Rating: 
Summary: A Lovely Edition of a Classic Novel!
Review: Someone once said that a classic work of literature is one which everyone loves to be able to acknowledge having read but which no one actually enjoys reading. To be fair, there is some justification in this sentiment, as many classic novels are not readily accessable to readers not versed in various literary devices, symbolism, and so on. Fortunately, Pride and Prejudice does NOT fall into that category. It is a novel which has an interesting, captivating story that is easily accessible and humorous yet intelligent, insightful and extremely witty--in short, it's a novel which is a joy to read and re-read. It is also my favourite Austen novel. Briefly, for those unfamiliar with the novel, the story concerns Miss Elizabeth Bennet, a spirited, quick-witted and intelligent (not to mention beautiful) young woman from a family of modest means, and the wealthy Mr. Darcy, a handsome but very reserved and indeed proud young man. Darcy falls in love with Elizabeth albeit against his will (for he deems her to be socially inferior and cannot abide her silly mother and sisters). Elizabeth (who displays a quickness to judge others based on appearances and "first impressions"), however, does not care for the arrogant, proud, ill-mannered Mr. Darcy. It is the tension between these two main characters that comprises the central story and gives it its spark. I won't say any more, for I don't wish to give the story away. Suffice it to say that although it takes place some 200 years ago, it is every bit as relevant today as it was then, for human nature is no different now than it ever was. Now to address the merits of this particular edition. (As reviews unfortunately are posted next to all editions, regardless of the one to which they may apply, the edition to which I refer is the hardcover Modern Library edition with the picture of Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle on the cover). Generally, when one is looking to purchase a hardcover of one of the classics it is because one is looking for an edition that will be a more permanent addition to his or her library--one that looks nice and that can, perhaps, be passed on to future generations. Personally, my first choice for hardcovers of the classics are those published by the Folio Society. Having said that, this edition has a lot to recommend it. Most importantly, it is printed on acid-free paper, so it will last without the pages turning brown (unlike those nice-looking but disappointingly cheap-quality bargain hardcovers one usually finds on the sale table in one's local bookstore). Secondly, the print is beautifully crisp and clear. The print is not as large as one might hope for in a hardcover, but it is a vast improvement over the cheap "mass market" type paperbacks. Actually, I was surprised to find that it's only minimally smaller than my Easton Press edition, although the lines are further apart in the latter edition (which does make a bit of a difference). As if that's not enough to recommend this edition, it has the added benefit of being housed in a very attractive dust jacket which looks beautiful alongside the BBC/A&E video collection--the definitive dramatisation of the novel and definitely a must-see. (This edition was initially released as a companion to the video collection). In conclusion, I give 5 stars for the story, and I have no hesitation in giving 5 stars for the Modern Library edition of the novel--it's a lovely edition. Considering the quality, it is very well priced--definitely good value for one's money. And for those who've steered clear of the classics for fear that they must necessarily be dull and incomprehensible, give this novel a try--I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. Highly recommended!
Rating:
Summary: Don't let pride or prejudice keep you from this book!
Review: If a classic is boring, then this is not a classic. If a drawing-room comedy is stiff and trivial, then this is not a drawing-room comedy. This is quite simply one of the loveliest, wittiest, most utterly _wise_ novels ever written about human relationships. Every word sparkles. The dialogue fairly dances. And Austen does this without any of the things that we often assume make for an exciting novel. The most suspenseful question that arises is whether a certain two characters in the novel have gone to Scotland or to London (this is suspenseful for reasons having to do with 18th-century English marriage laws and social mores). And this event, certainly the most sensational in the book, is really only important because it helps the two central characters make up their minds about each other. Austen's world is a world in which every detail really counts--in which the slightest look or the most insignificant word can have earth-shaking meaning. And the result of this, as of all great literature, is to send us back into our own worlds with the renewed conviction that it all really does matter. In that sense, Austen's "realistic" fiction is a lot like good fantasy, such as Lord of the Rings. By heightening certain aspects of our experience, Austen gives new life to the "commonplace" world we live in. This is a book that makes you feel alive, and glad of it.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book
Review: I LOVE this book. I first read Pride and Prejudice when I was 6-7 (I know, a little young, but I love to read), and I loved it. I've read the book 12-13 times, seen both big TV miniseries and the Laurence Olivier movie adaption, and a stage adaption. It remains on my list of top ten favorites. I love everything about it. I love the charming Edwardian language, the character's, and the plot. This book is not a girly fluffy book, even though the plot is a bit of an old one (who knows, maybe the plot came from J.A.?). I fell in love with Darcy and Elizabeth from the very start, and I still love them. I've read this book at least once every year since I first read it, and it just get's better every time. I laugh in it, which is unusual for me, I rarely laugh in books, even funny ones. What more can I say? If you haven't read it, then you ought to, don't just watch the movies. The only thing is that I've never found a guy who has willingly read it, and I've never found one that liked it. What's wrong with our guys?
Rating:
Summary: Marvelously entertaining
Review: You are going to read many a review of Austen's PRIDE & PREJUDICE [P&P] wherein the author of said review will, with great superciliousness, state that this novel is NOT just a chick book, NOT just a piece of fluff, but instead a work of such great sociological importance that its message cannot be ignored. I'm here to tell you different. P&P is most DEFINITELY a chick book, ... This isn't to say that P&P has no value to its readers. Certainly it must or English instructors would stop putting "OPTIONAL: AUSTEN OR THUMBSCREWS' on their syllibi. But what IS its value? The great moral lessons it imparts? Its grave lessons in proper deportment? Of course not. P&P retains its value simply in being a good read. This is perhaps the most finely crafted love story of all time. Without the aid of a tip sheet from Harlequin, Austen manages to hit all the high points of a typical romance [excepting the lamentable lack of a sex scene], & still provide enough social commentary & moral/ethical guidance that even the most unromantic among us cannot but be interested. It is in this manner that Austen has for years been able to fool Academia into believe that her work is anything but a sweet little love story, albeit a decidedly complex one. Novels are read for different reasons. Some novels are important, and they are knighted with the celebrated title of "literature", and though no one truly knows why, or what makes them good literature, there is the vague idea that such works much teach you something. That nebulous idea of imparting some great knowledge or insight into our existence is imperative-it's one of the 3 miracles needed for a work to achieve the saintly shroud of "literature." Some novels are just ..., but are read by the masses on the sly, tucked into their laps as they ride public transportation; the half-dressed, windswept maiden & man or the bloody, dripping knife on the cover safely hidden from view. Austen's P&P truly fits in neither of these categories, though its square peg can be stuffed into "literature's" round hole with little abrasion. It is simply an ESSENTIAL novel, a must read for every generation, owing to the fact that it is an excellent story. It doesn't have to teach us anything. It simply has to be entertaining, and PRIDE & PREJUDICE is, to the utmost degree.
Rating:
Summary: A classic!
Review: "Pride and Prejudice" is a wonderful look at the customs of marriage, love, and financial and social status in Regency England. It's message, that love is more important than financial gain, and that first impressions aren't always the best to base attitudes on, still ring true centuries later.
Rating:
Summary: Student who LOVES P&P
Review: Being a student (10th grade), I feel obliged to relate to other students not only how much I enjoyed this novel, but also that it may not be right for everyone. It seems that many other students do not particularly like the novel, especially the male crowd. If my class was ever assigned P&P I am sure that there would be many complaints from my classmates... but they complain about every novel we are assigned, and therefore I can never really trust their opinion. If you are a student looking to read P&P I highly recommend it. My own ideas on this novel are quite favorable. I am sorry that not everyone has a taste for Austen. I consider her one of the best authors who ever lived. I enjoyed reading Pride and Prejudice as well as other Austen novels. Her novels, especiall P&P, are quite funny and I have often found myself laughing outloud on many occasions (which is not an easy feat). Pride and Prejudice is not a novel to be over looked.
Rating:
Summary: Ah, the misconception of first impressions...
Review: I absolutely hated "Pride and Prejudice" when I tried to read it in high school. While I absolutely loved romances and novels set in the 19th century, when I attempted "P&P," I got as far as the scene where Elizabeth strolls around the room with one of Mr. Bingley's sisters and thought that all this walking up and down was the stupidest thing anyone could do and quit reading it. I didn't start appreciating Jane Austen until I read "Persuasion" for a graduate history class that explored how the concept of womanhood changed between the late 18th century and the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign. Our goal was to examine whether the new Victorian ideal of womanhood was something women themselves embraced or a role thrust upon them. And at last, I began to appreciate Jane Austen. By the time I got around to rereading "P&P," Emma Thomson's delightful adaptation of "Sense and Sensability" had made it to theaters, and I was old enough to appreciate that love at first site can be a disaster. Jane Austen may have been the first novelist to write about love from a woman's point of view--and wrote at a time when marriages were becoming more about love and not just financial considerations. Throughout many of her novels, Austen struggles with whether money should matter in matters of the heart. She seems to want to say that money shouldn't matter, and yet recognizes that when a young woman's entire future depended on her husband's financial status, money still had to matter. "P&P" begins with the wealthy Mr. Bingley renting a house near the home of the Bennetts, a family with five daughters, no sons and an entailed estate that would have to pass to the nearest male relative. Much to her daughter Elizabeth's frustration, Mrs. Bennett immediately begins plotting ways to snag Mr. Bingley for one of her daughters. At a party, Elizabeth first encounters Mr. Darcy. Overhearing his criticism of her immediately gets them off on the wrong foot. As the novel unfolds, Darcy and Elizabeth discover each other's true nature, and eventually misunderstandings are repaired, and they develop an appreciation of each other. The pacing of "P&P" more realistically reflects the growth of true love than many novels that I've read. Austen's witty commentary about courting rituals makes the book highly entertaining. To enrich the experience of reading "Pride and Prejudice," pick up a copy of Fay Weldon's "Letters to Alice Upon Her First Reading of Jane Austen." Weldon's collections of essays to her fictitious niece enrich the experience of reading Jane Austen's novels by exploring what makes certain works absolute classics, what life was like for women in the early 19th century, and what Austen's life was like as she was writing these novels.
Rating:
Summary: Pride and Prejudice
Review: Of all of Austen's works, this is her most polished and important accomplishment. Pride and Prejudice masterfully blends excellent humor with a very strong social critique of many of the follies and vices of her times. Within its pages, the reader will find characters that are loveable, and characters that he will love to hate. The ending, while typical of a romance, is brought to its conclusion through the effects of a very tightly spun plot. This novel surpasses the high bar set by Fanny Burney's Evelina, and is a must read for any fan of Victorian literature, of any of fan of literature in general.
Rating: 
Summary: The marriage game
Review: The "truth universally acknowledged" that begins Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" is one of the best opening sentences in English literature; its irony, subtle and caustic, perfectly sets the tone for the novel, which is about the manners of courtship and the classist attitudes toward marriage in Regency England. The message Austen is conveying is that the rules of the marriage game are, at least to the propriety-conscious gentry, more interesting than the romance that leads to marriage. The novel's heroine is Elizabeth Bennet, the second, and the wittiest and liveliest, of five daughters in a middle class English family. Her mother, a simple and silly creature whose greatest desire in life is that her dowry-deficient daughters should marry well, is ecstatic when she learns that a wealthy single young man named Mr. Bingley has moved into a nearby house; she imagines him a potential husband for one of her daughters. Bingley turns out to be charming and friendly, but his friend, Mr. Darcy, also wealthy, single, and young, snobbishly appears to consider himself superior to the Bennets. Jane, Elizabeth's older sister, falls in love with Bingley, but Darcy tries to discourage his friend from courting a girl of a social status lower than his. Elizabeth and Darcy develop a strangely flirtatious relationship that is partly affectionate and partly adversarial, provoking the jealousy of Bingley's attention-starved sister, who is attracted to Darcy. Elizabeth must also fend off the affections of her cousin, a clergyman named Mr. Collins who is amusingly persistent in his marriage proposals to her; fortunately, her rebuffs finally cause him to marry her less attractive friend instead. Collins shamelessly panders to his patroness, the haughty, imperious Lady Catherine de Bourgh, who practically demands that Darcy (who happens to be her nephew) marry her diminutive daughter, and Elizabeth had better not get in the way. A charming young soldier named Mr. Wickham, whose father was employed by Darcy's father and who became Darcy's father's ward after his own father's death, enters the story. To Elizabeth he claims that Darcy is withholding money from him that is due him; Darcy responds that Wickham is a freeloader who is not entitled to any more money than he has already gotten. Wickham risks damaging the Bennets' reputation when Elizabeth's youngest sister Lydia, who is as prattling and frivolous as her mother, impetuously decides to elope with him. If the "pride" in the novel is Darcy's self-regard, the "prejudice" is Elizabeth's initial opinion of him as an insufferable snob, because by the end she learns that he is quite honorable and charitable after all. He reveals to Elizabeth that he was raised by his parents to feel superior to the lower classes, but her willingness to stand up to him and his conceit has taught him modesty and humility and endeared her to him. It is this transformation of character, similar to a gender role reversal of "The Taming of the Shrew," that distinguishes Austen's novel as a special achievement of 19th Century English literature.
Rating:
Summary: The Novel: Pride and Prejudice
Review: Pride and Prejudice is one of the finest of Jane Austen's work. The novel centres around the Bennet family, who are the principal inhabitants of the village of Longbourn. Mrs. Bennet is a marriage obsessed mother, whose dearest wish is to see her five daughters married and settled. As it is, the Longbourn estate is entailed on a distant male cousin, for Mr. and Mrs. Bennet lack a male heir. This makes the five sisters, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty and Lydia, increasingly dependent on husbands to provide for them, if their father was to die. We see the different personalities of the five sisters, but the two that stand out are the two eldest, Jane and Elizabeth. Elizabeth Bennet, the heroine of the novel, challenges and changes the established rules of class barriers. Her marriage to Mr. Darcy, an aristocrat who has an income of "ten thousand a year," allows Elizabeth to climb the social ladder and cross social boundaries, despite the strictly stratified class lines of Austen's time. Elizabeth's eldest sister Jane, also makes an advantageous match with Mr. Bingley, a member of the noveau riche. Times were changing even as Jane Austen was writing. Although Mr. Darcy's aunt, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, lamented over her nephew's and Elizabeth's engagement, her angry objections were overruled. The ancient aristocratic voice became faint and was silenced as times changed.
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