Saturday 12 February 2011

Pride and Prejudice ~ Jane Austen

We’re all familiar with this famous love story between Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett. But since I have never written a review on it, and I just reread the story over Christmas, I decided now was a great time to post my thoughts. :)

I like this book immensely. Ms. Austen does a great job of developing the characters personalities; you feel that you are embodying Elizabeth as you read her thoughts. Austen does not describe the characters’ physical characteristics though. I suppose she wanted us readers to determine for ourselves whether Elizabeth was a brunette or a redhead; whether Mr. Bingley had a beard, etc.

The book is long, as is most classic literature, but it is worth persevering to the end when the two main characters finally come together. Personally after having read it so much I pay most attention to the dialogue, which is really the highlight of this book. There are several areas though where it would have been beneficial if Austen had told us who was speaking. I had to reread parts of the conversation so I could decipher who said what.

Another aspect of this story that I truly love is all the letters. Darcy’s letter of defense written to Lizzie is a pivotal point in the novel. Giving the reader important information via a letter makes the book feel more intimate.

I would encourage everyone to read this novel just once. It really is worth all the hype surrounding it.

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