Pride and Prejudice

After a long and tiring weekend at the French crew championships I was more than ready to settle down with a book. Pride and Prejudice was my novel of choice, and just like my weekend, it didn't disappoint  It had been a while since I read a book that was written hundreds of years ago, so of course the language was very different. For me that was part of the appeal! the musicality of the novel must owe to the baroque style of the time, as well as Jane Austen's skills as a writer. Her words are precise and well-chosen; it is no wonder Pride and Prejudice has lasted over 200 years. 

Pride and Prejudice is so much more than a romance novel. It is a comedy of manners, overflowing with witty phrases, hilarious characters, and two unforgettable protagonists, all woven together by Austen's dexterous pen. Some of the clearest dialogue can be found among the pages, and it lays claim to a collection of characters that one can't help but love from page one. Like all good literature, Pride and Prejudice doesn't reveal its secrets quickly, and it seems like the kind of novel that grows only richer each time you read it. Much of this can be credited to its heroine, Elizabeth, who brings wit to each scene through her humor and quick tongue. 

It's difficult to find something about Pride and Prejudice that hasn't already been said. One of the things that stood out most to me was the novel's commentary on the English society of the time. 'It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.' This statement sums up the novel's key focuses on marriage and class, two aspects that drew me into Austen's work as I fell under her spell. The novel ends happily, which pleases readers with regards to the plot, yet I couldn't help but feel dissatisfied in Austen's portrayal of reality itself. I think it is this imperfection of the conclusion that gives the classic novel a level of sublime art.