Pride and Prejudice (Puffin Classics)

Rating:
Summary: The Best Book I Have Ever Read
Review: Almost everything that can be said about this book has been said. It has appeared in countless other books and media. I love this book for it's wit, it's humor, it's unconventional love story and because it is almost the singly best early example of individuals rebelling against conformity. This book is amazing, and I recommended it to anyone.

Rating:
Summary: Engage yourself in afternoon tea with Jane Austin
Review: Do you not believe that "real men wear black"? Do you prefer afternoon tea with cucumber sandwiches over Budweiser and pretzels? Do you simply adore Hugh Grant? Even so, skip the movie, and read the book that any lady would hold dear. If you believe that the difference between a girl in a go-go dress and a lady in a flower print dress is as wide as the Grand Canyon, then the escapades of the Bennett sisters will enthrall you. Pride and Prejudice is a book that is light in the topics that move today's news, but is crucial for understanding the interactions of everyday life with those that you love. Jane Austin illustrates a clear understanding of how we ladies get ourselves in the predicaments that we inevitably do, and to our comfort, she shows that while the news changes everyday, the dynamics of human relationships will always be the same.

Rating:
Summary: Engage yourself in afternoon tea with Jane Austin
Review: Do you not believe that "real men wear black"? Do you prefer afternoon tea with cucumber sandwiches over Budweiser and pretzels? Do you simply adore Hugh Grant? Even so, skip the movie, and read the book that any lady would hold dear. If you believe that the difference between a girl in a go-go dress and a lady in a flower print dress is as wide as the Grand Canyon, then the escapades of the Bennett sisters will enthrall you. Pride and Prejudice is a book that is light in the topics that move today's news, but is crucial for understanding the interactions of everyday life with those that you love. Jane Austin illustrates a clear understanding of how we ladies get ourselves in the predicaments that we inevitably do, and to our comfort, she shows that while the news changes everyday, the dynamics of human relationships will always be the same.

Rating:
Summary: A Must Read For Everyone
Review: Five stars hardly seems to be enough to describe this novel with. The only downfall is that this version is abridged. It's hard not to fall in love with the characters in this book. Mrs. Bennett is a "silly" woman and her husband is full of humor about her antics. Jane and Elizabeth are two of the most well-developed characters that I have ever had the pleasure of reading about. And, as for Mr. Darcy, how can you not fall in love with him by the end of the book? I know I did. He is cruel-hearted at the beginning but sort of learns his leason after an unexpected refusal. As for Jane, she and her love are more or less torn apart because of a misunderstanding. Live with the two eldest Bennett sisters and experience high and low society with them. Encounter seemingly unsolvable problems and love and hate. This is a story that you will truly never forget.

Rating:
Summary: Entertaining and Enlightening
Review: Hours of tremendous enjoyment from reading the book. The incredible depth of the characters and the richness of the detail creates a wonderful read. However, should you find yourself lost in the middle of the forest with only matches and this book in your hand in dire need of light and warmth, don't hesitate to rip out several pages from the middle of the book, gather a few branches and start a fire... you thus will have the light to read by, and know the start and the end of the story. Resign yourself to the thought that the middle pages who thus furnished you and provided for your comfort were nothing more than the middling and confused thoughts of a swooning fop chaser.

Rating:
Summary: My favorite classic!
Review: I had to read this book my senior year in High School and I was afraid that it would be a boring, long read. But I was so wrong! It's an amazing story of...well pride and prejudice! Jane Austen is very witty and I found myself laughing and sighing and worrying as I read. Elizabeth is a wonderful heroine that you find yourself relating to and wishing to be! What a life those young women must have led! And Darcy, well I fell in love with him immediately. You can't get any better than Darcy when looking for a man who would do anything to protect and help you. I loved reading about the cynical Miss Bingley and her sister; silly Lydia and Kitty; obnoxious Mrs. Bennet; and hilarious Mr. Collins. This book is my favorite classic! I strongly recommend reading it BEFORE watching the movie!

Rating:
Summary: The perfect novel
Review: I have read many, many novels including all of Jane Austen's; and still there is nothing to compare to "Pride and Prejudice." It is unquestionably my favorite novel of all time, and what I consider to be the 'perfect novel.'and I've decided to break down the aspects that I think make it so.

The Characters:Elizabeth Bennet is my favorite literary heroine of all time, for the simple reasons that she is probably the most consistent, well-rounded character that I have ever come across. Not to mention that she is extremely likable. Mr. Darcy, though not a very intricate character compared to Elizabeth, is undeniably well thought out, and perfectly drawn. But, for anyone who has read this(I think I can speak for just about everyone)there are three particular characters that are memorable, and even lovable, just for their perfectly delightful absurdity; Namely Mrs. Bennet whose "sole object in life was to get her daughters married; and it's solace was visiting and news." Then there is Mr. bennet's pompous cousin Mr. Collins, whose proposal to Elizabeth is one of the best scenes in the book. Finally, there is Lady Catherine, Mr. Darcy's haughty Aunt, whose class consciousness, and condescending airs are wonderful!

The Plot:A simple love story, and a Cinderella story at that. Though there is no really important issues covered, no intellectual depth to fathom, it remains one of my favorite plots, becuase it flows so easily, there is no awkwardness, is tied together so well in the end; there is nothing I would ever dream of changing.

The Diolouge:This is it's absolutely flawless point; the diolouge is perfect; perfect and consistent with each character, it moves the story along, and charms the reader non-stop.

Language:Who can resist a novel that makes frequent use of the words:folly, felicity, ductility, oddity, and every other charming "ity" Austen uses.

I really can say nothing else. I have read this book so many times I have so many different perspectives, so many opinions on it, have so much to say that I could not possibly say it all, so I decided to take the literary view, and build on that. All I can say in conclusion is go out, buy this book, and read it!

Rating:
Summary: How little have we changed
Review: I was supposed to read this in high school. Didn't happen.
Then I was supposed to read it in college. Again, didn't happen.
It's about a bunch of girls sitting around a drawing room, right? Probably noteworthy from a historical perspective, but what does it have to do with me, or with the 20th or 21st century?
Everything, it turns out. And strangely enough, I should have seen that just from the title: this is about how pride and prejudice make us blind to the things under our noses. It is about how, in our closed mindedness, we sell others, and consequently ourselves, short. And it is about how we deny ourselves happiness in this asinine fashion.
Notice that I don't say "this is about how Elizabeth, the heroine . . .." Certainly Elizabeth is guilty of the sins that form the title of this book, but Austen cleverly allows us to make the same mistakes as Elizabeth does, and being human, we make them. Admittedly, we come around to the truth quicker than Elizabeth does, but I think that that only makes it more obvious what our mistakes have been. We sit, watching Elizabeth agonize over truth, wondering if this careful, intelligent, strong young woman will ever figure it out, and we reflect upon ourselves: where have we been proud? Where have we been prejudicial? Whom have we sold short, and what has been the result?
So there is a moral, but equally important is that neither the story nor the author preaches to us. We are free to draw our own conclusions, though what those conclusions are is obvious, for most anyone with half of a brain.
Of course, all of the good moral in the world is useless without a skeleton of prose, but how marvelous this prose is. I would say that the novel is worth reading for this prose alone, even without the moral, but the two are not even intertwined, they are the same: Austen's genius is to show us Elizabeth's life, and convince us that it is a mirror of our own life: 200 years later we're still making the same mistakes, celebrating the same victories, living the same lives, and it's always nice to read about ourselves.
So yes, it's about a bunch of girls sitting around in a drawing room. And it has everything to do with the here and now.


(A little aside, for those who wonder: how did I ever read this book? I read somewhere that Patrick O'Brian's (author of the Aubrey/Maturin books) favorite author was Jane Austen. Even more, I read that the comparison of his work that most pleased him was to Jane Austen's work, so I figured that there had to be something to this author, after all - and not just something from the point of view of high school literature class.)

Rating:
Summary: Motivation - Bridget Jones's Diary
Review: I've read Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding several times, and my favourite part in it is when Bridget meets Mark Darcy for the first time and mentions: 'it struck me as pretty ridiculous to be called Mr Darcy and to stand on your own looking snooty at a party'. She talks about Mr Darcy a lot, and it made me even more curious, so I decided to read the novel.
I haven't been disappointed at all.

Rating:
Summary: Realationships
Review: If you want to understand "relationships" better ( I would like to think we all do) and you have limited time, that you can use to read, say, "Pscychology Today" and watch Oprah and Dr. Phill -- or read Jane Austen's great work -- I say go with Jane. You will learn more and enjoy a classical reading experience in the process.