I Finally Read It!

[tmbreck]

"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun."

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

When I began reading this, I wasn't expecting to actually like it all that much. Given the time period it was from, I expected to hate most, if not all, of the characters. Instead, what I found was a lead character who was strong and independent without being anachronistic. I loved the language and the flow of the story itself, and can see how it has stood the test of time. It doesn't fall back on the easy crutch of people just not talking, but actually uses the character's personalities to create drama.

I've heard a lot about Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy, however, what really stuck with me is the lovely relationship between Elizabeth and Jane. In the early part of the story, I only felt Elizabeth's love for Jane, and how she acted toward her saved her from being a totally arrogant and self-congratulating character.

Speaking of, I actually enjoy that Elizabeth started out that way (IMO). She was shown with this major flaw, shown to not even realize it, yet it was acknowledged (in a very loving and soft way) by Jane. It was very satisfying to witness Elizabeth's evolution, as well as the evolution of her relationship with Mr. Darcy.

While I'm very happy Elizabeth and Darcy got their happy ending, I'm also glad that there wasn't a magic 'everyone's happy' ending. I'm also glad to see that, through Charlotte and Mr. Collins, we're shown that there is more than one way for a marriage to be happy.

All in all, I get the hype and find that the book is more than worth it.

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