Author: Jane Austen
Narrator: Fio Gibson
Playtime: 11hrs 29m
Publisher: Recorded Books
Genre: Classics, Historical Fiction, Romance
First published January 28, 1813
Book description: 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.
Review:
This is a reread. I started a slow trek into the classic works. At first, they feel overwhelming and difficult to get through so picking Jane Austen's work was a great idea.
It is not only one of the most known Romance novels and also you have so many adaptations and references to it that you kind of already know the gist of it. The language is easy to understand, it's a pretty quick read.
While reviewing books can always feel like a daunting challenge, when you attempt to review a classic, the pressure is felt tenfold. I don't think I felt prepared to review this book the first time I read it. Even after reading all her works, and having invested a few years into reading more consistently, I do not feel like I can give an objective review for it.
Be warned this will be a very subjective review. Not my first attempt at it either.
Let's dive into it.
The plot, well it is very predictable for a Historical Romance novel. I do not mean it as a negative thing, its just stating a fact. It has been thoroughly analyzed, criticized, and commented upon by thousands of readers, is surprising, at a glance, not that original, especially if you see this as a pure romance novel. There are many complications resulting from multiple relationships (or attempts of relationships), but overall, there are many similarities. After all, if something works, there is no need to change it up.
What makes this book stand out is the sly humor, witty observations, the way social commentary is introduced almost seamlessly into the narrative, and the deep understanding of the morals of the characters. If there is something Austen does faultlessly is her characters, they are so charming you fall for them. In my opinion, all the characters are well-written and flushed out, something you don't come across regularly in literature.
The main character Elizabeth gets the most likable points, she's witty, independent (for the time period especially), outspoken but still with great desires to be a proper lady. Not to mention lively, curious, and confident, and yet she does not cross that 'too perfect' Mary Sue cliche we have come to see in a lot of historical romance novels.
Darcy, well what can we say, he is a very reserved young man. But he cares deeply for people once he lets them into his shell and goes out and beyond to 'protect' them. Yes, he makes mistakes, but he's only human and he does sincerely try his best to make up for his missteps. I'm referring to his strong opposition to Bingley's pursuit of Jane.
The rest of the cast are also complex with their own flaws and dreams, making them entertaining to follow.
Also considering that it was written over 200 years ago, some social constructs are a bit dated, yet you do not feel like the reasoning or common sense is thrown out the window in the middle of the book, which I think helps maintain that timelessness.
I gave this
This was used for challenges:
AYeartaho: Reread
Classics
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