Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice — the original literary chick flick.  I’m a little bit ashamed that, though I claim to be well-read, it’s only just now that I’ve gotten around to reading it.  It seems like one of those classic novels that a girl has to read at least once in her life.  I wasn’t going to post a review for it, because it’s been around so long and is referenced so much that it seems a little redundant.  I do want to record my thoughts on it, though–and, really, what’s a review besides exactly that?

I will say, I was a little frustrated about having to go on Wikipedia and look up a synopsis.  The book jacket on my copy said a lot about it being “a timeless classic,” and “beloved by generations,”  but it didn’t tell me what the story was actually about.  Maybe I’m lame for not already knowing, but all the prior knowledge I had of it was from lit majors mentally creaming themselves over Mr. Darcy.  And I do like to have a rough idea of what is going to happen in a book before I read it.

Pretty much, you have the Bennets.  They have five daughters who they are trying to marry off, and wouldn’t you know it, a rich and handsome bachelor (Mr. Bingley) happens to move in down the road from them.  He quickly becomes enamoured of the oldest daughter, Jane.  His friend, Mr. Darcy, is an even more handsome and rich bachelor, but everyone decides pretty fast that he’s a total prick.  He’s so much of a prick that he falls in love with Elizabeth Bennet, but decides that her family is too podunk for him, and so bundles Mr. Bingley off to London with the reassurance that Jane isn’t that into him, anyway.  When Mr. Darcy finally does come around and propose to Elizabeth, she naturally tells him to get fucked by the horse he rode in on.  Unfortunately, it won’t take long for her to figure out that he’s actually a pretty rad dude, and turning him down may have been the biggest mistake of her life.

Also, there’s a clergyman named Mr. Collins who’s a total tool.

Forest can tell you that I have very little patience for books that I can’t basically speed-read.  So, pretty much, anything pre-1900 or written by William S. Burroughs is out of the question for me.  Or it’ll take me forever to get through it because I konk out ten pages in (sorry Jane Eyre, I love you, but you took me six months to read).  But Pride and Prejudice was unexpectedly easy.  I read the bulk of it in just two sittings, and even found myself adopting the language style a bit when I’d break to talk to someone.

I can see why this story has appealed to girls through multiple generations.  Isn’t that just what we all want, to be pursued by the handsome bad boy, and for him to be so hurt by our rejection that he totally changes his act and becomes basically the perfect guy?  Oh, and you think that men and women play games now?  Nineteenth century courtship:  because it’s inappropriate to openly discuss your feelings, you have to rely on subtle manners and body language to convey your interest or lack thereof.  And even if you don’t like the guy, he’ll probably propose to you anyway.  At least, that’s the way it plays out in Pride and Prejudice.

Would read again.