Product Description

Of all Jane Austen's books "Pride and Prejudice" has earned a special place in the hearts of the reading public as her best-loved and most intimately known novel. From its famous opening sentence the story of Elizabeth and Darcy, told with a wit that its author feared might prove "rather too light and bright, and sparkling", delights its most familiar readers as thoroughly as it does those who encounter it for the first time.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1421213 in Books
• Published on: 2003-01-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Mass Market Paperback
• 416 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Elizabeth Bennet is the perfect Austen heroine: intelligent, generous, sensible, incapable of jealousy or any other major sin. That makes her sound like an insufferable goody-goody, but the truth is she's a completely hip character who ,if provoked, is not above skewering her antagonist with a piece of her exceptionally sharp, yet always polite, 18th-century wit. The real point of the book though, the critical question which will keep you fixated throughout, is: will Elizabeth and Mr Darcy hook up? Read this genuine all-time classic and discover the answer while enjoying a story that has charmed generation after generation.

About the Author
Jane Austen was born in 1775. She never married, and had no contact with the London literary circle; she, nevertheless, elevated her life, - a"little world of struggling clerical families, husband-hunting mothers and daughters, eligible clergymen and landowners, country fools and snobs" - into an enduring microcosm of the great world through her writings, distinguished by her "satirical wit and brilliant comedy, complex and subtle view of human nature, exquisite moral discrimination, and unobtrusive perfection of style.

Customer Reviews

The freshness and perfection of form are astonishing.
It is almost 200 years since "Pride and Prejudice" was first published. It ought to be the equivalent in literature of those faded, dried flowers that used to be found pressed between the pages of the old family bible. Instead it is redolent of freshly cut flowers still carrying a sprinkling of morning dew.

The freshness and the perfection of form are certainly astonishing. Jane Austin is as good as story teller as ever picked up a pen, knowing exactly how to construct plots, and what incidents and dialogues to detail in full and what to briefly summarize. Her "world" is small but intricately constructed. Every characteristic, quality and idea has a precise and fixed value, all being ranked strictly and sternly according to decorum, logic and morality.

Despite its architectural perfection, however, a recent re-reading reveals one or two construction features that are questionable. How could it be, for example that Fitzwilliam Darcy could have such a dragon for an aunt? I also wonder about the friendship between Darcy and Bingley. How did it begin? It is obviously important to each, but we are given nothing of its history.

Jane Austen lived long enough to see this book published and enjoyed amongst her own family and a small readership. Her mother entertained family members with it, reading it, in Jane Austen's estimation, a little too quickly. Distinguished British actress Lindsay Duncan reads it with perfect timing and inflexion in this highly recommended audio tape format, which presents the novel in an unabridged version of just over twelve hours.

Perfect!
Austen's best novel and one of the best in English Literature. A completely realistic and loveable cast of characters and one of the great love stories of all time. It should be compulsary to read this book.

Appearances Can Be Deceiving about Character
The lasting appeal of Pride and Prejudice is worth explaining to those who haven't read the book or seen the movies before launching into a review of this British classic. First, there may be no finer book at exploring the topic of how appearances can be deceiving. Those who are physically attractive, employ pleasant manners and flatter us will earn our approval and cause us to feel affectionate towards them. Those who are less attractive to regard, keep to themselves and say insulting things will become people we will think poorly of. To see how misleading those reactions can be in assessing character, compare Abraham Lincoln to Jefferson Davis, the head of the Confederacy. Lincoln was dour, ugly and awkward with people. Jefferson Davis was just the opposite. When it came to character, Lincoln had enough to hold the Union together and is now viewed as one of our greatest presidents. Most people don't remember Jefferson Davis unless reminded.

Second, at another level Pride and Prejudice is a delightful romantic comedy that looks at how love develops through a series of painful mischances. Although not as light and funny as Shakespeare's comedies are (A Midsummer Night's Dream comes to mind), Pride and Prejudice will certainly bring a smile to most readers' faces in this regard.

Third, Elizabeth Bennet is one of the best heroines ever imagined. Most readers will identify with her and be rooting for her to succeed. You'll almost feel like you've developed a good friend from reading this book.

Fourth, Jane Austen is very good at poking fun at the pretensions of those who are self-absorbed or fascinated with social position and money. But it's a loving kind of fun. She realizes that these people are just silly . . . and don't know any better. We can enjoy a good laugh at their expense, but we should still love and support them. It's a good model for dealing with any goofy relatives we have.

Fifth, Pride and Prejudice is a benchmark at how far women have come from the days when they often couldn't even inherit property from their fathers. You'll be as outraged as Mrs. Bennet is at these anachronisms . . . but you'll be assuaged to know that the worst of those bad old days are behind us.

So, if those reasons to read Pride and Prejudice appeal to you, read on as I briefly describe the story.

The Bennets have a challenge: They have five unmarried daughters who cannot inherit Mr. Bennet's entailed estate. With few prospects in the neighborhood, Mrs. Bennet is always on the hunt. Mr. Bennet views Mrs. Bennet's fascination with this challenge as being something he would like to distance himself from.

When an eligible young man moves into the area, Mrs. Bennet's instincts are engaged to the fullest. One of her daughters must marry Mr. Bingley. At the next ball, the pickings seem to improve when Mr. Bingley arrives with a friend, Mr. Darcy. Darcy "soon drew the attention of the room by his fine tall person, handsome features, noble mien; and the report . . . of his having ten thousand a year." But Mr. Darcy soon turned the fortune hunters off by only dancing with his sisters and refusing to be introduced to any of the other ladies.

Bingley finds himself very attracted to Jane Bennet and their relationship develops nicely . . . until he leaves suddenly for London with no plans to return. Jane waits for some news from him or his sisters and finds herself being cut off.

In the middle of this, Mr. Collins arrives. Collins will inherit Mr. Bennet's property upon his death. He has just received a position as a clergyman from a powerful and opinionated sponsor, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, and she has told him to get married. With four unmarried cousins, Collins decides the Bennet daughters are his best bet. In this way, he can provide a home for them and their mother after he inherits. First being inspired by Jane, he redirects his attention to Elizabeth after perceiving Jane's interest in Bingley and quickly proposes. Elizabeth will have none of it, and Collins soon finds a more enthusiastic prospect in another local family.

The younger sisters are finding themselves more than entertained by the dashing officers in a local regiment. Through this connection, Elizabeth becomes acquainted with Wickham who confides in her that Mr. Darcy had treated Wickham with great unfairness after Mr. Darcy's father's death. That's just one more nail in the coffin for the case against Mr. Darcy.

But in the background, we get hints that something is shifting. Mr. Darcy goes from finding Elizabeth to be ordinary in appearance to commenting favorably about one small aspect of her face, her mouth. But put the two of them together, and civil words do not follow. They are like oil and water.

Jane and Elizabeth eventually make it to London where both hope that Jane will reconnect with Bingley. But no such luck.

Just when things seem to be headed in a most bleak direction, a terrible event occurs that shakes everyone like an enormous earthquake. In its aftermath, each character finds herself or himself needed to re-examine their position and perceptions of one another.

Will Jane and Bingley connect with one another again? Will Elizabeth find happiness? Will Mrs. Bennet marry her daughters off? You'll just have to read the book to find out. But unlike modern novelists, remember that Jane Austen wasn't against happy endings.

Enjoy a great read!