Rating: 
Summary: One of the best books ever written!
Review: Pride and Prejudice is one of the best books I've read. The characters are realistic, yet all are classic 'types'. Elizabeth and Darcy play well off each other, with quazi-ralistic dialoge and beautiful settings. The book lets the modern reader into a time and place not seen any more. The fashions, people, and places are all interesting. Austen tells a wonderful story with side plots and interesting characters. You'll laugh at Mr. Collins' speeches and Mr. Bennet's way of looking at the world, get angry at Lady Catherine and her high handed ways, and dispair over Lydia's and Mrs. Bennet's silliness. A great book to curl up with.
Rating:
Summary: It's better than any classic book I've read.
Review: This book is so great that if I didn't have school the next day I would read the book within a day. It's so amazing when I finished the book and I reread parts of the book when I finished. Boys might even be interested in this book. I recommend to all teenagers, esp. to the females out there.I'm speechless mostly to tell the truth of how great this book is. I'm going to go buy my own copy.
Rating: 
Summary: Pride & Prejudice -- Treating of the Flaws Within
Review: Surely, there is no one among us who would dare gainsay the talents of the eminent Jane Austen, whose approbation with the criticks has lasted even unto our own epoch, and whom nature saw fit to bless with an insightfulness into her fellow man that is, was, and ever shall be beyond compare; howsoever, we must contend that Ms. Austen, for all her superabundant virtues, does often display a fault common to authors of her gender; that is, a tendency to be more self-surfeited -- smug -- than one can scruple, and to rather perversely value eloquence over compassion. Pride and prejudice, as well as Pride & Prejudice, we would here ascribe to Ms. Austen, who had about her the air of the eternal know-it-all, and who in life, as has been well-documented, ever preferred to observe than to participate. This in itself would be unobjectionable, excepting that a woman of her intelligence ought to have been more forgiving, and less Olympian, to those unfortunates who were forced into service, as it were, and who tried their best to maintain their dignity and comportment in an often unfit, and always injurious world. Elizabeth Bennett, in all other respects a most laudable and exemplary heroine, amply bears out the shortcomings of her creator, as she can, on occasion, appear to the reader less forbearing than downright forbidding -- in a word, frigid. In all affairs, she conducts herself with the utmost probity, and she cannot be censured with any crime more serious than that of over-hasty judgment, but her want of passion, as well as her excessively analytical nature, wears away at our good nature until, by story's end, we feel an almost total apathy to her purported happiness. We would be presumptuous in our ignorance if we were to draw a connection between author and character, but Ms. Austen was widely reputed to be something of a cold mackerel herself, and indeed it has been said that she died a virgin, having never so much as touched lips with a man ( though we would not have this be held against her, as we ourselves, Lord knows, are not of the most amorous disposition. ) Though many readers may find the above to savour of the scurrilous, or the intrusive, we hasten to assure them that this was not our intent, and that Ms. Austen's reputation is surely secure from any such imputations as we may make; our purpose in so doing is only to establish perspective, and to aver that Ms. Austen, clever as she may have been, was still a toplofty and condescending woman, and therefore of significantly lesser value than Shakespeare, to whom she has often been compared. Her work does evidence an incisiveness and consistency worthy of the great Bard's, albeit in miniature, and rather more content to unfold in drawing rooms and ladies' bedchambers than on the world's vasty stage; but while the telescope of her vision may not be of the longest range, and can scarcely reach unto the heavens, it can reflect, in impressive and exacting detail, the flora and fauna of her own small, colorful backyard.
Rating: 
Summary: A little different view
Review: The common comment on this book, seems to be people's love for the ... "love" story. Mr Darcy, and Elizabeth, how great it is to see them together. Howevor Jane Austin is not a Romantic novelist. Her intent was to criticize her generation. She was in a way, poking fun at people's prejudice. This book is actual considered an "ironic comedy." The comedy I can not see, but the irony is definately blinding. The part of this book that bothers me, is not so much within the book itself, but the point of the book. If someone was truly in hatred of their society, noticing the flaws relentlessly, why spend 62 chapters of their life, writing about it? I personally felt that this book, could be summed up in less than four pages, with the same amount of content being delivered, the same lessons being learned.
Rating:
Summary: My all-time favorite book!
Review: I feel sorry for the young person who thought this book was boring. What a shame that you can't relax and stop thinking about yourself long enough to take the time to revel in one of the greatest works in English literature. The plot is timeless, and I can guarantee that many of the characters will resemble people you know. Yes, the dialogue may be difficult to follow at first but, after a while, "listening" to it becomes almost second nature. I first read this book when I was 11 or 12, and have read it at least 10 or 15 times since, including at least twice for school. In fact, I chose to read it again just so I could write a paper on it. Buy this book, sit down and lose yourself in Jane Austen's world. Then try Persuasion, Emma or Sense & Sensibility (I'm afraid I can't recommend Mansfield Park very highly). If you have any trace of imagination, you will be hooked. Please, do yourselves a favor and read the book before seeing any of the adaptations. Each has its advantages, but the recent BBC/A&E version with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle is a sight to behold. The Garvie/Rintoul version is also good, but not quite as beautiful to watch. It pains me to say this, but the Greer Garson/Laurence Olivier version is far and away the weakest.
Rating:
Summary: Just a (shallow) thought...
Review: Did anyone else wish they lived in Regency England after reading this book? And Darcy is surely one of the most appealing male characters in English literature. What a pity we aren't all Elizabeths...
Rating:
Summary: Mr. Darcy is a weird guy.
Review: i thought it was a wonderful and Romantic book. i like that Elizabeth is so headstrong and knows how to express her feelings toward mr. darcy. It shows him that she is no prize. She is a humben as well as him I will denfely will read it again. But I will read the longer fervesion this time seen I like it so will I thought that the pictures were great in my book. Jane austen is a great writer.
Rating:
Summary: This book is elegant and informative as to Old English times
Review: Pride and Prejudice is a very nice story. However it is difficult to read because it is written in Old English. My favorite character would be Elizabeth Bennet, or Lizzy as she is frequently reffered. She is willing to let love walk out the door because another woman is interested. Lizzy definately dislikes competition. She does make her presence known. Not rudely, but can get very defensive and in that quite comical. Lizzy presents herself very well. Like they say "A first impression is a lasting impression". I picture her as tall, very beautiful, and soft spoken. Unlike others she has a beautiful smell and good taste in clothing. Lizzy reminds me a lot of Emma Woodhouse in Emma and Elinor Dashwood in Sense and Sensability. Coincidently, both of these novels were also written by Jane Austen. The reason I believe these three characters are alike is because they each either search for love for other people and over-look their own need, in the case of Emma, or they simply allow other women to appear to fill in the role in the cases of Elinor and Lizzy. Another thing that relates Lizzy, Emma and Elinor is the fact that they are all very dependent and become so in the coarse of the novels. Their love interest are not a priority and they do not depend on their parents support emotionally. Lizzy grows as and individual when she spends two weeks at their friends house with her sister Jane. This seperation allows her to grow away from her parents to take care of Jane and make some of her own decisions. While there, she does not allow herself to show many emotions toward other people and over looks emotions displayed toward her by others. Mr. Woodhouse, Emma's father, dislikes going out past their fence and that forces Emma to go out to social events on her own. In a way she becomes too dependent and doesn't realize what she may be missing out on with other characters of the book. Elinor appears to be unconcerned. Her love interest pops in and out of the novel and her true feelings are not completely revealed until the end of the novel. Her independence comes from helping her moher raise two of her sisters, Margarette and Marianne. I would reccomend this novel to someone who is enterested in branching out their reading experiences to old English romance. I enjoyed reading this book because of its interesting characters. There was always a mdest joke or disagreement, I was never bored. I also enjoyed picturing the events in my head. Some of the scenes were so beautiful. Taking place in lovely gardens you see only in your dreams, and extremely elegant mansions. Reminding me of the time I went to Mount Vernon, the home of George Washington, and Montecello, the home of Thomas Jefferson. Back then people were so polite. Rudeness was severly frowned upon especially when directed at or in the presence of a lady. Very different from today's society. It is interesting to see what it was like back then for entertainment without a television or radio. I enjoyed this novel very much as well as some of Jane Austen's other works which have been made into major motion pictures that are also very enjoyable.
Rating:
Summary: Mr.Darcy is a weird guy.
Review: I though is was a wonderful and Romantic Book. I like that Elizabeth is so headstrong and knows how to express her feelings toward Mr. Darcy. It shows him that she is no prize and she is a humanbing too. I will denfely read it again. But I will read the longer fervsion this time. I thought that the pictures were great. Jane Austen is a great writer. I want to check out some of her other books.
Rating:
Summary: my favorite book
Review: I loved this book when I read it in junior high, and over the years it has become, as much as I can say this about any book, my favorite. If I could write well enough to do the book justice, I wouldn't be a programmer, but I can say that it satisfies my craving for "romantic slop" without being in the least sloppy, and it entertains with both low comedy and keen perception. But my favorite feature of the book is what I've heard described as the "comic precision" of the speech of the characters. It would take a week of polishing to utter a single such phrase, and the idea of a group of people bantering effortlessly in this manner fills me with delight. And to the high school kid that said it wasn't "profound" enough: I might have said the same thing 25 years ago, but now the books that I thought profound then seem obvious, tedious, and/or pompous. I imagine that 25 years from now you will appreciate Austen more than you do today...
|
