Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

My rating: ★★★★☆

Pride and Prejudice is far from my normal reading material, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. It's easy to see why this particular Austen novel has become such a beloved classic; while I find the subject matter to be incredibly boring, I can't help but enjoy reading it if only for the flair with which Jane Austen writes.

That's something I honestly didn't expect to say, coming into this. When it comes to reading, I'm a plot and characterization kind of girl. As long as you've got your basic grammar and spelling in check, I'm not particularly concerned with the wordplay; as long as you get your point across without making me wince or leaving me baffled, I'm satisfied on that front. What I tend to be concerned about--what I look for going into a book--are well-rounded and interesting characters acting out an eventful, clever plot; if you don't have that, I don't care if your writing is the literary equivalent of El Dorado. If I can't enjoy your story, I can't enjoy your book.

Pride and Prejudice, then, is pretty close to the opposite of what I normally read, and that's what makes it such a wonderful surprise. The story didn't resonate with me the way it does with a lot of people, but the words did. Reading Pride and Prejudice comes with a swift awareness that Jane Austen isn't just writing your typical romantic fluff; she has undeniable talent.

That's not to say, of course, that I couldn't find any enjoyment in the plot. There was a lot to it that I would have found objectionable had it been written in modern (or less well-crafted) prose, but the flair with which Austen wrote smoothed over most of my complaints. I will never be one of the die-hard fans of Pride and Prejudice or Elizabeth/Darcy, but I'm pleased to have read this regardless.

I highly recommend Pride and Prejudice to anyone interested in cracking open a classic, and I'm sure there'll be more Austen in my future.