Pride and Prejudice. By: Jane Austen

Time spent reading: 12 Hours 30 Mins

Pride and Prejudice is one of the most loved books of many literary scholars. It has sold over 20 million copies and inspired many adaptations be it, movies, tv shows or plays. As I was finding my way through the literary world there were too many references made to the main characters and the quality of the writing. I had to pick it up and read for myself what the fuss was all about.

Pride and Prejudice is one of Five Books most recommended books with philosophers, literary scholars, authors and journalists citing it as an influential text

Short Summary

The story revolves around the protagonist Ms. Elizabeth Bennet who is the second eldest daughter in a family with 5 daughters. The story is set in the Regency era (19th Century) in rural Great Britain. The Bennet family of 5 sisters’ mother and father along with their help live at Longburn estate which is entailed to the next male heir from the family. The Mr.Bennet though frugal was not very rich, his wife also had a meager inheritance, if Mr. Bennet had to pass way the income was not enough to support the ladies in a respectable manner. Owing to the popular notion of those times, it was imperative that at least one of the girls marries rich so she can then take care of rest of the family. The girls each have different personalities and Elizabeth had herself see through the example for her parents had seen what happens when you marry not for love but for money or social prestige.

This Romantic novel then takes us and Elizabeth through the journey of self-understanding, of how one must first learn to remove the vail of pride and prejudice which is present with in all of us before one can really see the truth.

My Review

‘Pride and Prejudice’ was first published in 1813 that is whole 207 years before I write this review in 2020. Just to add context, a whole different set of people lived and walked the earth at the time when this book was first published. In my definition a classic is something that Transends generations and which stays alive and relevant long after the creator has perished. Without a doubt ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is one such classic.

To me this novel from Jane Austin is not just a piece of literature but an emotion. The novel is a romantic one and in more then one sense. The Romance between the principle characters Elezabeth and Mr.Darcy is the obvious romance the other more subtle which is between the reader and the subject. This book has everything that I love both as a novice reader and as lover of the Romantic era, I find the writing during that time very attractive and civil.

Simplicity I think is one of the reasons that this novel is so popular even during our times. The story revolves around just 12 principal characters, the plot is also very simple and easy to follow. The language is very simple, and the story moves in a linear timeline. All the characters are very well written and have rich backstories, the description of each of the character and their temperament is so well defined that you almost feel how the characters is going to react to a certain situation. This part of her writing Jane Austin had to do well as the story follows a ‘free indirect speech’ style of writing where there is free representation of a character's speech, which one means, not words actually spoken by a character, but the words that typify the character's thoughts, or the way the character would think or speak, if she thought or spoke. Jane Austin has done this remarkably well.

When I say this novel is an emotion here is how I mean it. There is no alarming plot twist in the story, there is not dramatic reveal, there is are no words in the writing that will raise your pulse. The story moves very serenely with a dignity at a comfortable pace, but you still find yourself holding the novel tightly when there is something happening, you share the tenseness and the awkwardness of the characters. You live and feel the story along with Elizabeth.

The Wikipedia page of the novel is worth visiting, it is a treasure trove of information about the various themes, plots, subplots writing style etc for the book. If you are novice reader you couldn’t start with a better book that “Pride and Prejudice”

My Take

I am from the communication field and specifically advertising. I have long held the reason why some novels fail, or some succeed depends very much on two things (1) The conviction of the idea (2) The ability to write or communicate that idea in as simple words as possible. Jane Austin in Pride and prejudice does both things brilliantly.