Pride and Prejudice Review
PRIDE AND PREJUDICE (AUDIO)
BY JANE AUSTEN
Summary:
Elizabeth Bennet, clever and lively, is both curious and irritated by Mr. Darcy, a wealthy man who is a friend and mentor to Mr. Bingley, who has just bought property nearby. Surrounded by four sisters, Elizabeth sees the challenge of marrying well and shrugs off a slight by Mr. Darcy, and later firmly declines a proposal from her awkward cousin, determined that only the deepest love can satisfy her.
Everything changes when the charming George Wickham arrives in town to join the militia and is publicly rejected by Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth quickly accepts the worst rumors about the proud, stubborn man. But does Mr. Darcy's condescending demeanor and reserve truly reflect his character and prejudice? Or has Elizabeth's pride kept her from discovering her true match?
Why This Book?
Every year, like a wanderer returning home, I choose a Jane Austen book to reread. I have yet to decide which of her novels is my absolute favorite, but I enjoy disappearing into Regency England.
Expectations?
I have always been fond of Pride and Prejudice, but what really pulls me in is the brilliance of its tempo, pacing, and intrigue, along with its use of language and setting. Listening to the audio version, I also enjoyed the narrator's voice, which brings the story to life and complements the language.
What stood out?
How does Austen do it? Generation after generation read in awe, spellbound by her tales of 18th-century England, and yet they are relatable to today. Misjudgment, pride, prejudice (of course), disappointment, frivolity, vanity, and a lack of accountability are all characteristics of our day and age. Also, kindness, sisterhood, patience, determination, admiration, and love are things we can relate to. Austen’s writing is truly timeless, yet it feels like a time capsule inked forever on paper.
I noticed the theme of human behavior's complexity. People are always changing, evolving, and growing. If they are not, they are rebelling against a natural order and ending up left behind. When Elizabeth reads the letter Mr. Darcy gives her after his condescending proposal, she recognizes her mistake. Although she was correct in her assessment of Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine De Burgh, and the Bingleys, she was greatly mistaken about Wickham and Darcy.
“Till this moment I never knew myself.”
There is a shift in her perspective, and with the new knowledge of Wickham's villainy, she must adjust her thinking. She recognizes that she has transitioned from one version of herself to another. It’s like the idea that once something is known, it cannot be unknown. Once Elizabeth realizes Wickham’s faults, she can no longer trust his word. And what was his word? This also causes her to reevaluate Darcy, who may have social faults, but are they character flaws or is his discretion admirable?
“But people themselves alter so much, that there is something new to be observed in them for ever.”
One aspect of this story that can sometimes be overlooked is the change in people, and we must assume, after the story ends. People change every day, every minute, and we should not categorize or assume things about them. Whether someone lives in the city or the country, change is always happening. If not in people, then in the land and seasons. There is always something to observe.
“The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and everyday confirms my belief of the inconsistencies of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense.”
This is where we get closer to the core of the story. Appearances can be deceptive or give a false impression. How many times have you or I assumed the best of someone well-dressed and the worst of someone living on the street? We let our minds make unwarranted assumptions, failing to truly judge a person's character. Austen neatly explains that, as we grow older, we realize that our minds deceive us: those who should be honest are often dishonest, and those who are overlooked or oppressed are often honorable. Then people change.
In a world eager to digitize and dehumanize society, it’s refreshing to read about the complexity of human life, the idea that people change so much, and that many things cannot be calculated, only experienced. Data can analyze what it learns from the past, but a person can sense, read, notice, and recognize when change is happening—large or small—that can potentially alter a person’s life forever.
What was gained?
Every time I read Pride and Prejudice, I gain a new appreciation for really good writing. It isn’t just the story and the characters but also the tone, language, balance, tension, and themes. Then, of course, it is the conviction of not judging people too quickly, of not being too quick to see others’ faults, and of not being negligent in seeing one’s own faults.
Although it is not a fantasy world, to someone living in the digital age, surrounded by more concrete than nature, Austen’s world almost feels like one. Even with all the progress for women and our independence, there still seems to be a sense of captivity, a limitation on our gender. We still live in a man’s world and are trying to find our place in it. Elizabeth’s defiance of Mr. Collins, Mr. Darcy (pre-proposal), and even Lady Catherine de Burgh—because sometimes women are against women—reminds me, even today, of the importance of knowing one’s identity, not being forced into a life that pleases others, and speaking up for oneself. All of this occurs in a setting where the characters have space to breathe, can take long walks, or look over a rocky mountain without industrial interference. It is quite breathtaking—a relief and a balm to the spirit.