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A review by vexcrest_113
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
funny
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
As one of the most famous and beloved romances of all time, and as a romantic myself, it's surprising to me that I never checked out Pride & Prejudice. I had heard about it, but I never thought to either read it or watch the various adaptations that exist of it. It never caught my attention because all I ever learned about it was that Mr. Darcy, the main love interest, was considered the poster boy for attractive men with cold, arrogant demeanors that require a woman to thaw their hearts.
With that in mind, I was worried Darcy as a character would appear boring or overdone due to many men in modern stories being written to emulate him. As a pleasant surprise, that wasn't the case at all.
The relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth is the best part of the book, though it takes up not as many pages as you would think, and the two both prove to be flawed but good people. Darcy isn't a bad man, or even a mean one, despite what his aloof nature might imply. He's charming and earnest, with fairly progressive views for the time period, and the positive growth he displays is something all people, not just men, should aspire to mimic. He's a very likeable character, and it isn't hard to see why he has remained so famous in fictional circles.
Elizabeth, by her own right, is an interesting female lead in a story rooted in outdated, sexist ideals. Elizabeth is considered too outspoken and bold for a woman of her time, and her mother in particular is against her for having the crazy idea that she wishes to marry for love instead of money. It would be easy to make a character like this and have her be perfect. A feminist icon. However, Elizabeth is littered with her own weaknesses, and her very attitude is part of this because she is quick to judge others without holding herself to similar high standards. If she were alive today, she would be making internet posts about "not being like other girls." Humbling both her and Darcy is necessary to make them a functional and happy pairing.
My biggest problem with the book is that said pairing is not given adequate focus. The romance between them is frequently pushed into the background while other drama takes the spotlight. While having a greater story is good, Darcy and Elizabeth ultimately don't get the time they need for their relationship to feel satisfying in the end. This is a problem of many romances.
The cast and story beyond the famed duo are built on pettiness and women being mercilessly catty. There is not a character in this story, other than Jane, who doesn't view all other women as ugly competition for finding attractive, wealthy suitors. Insults are thrown around constantly, even between friends and family, and more often than not the sexist views of the time are pushed by women onto each other than by any men.
I'm sure it's an accurate portrayal, but depending on your tolerance for such catty behavior, it may be exhausting.
What is really exhausting is the writing. Being an old book, it's written with a posh, refined manner, and all the characters speak in an exceedingly elegant way that can turn a simple sentence into a lengthy paragraph due to prose. Even if you do understand everything being said, it can be tiresome to process anyway because it's hundreds of pages of nothing but that kind of narration.
The treatment of Lydia, Elizabeth's youngest sister, may make some readers uncomfortable due to it being the most extreme and vile case of sexism in the story. Being only a teenage girl, Lydia is the victim of scorn and slut-shaming by her own family for being used by an older, manipulative man. It's not graphic in its description of her abuse at his hands, but the ridicule she receives is spoken of at great length and may rub readers the wrong way if they are sensitive to this type of victim-blaming.
The ending is disappointing and written in a peculiar way that took me out of the story at the last possible moment. Still, it didn't ruin the book, and I don't regret reading Pride & Prejudice.
It's nothing amazing, but the characters are good enough to make the rest of the book worth the time.
With that in mind, I was worried Darcy as a character would appear boring or overdone due to many men in modern stories being written to emulate him. As a pleasant surprise, that wasn't the case at all.
The relationship between Darcy and Elizabeth is the best part of the book, though it takes up not as many pages as you would think, and the two both prove to be flawed but good people. Darcy isn't a bad man, or even a mean one, despite what his aloof nature might imply. He's charming and earnest, with fairly progressive views for the time period, and the positive growth he displays is something all people, not just men, should aspire to mimic. He's a very likeable character, and it isn't hard to see why he has remained so famous in fictional circles.
Elizabeth, by her own right, is an interesting female lead in a story rooted in outdated, sexist ideals. Elizabeth is considered too outspoken and bold for a woman of her time, and her mother in particular is against her for having the crazy idea that she wishes to marry for love instead of money. It would be easy to make a character like this and have her be perfect. A feminist icon. However, Elizabeth is littered with her own weaknesses, and her very attitude is part of this because she is quick to judge others without holding herself to similar high standards. If she were alive today, she would be making internet posts about "not being like other girls." Humbling both her and Darcy is necessary to make them a functional and happy pairing.
My biggest problem with the book is that said pairing is not given adequate focus. The romance between them is frequently pushed into the background while other drama takes the spotlight. While having a greater story is good, Darcy and Elizabeth ultimately don't get the time they need for their relationship to feel satisfying in the end. This is a problem of many romances.
The cast and story beyond the famed duo are built on pettiness and women being mercilessly catty. There is not a character in this story, other than Jane, who doesn't view all other women as ugly competition for finding attractive, wealthy suitors. Insults are thrown around constantly, even between friends and family, and more often than not the sexist views of the time are pushed by women onto each other than by any men.
I'm sure it's an accurate portrayal, but depending on your tolerance for such catty behavior, it may be exhausting.
What is really exhausting is the writing. Being an old book, it's written with a posh, refined manner, and all the characters speak in an exceedingly elegant way that can turn a simple sentence into a lengthy paragraph due to prose. Even if you do understand everything being said, it can be tiresome to process anyway because it's hundreds of pages of nothing but that kind of narration.
The treatment of Lydia, Elizabeth's youngest sister, may make some readers uncomfortable due to it being the most extreme and vile case of sexism in the story. Being only a teenage girl, Lydia is the victim of scorn and slut-shaming by her own family for being used by an older, manipulative man. It's not graphic in its description of her abuse at his hands, but the ridicule she receives is spoken of at great length and may rub readers the wrong way if they are sensitive to this type of victim-blaming.
The ending is disappointing and written in a peculiar way that took me out of the story at the last possible moment. Still, it didn't ruin the book, and I don't regret reading Pride & Prejudice.
It's nothing amazing, but the characters are good enough to make the rest of the book worth the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual harassment, Classism
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Grief
Minor: Death, Incest, Death of parent