Let me first reminisce about the first time I fell in love with Mr. Darcy: It was a cold winter (or was it spring?) night in 1995, and I was tucked in a blanket, snuggling closely to my older sister. Colin Firth Proudly dashes his way onto the TV screen, and with a scowl on his handsome face says, "She is tolerable; But she is not handsome enough to tempt me." For a child who was raised on Disney Princesses singing about love, it was easy for me to get swept into the Longbourns and Pemberlies of Jane Austen's upper-class England. I'm no longer the seven-year old girl that sings Disney songs in make-believe ball gowns, Pride and Prejudice still holds a special place in my heart.

In Elizabeth Bennet, Austen creates a heroine who-- with all her intelligence and common sense-- is held down in life by societal norms. Austen always questions the position that women hold in society. And even though in modern times we aren't constrained by corsets, bodices, or the entailment of our father's estate to a distant cousin, we still have many obstacles to face. People are always complaining about Jane Austen's books being irrelevant today, but I disagree. She always writes about universal themes: love, social class,perception vs. reality, family dynamics, and in this case the foolishness of always believing our first impressions.

The dialogue is full of humour, and very fast-paced. There are plenty of "laugh out loud" moments in the book (thanks to Mr. Collins, and Mrs. Bennet). A critic correctly describes this book as "The DNA of all romantic comedy", because with all its wit, there are also many parts in the book that would make any girl swoon.

The romance between Elizabeth and Darcy, although very restrained, adds to the chemistry that makes this love story so irresistible. It's not through passionate kisses that establishes the romance, but through little gestures, letters, and stolen stares from across the room.

Pride and Prejudice is a book that I will read over and over again. Every time I read it I have found (and will find) a newer different meaning within its pages. I hope that everyone will give this book a try.