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Pride & Prejudice (New Windmill)
This is my favorite book of all time. I have read it so many times that the cover is falling off and the spine is incredibly damaged. Basically, Pride and Prejudice focuses on Elizabeth Bennet, a young and independent woman whose mother is trying to marry off her and her sisters to the highest bidder. They have several suitors, including Mr. Darcy, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Wickham. At first glance, Pride and Prejudice seems just like a regular Regency romance (making you wonder why it is such a widely acclaimed book); however, it is much more than that.In Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen offers social commentary on a wide range of subjects, including corruption of the Church, marriage, and women's rights. In addition, each time I read it, I realize more and more that not only is Jane Austen a genius, but she also has a great sense of humor (this can been seen through Mr. Collins, the wordy church leader, Mrs. Bennet, Elizabeth's social-climbing mother, and many of the other characters). Several of the minor characters are used as stereotypes in order to get Austen's point across (for example, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, one of the snobbiest rich women in all of literature, and Lydia, Elizabeth's flighty youngest sister).Even if you don't care about Jane Austen's views on the society of her time, Pride and Prejudice still offers a lot. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy have perfect chemistry, as do Jane and Mr. Bingley. Elizabeth is way ahead of her time--no women of her stature were expected to be picky about who they married, but Elizabeth is not willing to settle for anything but the best. Then of course, there's the idea that you shouldn't judge people before you get to know them and that you shouldn't let your pride get in the way of your opinions about others (hence the name Pride and Prejudice).This book is great for everyone-it contains romance, comedy, and even politics of Austen's time. Although the language might be hard to understand at first, it's definitely worth reading.
Pride & Prejudice (New Windmill)
It is almost 200 years since "Pride and Prejudice" was first published. It ought to be the equivalent in literature of those faded, dried flowers that used to be found pressed between the pages of the old family bible. Instead it is redolent of freshly cut flowers still carrying a sprinkling of morning dew.The freshness and the perfection of form are certainly astonishing. Jane Austin is as good as story teller as ever picked up a pen, knowing exactly how to construct plots, and what incidents and dialogues to detail in full and what to briefly summarize. Her "world" is small but intricately constructed. Every characteristic, quality and idea has a precise and fixed value, all being ranked strictly and sternly according to decorum, logic and morality.Despite its architectural perfection, however, a recent re-reading reveals one or two construction features that are questionable. How could it be, for example that Fitzwilliam Darcy could have such a dragon for an aunt? I also wonder about the friendship between Darcy and Bingley. How did it begin? It is obviously important to each, but we are given nothing of its history.Jane Austen lived long enough to see this book published and enjoyed amongst her own family and a small readership. Her mother entertained family members with it, reading it, in Jane Austen's estimation, a little too quickly. Distinguished British actress Lindsay Duncan reads it with perfect timing and inflexion in this highly recommended audio tape format, which presents the novel in an unabridged version of just over twelve hours.
Pride & Prejudice (New Windmill)
Pride and Prejudice is the best book I have ever read. This novel is so wonderful, I wish I had never read it just so I could read it again! The wonderful charactes and charming plot make this novel one of the best of all time. Its wit and charm make any reader simply fall in love with it. I highly reccomend it!
Pride & Prejudice (New Windmill)
If you like this kind of story...Pride and Prejudice is the best relationship story I have ever read. There have been many off-springs, sequels, movies etc. in the tradition of P&P. Jane Austen is the master of interpersonal relationships and her tales take us back to a gentle era where things not being equal, women have to make the most of whatever situation they are born into. Austen introduces us to Elizabeth Bennett, a strong woman who is a devoted sister and daughter and very honest with her heart. She has become one of my favorite heroines in Literature not only because of her heart, but also for her ability to grow. One of the most enjoyable aspects of this book was watching as the main characters are transformed throughout the telling. Mr. Darcy, who is perhaps one of the more idealized men in fiction, recognizes his weaknesses through Elizabeth and she in turn learns from him.The cast of characters are some of Austen's most unforgettable. Mr. Collins the dim-witted cousin who thinks he is quite a pious man and a good catch for any women. The annoyingly cheeky Lydia, Mrs. Bennett the nagging mother with not much upstairs, but good intentions none the less, and many more. They all held my interest throughout the book and left me wanting more of them. I highly recommend this book to be read and re-read many times. You will see how great characters are developed and a great relationship is formed.
Pride & Prejudice (New Windmill)
Pride And Prejudice, two of the worst things in our society (since like...forever). Elizabeth Bennet is a strong, fiesty, witty and attractive young woman who, with her five sisters and onlooking snobbish mother, finds her unexpected true love. At their first meeting, Mr. Darcy, a very wealthy very arrogant young man, shuns Elizabeth unintentially. But later, he begins to admire her and her frankness to him. With all the family difficulties (very humorous) and getting over Elizabeth's prjudice and Darcy's pride, will Elizabeth and Darcy ever stop fighting long enough to realize that their in love?
Pride & Prejudice (New Windmill)
I found that this novel is one of the best I have ever read. When I was young, I read Nancy Drew, Perry Mason, and Agatha Christie novels like food. I found the titles of such classics as Pride and Predjudice, One Flew over the cuckoos nest, The Great Gatsby, Death of a Saleman, and Wuthering Heights, to be pretentious; and if they didn't have murder and suspense, I didn't bother opening the cover. But one day while watching A&E, I saw a glimpse of the BBC production of Pride and Prejudice, and I was hooked. I was amazed that a book written way before my time could be of any worth. After watching the movie, I picked up the book, and read it from cover to cover. I found that Mr. Darcy and Ms. Bennett were intriguing characters, and I was utterly surprised when Mr. Darcy confessed his "ardent love" for her, also when he wrote the long letter of rebuttal to her claims to his bad character. At first, you despise Mr. Darcy, but as the book progresses, you find yourself liking him more and more. This whole book was very well-written and interesting, and now ranks with my favorite novels of all time, along with the classics listed above. For those who don't see how special and unique this book is, I suggest that you watch the video (starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth), because anyone who has ever seen it that i know of has turned into a huge english literature fan.