Pride and Prejudice - Em, Syl and their alteregos..ANYONE ELSE IS MORE THAN WELCOME

[Ahtims]

This is my first woman oriented book read at the age of 12. I remember because I dug it out from among my mother's books. (My mother is MA Lit who got married while doing PhD and as is the norm of those days, gave up her studies and career to "settle down")
This was a hardcopy - white background with a yellow bordered picture of many people,perhaps including Elizabeth and Darcy.. in early 19th century attire.
I was mesmerized by the picture. I knew what pride was, had to look up prejudice in dictionary. And my mother even told me that I am too young to understand it properly. But I persisted, finished it, and found it okay. Second read was around 16 or 17 when I had a better grasp. After that I guess I have read it atleast 3 or 4 times.
This is the first time I am trying to think out loud why I like this book so much. (to the extent of perhaps punching friends who claim that they find it mediocre at the best).

So anyone else free to, please join me in to discuss the book , positive as well as negative aspects. :)

[Ahtims]

Pride and Prejudice


BLURB

First published in 1813, "Pride and Prejudice," Jane Austen's witty comedy of manners - one of the most popular novels of all time - tells the story of Mr and Mrs Bennet's five unmarried daughters after the rich and eligible Mr Bingley and his status-conscious friend, Mr Darcy, have moved into their neighbourhood. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." So begins the novel, that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues.

[Ahtims]

Upto Chapter 7

I used to love Mr. Bennet for his scathing sarcasm, mostly directed towards his wife and daughters.
But this time round, am finding him insufferable. Perhaps by now, the grownup me is well aware of gender sensitization and is feeling sympathy towards Mrs. Bennet and her younger daughters.
If I were Elizabeth I would have given him as sharp as it gets, just to defend her mother and sisters who are perhaps a bit superficial. But a good husband and father would know the faults, and try to improvise rather than to make fun of those, even if only in the family circle.

[Ahtims]

Darcy says - " even tribals can dance" - in a derogatory way, which I abhorred.
Minus points to him.
How dare he think he and his race is superior to tribals. Each person is superior in his own way.

[Rebecca]

I totally love this book too. Though I have read many other Austens this one remains the ultimate. Had read it once in my teebs and later listened to the audio version from librivox year before last. Loved it both times.

[Jaya]

Enjoy Syl.
I recently listened to the librivox audio dont think i wld hv manged to finish it, had i been reading the book

There comes a punch...

[Ahtims]

Jaya wrote: "Enjoy Syl.
I recently listened to the librivox audio dont think i wld hv manged to finish it, had i been reading the book

There comes a punch..."

Yes, hope it gave moderate pain... at least you rated it 3 stars. :P

[Ahtims]

Rebecca wrote: "I totally love this book too. Though I have read many other Austens this one remains the ultimate. Had read it once in my teebs and later listened to the audio version from librivox year before las..."

I am savoring this. Started while ironing clothes today. Due to my ill health no jogging today, but perhaps I will resume tomorrow.

[Terrence]

The essence of the book is the “pride” of Darcy and the “prejudice” of Elisabeth against him and the subsequent resolutions thereof. Darcy has an inborn pride in him that makes him, at his first introduction to the reader, unpopular at the assembly ball. “His manners gave a disgust...for he was discovered to be proud; to be above his company and above being pleased.” Elizabeth is immediately prejudiced against him.
Nevertheless, despite his pride he, against his will, falls in love with Elizabeth. And his love reaches a climax when at “Rosings” he declares his love to her.
However, by then Elizabeth is completely prejudiced against him. She believes Wickam’s story of how Darcy has mistreated and ruined him. Further, she has learnt that Darcy has been instrumental in breaking off Bingley’s love affair with her sister, Jane.
Hence, she refuses his offer and she is also angered by his way of proposing to her. He is confident that Elizabeth, being on a lower social level than he, will jump at his offer. She says: “had you behaved in a more gentlemanlike manner...”
Darcy is humbled by her refusal of his love and ponders over her remark, “Had you behaved in a more gentlemanlike manner...” He begins to change and his pride to disappear and his love for her strengthens.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth’s prejudice also diminishes. When she reads his letter she believes in the rascality of Wickam and realizes that Darcy is, after all, not the “bad guy” she thought he was. When she visits “Pemberly” with Mr and Mrs Gardiner, the splendour of the place dazzles her. Her encounter there with Darcy and his changed, “gentlemanlike” behavior further draws her to him: she reciprocates his love and begins to love him, all her prejudice resolved!
Then came Lydia’s elopement with Wickam and the role Darcy played in bringing about their marriage. Her gratitude to him further strengthens her regard and love for him.
The introduction of Mr Collins into the novel with his silly, odd behaviour and his preoccupation with the magnificence of “Rosings” brings some “comic relief” to the story and adds much to the popularity of the novel.
At the same time the author makes a point re the marriage of Charlotte with Mr Collins.
Charlotte is not “in love” with Mr Collins, though she marries him. She wants to settle down in life and have a good home. Despite his idiosyncrasies, Mr Collins is a respectable man with a good income. I think the point that Jane Austen wishes to make is that passionate love is not an essential prerequisite to a happy marriage and a happy family life; that “falling in love” before marriage as advocated by the Bennet sisters is not essential.

[Parikhit]

Yet again, I am one of those very few men who loved Pride and Prejudice!! The charming Mr. Darcy, headstrong Elizabeth Bennet.

How many of us had a crush of either of them?? Well in this case mostly Mr. Darcy for the number of men reading this book is so very meagre.

It annoys me that most label it as a love tale. It is so much more. The take on life at that point of time, the society, the civility. Also, many have argued that all Jane Austen writes of are women waiting for eligible men! That again is not entirely true.

[Ahtims]

I totally agree Parikhit