23
Jan
2010
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
I’m a bit behind in reviews…for instance, I read this one some time last month. Part of this is procrastination on my part. But part of this is also that I wanted to let it digest in my brain.
I mean, so much has been said about P&P, what could I really have to add to it…
…and also, I want to be kind of delicate here, but I don’t actually see how people can swoon over Mr. Darcy so much (oh, and btw, I figure that throwing in spoilers is fine here, because if you don’t already know the story, you’ll probably never read it anyways, and so you might as well skip on to the next post).
Here’s the thing: the man doesn’t actually change. He tolerates people he thinks are beneath him. He helpps out some people he normally wouldn’t. But do you really think he’s going to keep doing this? That he’s all egalitarian now? Is he going to hang out with strangers that he thinks are below him?
That’s not to say that I think he’s a jerk. Well, O.K., I kind of do. But so is Elizabeth. What I guess I’m trying to say is that he’s a sweet, lovable jerk…not really like the bad boys we have in so many books today, but no sweetheart. Wait, didn’t I just say that he IS sweet?
See, it’s complicated. In fact, I might actually BE Elizabeth Bennet.
And what it comes to is this: Darcy is remarkably sweet because he overcomes his pride and saves the day. But he’s still a jerk because it’s not like he has a profound change of heart and realizes he shouldn’t be all classist. He’s still essentially the same guy. The whole, “I did it all for you,” while, yes, swoon-worthy, proves my point.
While a complicated review, those are my thoughts.
Also, it’s hilarious.
Buy Pride and Prejudice on Amazon
If you like this book/author, you might like:
(my reviews in blue)
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
Bridget Jones; The edge of Reason by Helen Fielding
Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Classic Regency Romance – Now with Ultraviolent Zombie Mayhem! by Jane Austen and Seth Graham Greene
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Schaffer and Annie Barrows
Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
Rude Awakenings of a Jane Austen Addict by Laurie Viera Rigler
Lost in Austen: Create Your Own Jane Austen Adventure by Emma Campbell Webster
A Truth Universally Acknowledged: 33 Great Writers on Why We Read Jane Austen by Susannah Carson (editor)
What Would Jane Austen Do? by Laurie Brown
Austenland by Shannon Hale
The Savvy Gal’s Guide to Online Networking (Or What Would Jane Austen Do?) by
Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo
The Lost Memoirs of Jane Austen by Syrie James
According To Jane by Marilyn Brant
Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels by Deirdre Le Faye
Dear Jane Austen: A Heroine’s Guide to Life and Love by Patrice Hannon
Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
Tess of the D’Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
Becoming Jane Austen by Jon Spence
A Memoir of Jane Austen: And Other Family Recollections by James Edward Austen-Leigh
Other works by Jane Austen:
Northanger Abbey
Sense And Sensibility
Persuasion
Emma
Mansfield Park
Jane Austen’s Letters
Love and Freindship: and Other Early Works
Lady Susan the Watsons Sandition
The Beautifull Cassandra
Catharine: and Other Writings
Printed with Charles Dickens:
Two Histories of England: By Jane Austen and Charles Dickens
Printed with Charlotte Brontë
The Juvenilia of Jane Austen and Charlotte Bronte
I like your take! Reminds me it’s soon time for another reread and a BBC Pride&Prejudice marathon. I’m wondering if my prespective of Mr. Darcy might have changed over the years.
I’m going to read Austen (and this book) for the first time this year. Isn’t that sad?
Jenners, not sad at all!! I just read it (well, listened to it!) for the first time myself a couple of weeks ago. I will have a review coming shortly as well! I will saw that I am not a die-hard P&P fan! Hopefully, I will not be shunned!!
I’ve never gotten the whole Mr. Darcy love thing either. I’m a Jane Eyre girl, anyway, not an Elizabeth Bennet girl, and consequently love Mr. Rochester best; I don’t see the appeal of Mr. Darcy. He’s a bit sweet but doesn’t have much of a sense of humor, and yeah, he really doesn’t change!
I have to agree with Jenny – I do love Mr Darcy but I’ve always related more to Jane Eyre (and had a burning passion for Mr. Rochester ever since I was eight…)
That being said, I think that Mr. Darcy changes enough to prove his love for Elizabeth. If he did completely change, wouldn’t that be kind of like saying ‘become a totally new person and young women with fine eyes will love you and marry you’.
He goes against his (sour) character in order to make amends for the woman he is in love with. He overcomes his faults to the best of his ability. So I guess I’m agreeing with you, but don’t necessarily see that as a reason to write him off.
Plus at the end of the day, I think Austen is a comedian and her books are supposed to be light-hearted and fun and full of imperfect characters. (example: Emma Woodhouse)
I have a soft spot for Mr. Darcy but I totally see your point.
I really love P&P, but Mr. Darcy is really nothing to swoon over…except when its the 2005 movie!
I agree that I love P&P but that Mr. Darcy is a character that is complicated. But I think the whole thing is that he will continue to improve thanks to Elizabeth. Or something.
I have to agree with Rebecca–to the extent he does change, it’s because of Elizabeth’s good influence.
But surely part of his charm, originally, is that he was born into the ruling class and didn’t need to change. Why should a landed eighteenth-century gentleman become more egalitarian? His station is so high above ours we probably shouldn’t even be permitted to discuss him
I am still reading this one but from what I know about the book and have seen the movie version I agree with you on Mr Darcey. He is not a heart throb to me….
I, too, will be reading this for the first time this year. I put it on our book club’s list as my choice of a classic. I got a groan or two – so, we’ll see how it goes! Thanks for your take on the book.
I’d highly recommend checking out “Persuasion” if you haven’t already read it. I’ve always thought it was an underrated Austen book and the characters do actually change!
I’ve got P&P coming up on my list very soon. I want to say it is a re-read but I’m not sure I’ve actually read it! I’ve a couple of Austen-inspired novels in my pile to review so I want to read the real deal and have it fresh in my mind. Thanks for your take on Darcy.