, a wealthy young man, and Elizabeth Bennett, the second eldest daughter of a man of modest means. The five Bennett daughters are in desperate need for husbands, as their father’s inheritance is entailed. When Mr. Bingley, a wealthy and charismatic young man, moves into their neighborhood, he falls in love with Jane, the oldest daughter. He also brings with him his friend, Mr. Darcy, who behaves snobbish and offends Elizabeth at a local ball. Although they immediately dislike each other, they are forced to spend time together during a variety of circumstances, which changes their perception of each other, sometimes through direct confrontation. The final message that Pride and Prejudice gives us is that love conquers all.  A message that Jane Austen was determined to write into her novels since she observed that it was impossible to achieve in real life.  If you know something about Jane Austen's life and personal experience with love, as well as that of her sister, Cassandra, you easily see why she wrote such happy endings for Lizzie and Jane Bennet.

When reading the novel, the first thing that I noticed to be different from what I had read before, was its language. Written in a very old-fashioned language, the book’s vocabulary and style were not exactly what I had been used to from previous literature. The manner of talking and writing at that time when the novel was written was a very indirect one, which doesn’t immediately appeal to our zeitgeist. But still, after the first few pages, one gets used to this manner of writing, and even starts to appreciate it: Subtle and ironic remarks that are hidden behind a flowery language become even more ingenious. It is this subtlety that makes the book highly enjoyable, although one can’t really imagine how it must have been to live in a society which was so strictly based on rules and behaviour patterns. It is obvious, that social prestige was a very important value at the time when the story is set, which is at some point during 18 century, and the reader gets a fascinating insight into a way of behaving and living that is so much ruled by conventions. Being a very critical observer, Jane Austen, too, is well aware of those negative aspects, and has found a way to show them through characters like clergyman Mr. Collins or his patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Interestingly, Austen, as the omniscient narrator, never judges them, but would always let them unmask themselves by self-exposure. We can generally say that Miss Austen has created characters with an eye for details. They are believable, with all of them having different traits of character and ideals, but seldom predictable. What also argues in favour reading Pride and Prejudice is the fact that the problems the characters have to face haven’t quite changed over the centuries. Love and friendship, misunderstanding and intrigues, dream men and villains: These are the everlasting immortal topics that one is always willing to read about. For this reason, the book will never get boring, although there isn’t a lot of “action” in it: No explosions, fights, deaths or anything of that kind interrupt the calmness of the story, which is mainly set in Longbourn in rural England. Therefore, it is even more astonishing, that Austen succeeds in keeping the reader’s attention and anxiety over whether Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy will finally find together or not. So if one is interested in stories where things are happening without a big ballyhoo, I can highly recommend this amusing and fascinating book.