Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice review of the book and novel

The Jane Austen novel, Pride and Prejudice is one of Jane Austen's most

dearly loved books. Pride and Prejudice has been studied by numerous people at school and university. Pride and Prejudice is the story of how the Bennet sisters Elizabeth and Jane come to marry their soul mates, Mr Darcy and Mr Bingley. The topics covered in this review of the Jane Austen novel - Pride and Prejudice are:

Pride and Prejudice Review
Pride and Prejudice Merchandise and Gifts

Pride and Prejudice review

Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s most famous work, and in many people’s opinion (including my own) one of the greatest works of fiction written in the English language. It contains all the elements necessary for great literature; captivating plot, fascinating characters, a witty, engaging style and appropriate setting. Although not autobiographical, through the character of Elizabeth Bennet we get a glimpse of Jane Austen herself – of what she values and believes in, and of the way in which she sees and judges the people and world around her.

Jane Austen’s intended audience was to young ladies, many of whom will have identified with the plight of the Bennet daughter’s – gaining a husband who would enable them to at least maintain them in the standard of living they had come from, while hopefully being someone that they could love and respect. Although I believe that Austen’s primary purpose was to write an entertaining and engaging novel, it is also clear that she wished to warn these young ladies about the danger of making snap judgements about the young men that they met, and judging too quickly by ‘First Impressions’, which was the original title for Pride and Prejudice.

When Elizabeth first meets Mr. Darcy she observes his haughty manners and decides that she does not like him. This judgement is augmented when she overhears his conversation with Mr. Bingley in which he says she is not handsome enough to tempt him to dance – in fact, she is only tolerable! By contrast she is attracted to the dashing officer, Mr. Wickham, who charms her with his attention and good manners. As she gives way to her feelings in response to these first impressions, she prejudices her own good judgement, to both her own detriment, and ultimately, to the downfall of her sister.

“You begin to comprehend me, do you?” cried he, turning towards her.

“Oh! Yes – I understand you perfectly.”…

“I did not know before,” continued Bingley immediately, that you were a studier of character. It must be an amusing study.”

“Yes, but intricate characters are the most amusing. They have at least that advantage.”

Elizabeth Bennet considered herself to be a studier of character, the consciousness of which mortifies her when she realises how dreadfully mistaken she has been in some of her judgements. Jane Austen was obviously a very acute observer of the people around her. Her characters are very complex and true to life. She has a particular gift with her comic characters, and this is through her observations of real people, noting their inconsistencies and idiosyncrasies with real perception.

“Mr Darcy is not to be laughed at!” cried Elizabeth. “That is an uncommon advantage, and uncommon I hope it will continue, for it would be a great loss to me to have many such acquaintance. I dearly love a laugh.” …

“I hope I never ridicule what is wise or good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies, do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can…” (chapter11)

Austen’s audience has long been entertained by the character sketches given us in Mr Collins, who, she tells us was “altogether a mixture of pride and obsequiousness, self-importance, and humility.” and of Mrs. Bennet, with all her nervousness and folly. Her contradictions are often particularly funny.

“For my part, I am determined never to speak of it again to anybody. I told my sister Philips so the other day. But I cannot find out that Jane saw anything of him in London. Well, he is a very undeserving young man – and I do not suppose there’s the least chance in the world of her ever getting him now. There is no talk of his coming to Netherfield again in the summer; and I have enquired of everybody, too, who is likely to know.”

“I do not believe that he will ever live at Netherfield any more.”

“Oh well! It is just as he chooses. Nobody wants him to come. Though I shall always say that he used my daughter extremely ill; and if I was her, I would not have put up with it. Well, my comfort is, I am sure Jane will die of a broken heart; and then he will be sorry for what he has done.”(ch.40)

Another way in which Elizabeth resembles Jane Austen is in her relationship to her sister. Elizabeth is very fond of her elder sister Jane, and regards her as her superior in good nature. She is extremely loyal to Jane, and part of her extreme dislike for Mr. Darcy is because he wounded Jane. Jane Austen was likewise very fond of her elder sister, Cassandra. In one of her letters to her niece, Austen recommended that the niece seek the council of Cassandra rather than herself, as she trusted Cassandra’s judgement more than her own.

If it is true that ‘imitation is the most sincere form of flattery’ then the plot of Pride and Prejudice is obviously one which stands the test of time, having been mimicked numerous times since the book was written – The heroine meets the hero and forms an immediate dislike to him, while he continues to admire her. She is deceived by the antihero, and gradually discovers her errors in judgement, as one continues to prove his worthiness, while the other proves his worthlessness. The tension builds as she wonders whether her realisation of his worth will prove to be too late.

The reason, I believe, that Pride and Prejudice has so well stood the test of time is this wonderful combination of believable characters, an engaging plot, and witty style, all drawn from Jane Austen’s own insightful observations of the world. Though her intended audience were young ladies of her own time, Jane Austen still has the ability to impart her wisdom along with entertainment to all her readers today.

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Jane Austen Novel - Pride and Prejudice Review

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