Name: Vojtech's review of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Item: Pride and Prejudice
Rating: 5
Author: Vojtech

Jane Austen

Gill Tavner

Ann Kronheimer

Pride and Prejudice

In early nineteenth-century England, a spirited young woman copes with the suit of a snobbish gentleman, and the romantic entanglements of her four sisters.

Callyn

'In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.'

Celina Hoang Vo ♥︎

I am the happiest creature in the world. Perhaps other people have said so before, but not one with such justice. I am happier even than Jane; she only Smiles,I laugh. 

You showed me how insufficient were all my pretensions to please a woman worthy of being pleased." 

"If you will thank me," he replied, "let it be for yourself alone. That the wish of giving happiness to you might add force to the other inducements which led me on, I shall not attempt to deny. But your family owe me nothing. Much as I respect them, I believe I thought only of you." 

My mother means well; but she does not know n0. one can know, how much I suffer from what she savs. 

"Oh, Jane, had we been less secret, had we told what we knew of him, this could not have happened!" "Perhaps it would have been better" replied her sister. “But to expose the former faults of any person without knowing what their present feelings were, seemed unjustifiable. We acted with the best intentions" 

There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me"

Kitty and Lydia take his defection much more to heart than I do. They are young in the ways of the world, and not yet open to the mortifying conviction that handsome young men must have somnething to live on as well as the plain."

 But I will endeavour to banish every painful thought, and think only of what will make me happy 

You are too sensible a girl, Lizzy, to fall in love merely because you are warned against it; 

It is very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives us. Women fancy admiration means more than it does"

Duška

You are too generous to trifle with me. If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once. My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever.

I still have no clue what that 'design' would be? Like they have been talking about a possible 'worst case scenario' for at least a chapter now and I still have no idea what it would entail??? I don't know if I've read over it, or if it has not explicitly been stated but it is expected that the reader knows, or whether it is not supposed to be known to the reader

Julia Rutgers

It appears to me so very unlikely, that any young man should form such a design against a girl who is by no means unprotected or friendless

This is rather ironic, as Elizabeth is blinded by Wickham and Sees him only as he chooses to be seen. 

Tija

The world is blinded by his fortune and Consequence, or frightened by his high and imnposing manners, and sees him to only as he chooses to be seen.  

She read, with an eagerness which hardly left her power of comprehension, and from impatience of knowing what the next sentence might bring, was incapable of attending to the sense of the one before her eyes

It’s ok to have a big ego, if you have the skillzz to support it. 

" Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride - where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation." 

"I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if l have not an excellent library," 

 "Oh! I am not afraid of her dying. People do not die of little trifling colds. She will be taken good care of. As long as she stays there, it is all very well. 

All is fair in love and war, including incredibly transparent tricks. 

"Can I have the carriage?" said Jane. "No, my dear, you had better go on horseback, because it seems lia to rain and then you must stay all night.

Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance. 

To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love, 

 She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion of her." 

IT IS A TRUTH UNIVERSALLY ACKNOWLEDGED that a single man in possessIon of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. 

I'll have to agree with Elizabeth on this

Vojtech

Love is in the air when five sisters discover that a wealthy and eligible bachelor is suddenly within reach. But it is his friend, the haughty Mr. Darcy, who becomes smitten. Unfortunately for him, the object of his affection is not so easily swayed. One of the most popular characters in English literature, Elizabeth Bennet is intelligent, witty, well-spoken and ahead of her time. If the terrible rumors about Mr. Darcy are true, he doesn't stand a chance. Yet not all gossip is to be believed when marriage, money, and reputations are on the line. Will Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy circumvent her haste, his ego, and society's expectations to find love? Written more than two centuries ago, Jane Austen's enduring story of manners, family, and love continues to delight new generations of readers. AmazonClassics brings you timeless works from the masters of storytelling. Ideal for anyone who wants to read a great work for the first time or rediscover an old favorite, these new editions open the door to literature's most unforgettable characters and beloved worlds. Revised edition: Previously published as Pride and Prejudice, this edition of Pride and Prejudice (AmazonClassics Edition) includes editorial revisions.

Pride and Prejudice (Amazonclassics Edition)

I read another edition than the one marked here as I couldn’t find it (Pride and Prejudice, The Original 1813 edition - A Jane Austen classic).  And I liked it!

Vandita UN

the last third of the book was pretty great, while the first two thirds were unbearably draggy. jane bennet is so built different, my fave. charlotte kinda slay too.

but i couldn't take it seriously when austen kept saying "miss bennet" when the five miss bennets were together... i get normally it's inferrable but surely you don't have to put me through that misery through narration. 

something that irked me was charlotte and elizabeth's friendship at hunsford being mostly told, not really shown? i understand you're making me read about mr collins' and lady catherine's nonsense to push a point but if so you could've written a paragraph or two showing elizabeth actually spending time with charlotte... 

i get it's supposed to be a comedy but dear lord. kinda a slog.

morgan

the last third of the book was pretty great, while the first two thirds were unbearably draggy. jane bennet is so built different, my fave. charlotte kinda slay too.

but i couldn't take it seriously when austen kept saying "miss bennet" when the five miss bennets were together... i get normally it's inferrable but surely you don't have to put me through that misery through narration. 

something that irked me was charlotte and elizabeth's friendship at hunsford being mostly told, not really shown? i understand you're making me read about mr collins' and lady catherine's nonsense to push a point but if so you could've written a paragraph or two showing elizabeth actually spending time with charlotte... 

i get it's supposed to be a comedy but dear lord. kinda a slog.

For use in schools and libraries only. In early nineteenth-century England, a spirited young woman copes with the suit of a snobbish gentleman, as well as the romantic entanglements of her four sisters.

Isabella

jane austen’s pride and prejudice is a 61-chaptered enemies to lovers slow burn fic and mr. darcy exemplifies the popular tsundere trope. in this essay, i will discuss

really good romance, felt similar but vastly different from the movie

alyssa 

I love Pride and Prejudice, I really do. It’s wonderful. 

Amelie Wilkinson

Geraldine Alatriste López

Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work “her own darling child” and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, “as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print.” The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen’s radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.
Source: back cover

Michael Springer

Okay, I don't need to tell you this is a must-read. It is scientifically proven to be so.
 
I don't need to tell you the BBC version (i.e. the "Colin Firth" version) is the definitive film version. This is also scientifically proven.
 
What isn't yet scientifically proven is which Jane Austen horror spin-off novel is the best. I would like to submit for your consideration "Jane Bites Back," the story of a vampire Jane Austen running a small town book store and seeking revenge upon the authors writing lame spin-offs of her novels. Corny, yes, but Jane Austen spin-off novels are by definition. I've only read the chapters I can access for free online (1 - 3), so I'm not going to add it to my books yet, but if I ever get around to reading the whole thing, I'll fill you in on more details.

Victoria

it kinda confused me at first but once I got towards the end, it made more sense.

Maite Alarcon Leon

I have to be sincere, and admit it took me a great amount of time to read this book. But I loved it. Once one gets acquainted with the characters and the reality of their historical and social situation, it is a most wonderful and entertaining story that, of course, has its fair share of romance, for all of us hopeless lovers.

Barbara Heller

The Complete Novel, with Nineteen Letters from the Characters' Correspondence, Written and Folded by Hand

El toque de las cartas, la introducción de la escritora y la explicación de cada una de ellas 100/10

Ximena Cespedes

All the stars in the universe. Witty, charming, touching. But who the hell wants guests for 6 weeks?? Drink your tea and leave, thank you.

Jovana Gjekanovikj 

Bri Billaney

I can't think of a better book to use as my first review. This book changed my life. When I first read it, I literally sat for hours thinking about Mr. Darcy, Elizabeth, and their relationship mourning for the love life I never had. I always viewed this book and it's subsequent show and movie as 'chick flicks' that weren't my thing but dang I was so wrong. Loved every minute of this read, and it's now my comfort book.

Colleen

5 Stars

*This is my all time favorite book! If I could give it more than five stars, I would!*


I was thirteen or fourteen the first time I read Pride and Prejudice. I don’t remember the exact date. It was sometime in the summer between eighth and ninth grade, although I can’t recall if it was before or after my birthday. I do, however, vividly remember picking up this book in a Half Price Books and nervously asking my dad if I could have it. I don’t know why I was nervous asking for it. Maybe I sensed that this would soon become my favorite book. I was full into my Classics phase, and I felt drawn to that little book. I started reading as soon as we got home and could barely put it down. I can close my eyes and still draw up dizzy feeling of desperately wanting to find out what happens and at the same time trying to make it last because I knew how precious it is to read a great book for the first time. You can always revisit, but you can never quite recapture the trek through the unknown. But all too soon I was finished. I placed that book lovingly on my shelf knowing then that I would reread many, many times.

Now, some fourteen years later, Pride and Prejudice is still my favorite book. I still read it about once a year. Sometime all the way through and sometimes just my favorite parts. I always find something new to appreciate. It is one of those wonderful books that grows with you. Beneath the pretty love story are many life lessons as well as Austen’s magnificent wit and insight into the follies of human nature.

Austen’s influence on the genre, on pop culture, on literature in general is undeniable. Two centuries later, her work is still read and loved my millions. She followed the great writing advise of “write what you know.” And what she knew about and wrote about was everyday people and situations. And though many things have changed since her lifetime, so much of what she wrote is still relevant today. But there are two hundred years’ worth of discussion and analysis of her work, so I will limit this review to my own opinion. 

Pride and Prejudice stars one of the best female characters in literature: Elizabeth Bennet. Oh, how I longed to be her! And not primarily because of the romance. From that first reading, I was jealous of her intelligence, wittiness, optimism, determination, and her ability to laugh off insult and even laugh at herself. I longed to be described as she was. She was and is an impressive role model. In a time when a woman’s only means of living securely were to marry well, Elizabeth Bennet dared to follow her heart rather than letting others dictate her life. She chose to take risk rather than settle for the first (and second) opportunity that came along. She was also willing to admit when she was wrong and grow from that painful experience. 

The other characters are wonderful as well. They each have their own complexities and flaws. Each character is placed strategically to demonstrate some character flaw. But they are woven so brilliantly into the story that it never feels preachy or patronizing. This is no Pilgrim's Progress. It a masterpiece of human reflection and satirical wit. One of them many reasons that the countless imitations and Austen knockoffs fail is that they try to manufacture romance rather than realizing that the true brilliance of this book is that it is about so much more than falling in love.

So in no particular order, here are some of the Life Lessons from Pride and Prejudice:

•	A person’s true worth is determined by their character and their actions, not by their money or status in life.
•	Marry someone who is your intellectual equal.
•	Never let other people tell you how to live your life. Certainly do not listen to anyone who tells you that you aren’t worthy of something or someone.
•	Always live within your means and save money.
•	Know when to keep your mouth shut.
•	You can’t choose who you are related to. Love them and accept that you can’t change their faults.
•	For that matter, you can’t choose who the person you love is related to either. 
•	Never trust the smooth talking guy.
•	Don’t buy into people’s pity parties.
•	Sometimes a disappointment will lead to something much better in the long run. Meet changes with optimism and openness.
•	Don’t assume that your first impressions are always right. It is hard to avoid bias from preconceptions and overvaluing your own abilities to deduce the truth.
•	Always assume that what you say at a party will be overheard by someone.
•	People will always gossip, and there is only so much damage control you can do.
•	Putting down someone else is never a good way to recommend yourself.
•	Pride and vanity will kick you in the butt in a major way.
•	Idle minds lead to stupidity and weakness of character.
•	Integrity does matter. And it is infinitely easier to destroy than to rebuild.
•	Forgiveness is much more beneficial in the long run than holding onto righteous indignation. 


I won’t boast that the great lessons of this book are the only reasons I read it. Pride and Prejudice has one of the best love stories ever written and I love every swoon-worthy second. It still sets my little heart a flutter. But I don’t want this review to have any spoilers, so I will leave it at that. If you haven’t read Pride and Prejudice, then please read it!

This review fulfills the "Classic Romance" category of the Popsugar reading challenge. http://www.popsugar.com/love/Reading-...


01/02/21 Reread for the I've-Lost-Count-th time

I was feeling a strong urge to lose myself in Austen, so that's exactly what I did. However, for the very first time, I tried Pride and Prejudice on audiobook. By wide recommendation, I started with the audiobook narrated by Rosamund Pike. Sadly, the recommendations in this case were majorly off base. While I like Pike as an actor, her narration was atrocious. She tried way too hard to do drastic voices for the different characters which made the whole thing sound ridiculous. There is a difference between inflection and silly voices. I only made it through two chapters of her butchering my favorite book before I had to abandon ship. This seems to be a case of recommendation based on celebrity status rather than quality narration. Unfortunately, that is a common trend. Too many people think something is "better" just because a celebrity is attached to it. I did love her in the movie adaptation, but that audiobook made me cringe! Anyway, after the erudite decision to stop torturing myself, I switched to a different version narrated by one Kate Kellgren. And that, dear friends, made all the difference.


RATING FACTORS:
Ease of Reading: 5 Stars
Writing Style: 5 Stars
Characters and Character Development: 5 Stars
Plot Structure and Development: 5 Stars
Level of Captivation: 5 Stars
Originality: 5 Stars

heleen de boever

I remember reading Pride and Prejudice when I was around 14 and being largely indifferent to it, but strangely enough I really enjoyed it this time. I think I might've been too young, because I couldn't properly detect and appreciate the humour in this book. But Austen's irony and subtle mockery of middle-class conventions is delightful. To me, it's the main asset of a book which is otherwise still embedded in the somewhat vomit-inducing tradition of domestic fiction.

Ed Kay

As an English Lit graduate should have read this well before now. Of course heard amazing things but still expected to be unmoved by it. Well, I wasn't. I laughed, I cried, and what more is there?

Anja Hansen

I tried reading this several years ago, got about hundred pages in, but put it down because I couldn't get into it. Sadly, I must say that I still had to drag myself through it for my second attempt. This is only my third Austen novel, but Emma and S&S are great stuff, this is boring to say the least. Don't get me wrong, I love a good slow-paced book, but this just felt tedious. 

Also I can't see the appeal with mr Darcy, his arrogance is just too off putting and he is widely romanticized for all the wrong reasons in my opinion

Safia

le classique, mon classique préféré et ce fut un plaisir de le relire une deuxième fois après avoir visionner le film. Ça permet de vraiment se mettre à la place de Darcy et tous le monde sait à quel point on adore la place de Darcy

WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY ALEXANDER McCALL SMITH The Vintage Classics Austen series is designed by the writer and illustrator Leanne Shapton and introduced by some of our finest contemporary writers and Austen fans: Alexander McCall Smith, Lynne Truss, Amanda Vickery, Francesca Segal, P.D. James and Andrew Motion. 'The best-loved book by our best-loved novelist' Independent Elizabeth Bennet is young, clever and attractive, but her mother is a nightmare and she and her four sisters are in dire need of financial security and escape in the shape of husbands. The arrival of the affable Mr Bingley and arrogant Mr Darcy in the neighbourhoos, both single and in possession of large fortunes, turns all their lives upside down in this witty drama of friendship, rivalry, enmity and love.

ivan

this reads like old timey chesmis and i'm here for it. it was a fun ride (a bit challenging bc of the length of paragraphs and the jargon) but i get it.

Gavin

I somehow managed to read this right through without grasping an absolutely basic point - which stops it being the tittering romantic comedy it is mistaken for:

The reason everyone in this is obsessed with frilly things like suitors and débuts and balls is that marriage was the most important decision in a woman's whole life, one of the few she had power over.* You only got one shot. The result determined whether your life was an abusive wreck, or hey pretty ok. 

(At the time, to get a divorce you needed 1) to put up with it for three years, 2) to then blow the annual salary of 5 people (£200 then, ~£100,000 in today's money) bringing a fucking private Act of Parliament; 3) to publicly and credibly state your husband's "incest, sodomy, bigamy, or desertion" (not his adultery) and maybe also deal with MPs leering at your sex life. 

Oh, and no remarriage ever, i.e. no socially acceptable relationships ever again.)

All this makes the book about something important, rather than important (or readable) itself. And Austen hardly covers this grimdark aspect. But I will probably have to read it again.

---

* You might say that the primary-relationship-hunt is still the most important decision in modern people's lives. I think that's right for some people, but it's still less important than it was: now it's not the only decision in your life, and now you get to try again if you are unlucky or unwise.

First published in 1813, Pride and Prejudice is one of the most popular and beloved British novels of all-time, maintaining its allure for contemporary readers everywhere and selling millions of copies worldwide! Jane Austen’s novel tells the story of the five unmarried Bennet sisters, daughters of a humble country squire, as they deal with the issues of marriage, manners, and upbringing in English country life. Now available as part of the Word Cloud Classics series, Pride and Prejudice is a must-have addition to the libraries of all classic literature lovers.
Source: http://www.thunderbaybooks.com/product/Pride-and-Prejudice,304.aspx

Lacy W

Okay, so this book took me about 2 months to finish. It's not that it wasn't a good book, it was just difficult to read. I have not read many classics so the writing of this book really threw me. I really had to sit down and commit to this book and to what it says. 

For the first 50 pages or so, the book was actually kind of boring. Nothing really seemed to happen so that made it kind of difficult to get into. Luckily, it started to pick up. Yes, I know that a lot of books have a boring beginning but something about this one just made it incredibly slow. 

I loved Elizabeth. I loved how sassy she was and she basically gave no fs. She just did her thing. I loved the last interaction between her and Lady Catherine de Bourgh. I had a smile on my face the whole time I read that part because Lizzy was just so damn sassy! It was easily my favorite part. 

At first, I didn't care for Mr. Darcy. He was seriously so snobbish and rude. I couldn't stand him! But as he realized his feelings for Lizzy, he toned it down and actually became a much better character for me. I'm glad that him and Lizzy ended up together. I didn't appreciate waiting until literally the last 15 pages to find this out. 

As for the rest of the characters, they were okay. Jane was a sweetheart. Lydia made me want to punch a wall along with Wickham. Mrs. Bennet was annoying with her obsession to get her daughters married. I have mixed feelings about Bingley. Hopefully he proves to be a decent husband. The other characters didn't really stand out for me as much. 

As for the book in itself, it was a good book. I had to take a star off simply because it was just so damn tricky to try and read it without knowing some of what was going on. The sentence structure and the way people talked just really got me. I think I will re-read this book at a later time and see if things work out better for me. It's definitely a good classic, that is for sure.

Took awhile to finish this for the way it was written but this book made me burst into laughter several times. The Bennet family dynamic is refreshing. Pride and Prejudices indeed, for how views on people can be changed entirely once more light were shed on certain matters. 

Koh Shi Qi

Beatrix Haase

4.5/5
This book was so cute and wonderful. A great read. This was my first Jane Austen book and I absolutely loved it. I think that this book really had great character development and I enjoyed every minute of it. 

xoxo,
Bebe

I really enjoyed the book. It’s one of the first classics that I couldn’t put down. 

Meghan Navoy

I've seen the Kiera Knightley movie and the Colin Firth PBS mini series countless times and finally read the book. It was truly a delight and I enjoyed every single page and I'm sure I was smiling as I read it. I love this story and the characters SO much. I can see myself reading it again and again. It's truly amazing how relevant this story still is in 2021 America than when it was written in 18th century England. 

Elizabeth Bennett really cracks me up and I can imagine being friends with her today. I also like to imagine the Velvet Underground wrote the song Sweet Jane about the very very sweet Jane Bennett. One thing that really struck me about the difference in daily life from the book vs today is the extreme immediacy we have now. Imagine having such juicy news and having to wait days or weeks or months to tell your best friend!! I also love that a normal length visit to a friend is 2 months at their home and a 10 day visit from Lydia and Wickham is extremely brief - what a change that is from today! I love the long contemplative walks in nature they're always enjoying and collecting their thoughts. Elizabeth went to her room to lie down and regroup for a half hour after meeting with Mr Darcy before rejoining the party. It's just interesting to me how time is treated so differently now. Things would probably be better in the world if we all had more time to relax and think!!!

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