Pride and Prejudice - A classic review

 I'm diving into classics lately. Let's talk about a cult classic-classic novel -Pride and Prejudice. Let's get into it. 

Courtesy of ar.inspiredpencil.com

Characters:

Mr. Bingly - Rich new neighbor, attractive, well-liked

Mr. Darcy - introverted "prideful" friend of Mr. Bingly, not well liked, an exhausted introvert who doesn't have the energy to put on a facade of having energy while traveling but seems much nicer at his own home (shocker!)

Lizzie Bennet - daughter of the Bennet family, our main character 

Jane Bennet - the eldest Bennet daughter, sees good in everyone

Lydia Bennet - youngest and tallest Bennet daughter, runs off with an idiot

Mary Bennet - third daughter of the Bennet family, kind of bad at music

Catherine Bennet - daughter of the Bennet family, "kitty" to friends and family

There are a lot more characters, but these are the focused ones. 

Plot:

We start with a new man coming into the neighborhood and a ball happening. To put it simply, Mr. Bingly brings his sisters and cousin, and Mr. Darcy, to the ball. Mr. Darcy is the picture of an introvert dragged to a social function he doesn't want to be at. He comes across badly as a result, because everyone expected him to socialize. He was rude in front of Lizzie Bennet and called her "tolerable", which was talked about quite a lot the next day and during the ball itself. Everyone loved Mr. Bingly and he danced with the eldest Bennet sister (Jane) twice. It's clear that money matters in this story, and means status. 

From here it is a regency romance and you can pretty much sum up the plot with that. It's light, romance reading. It's a lot of women talking and gossiping. It's nice after reading Wuthering Heights to read something light (that one is almost domestic horror). Here we have two romances - Mr. Bingly and Jane Bennet, and Lizzie Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Mr. Darcy starts the romance by listening in on Lizzie's conversation, which doesn't come across great. 

As we see in all the interactions, status and wealth are a big deal and "being socialable" is so important that all introverts are seen as prideful and unlikable. What I see in the women living with Mr. Bingly is pride, but yet they accuse quiet Lizzie of it. They are rather mean and backstabby. 

There is a lot of butt-kissery going on in order to marry off daughters. There is quite a lot of kissing up to rich people in this scenario. It's quite entertaining. The social interactions are the most entertaining part of the book. Poor Mr. Darcy doesn't get any recharge time because everyone chills out in the drawing room together, and Miss Bingly had decided she likes him and shows it in the most obnoxious way possible. There is no recharge time with Miss Bingly, who is near to pulling down her dress to get his attentions (and since this isn't Bridgerton, she won't, but she's so desperate I thought she might). 

In Defense of Mr. Darcy

Mr. Darcy is a realistic introvert. I'm going to say it once and leave it here, but some of his "rudeness" wasn't rude according to an introvert. Let's go through what he deals with one by one. First, we have a loud group of extroverts and a lot of social contact he can't avoid. His blunt statements are a result of having no energy to put up a fake smile. He's just too socially tired to really care what people think. Next, he's been dragged to a party and a community that is so extroverted it's exhausting to think about. Mr. Bennet is also an example of an introvert, but in his own home he is perfectly accepted because he's the master of the house. 

Introverted people need rest punctuated by activity and extroverts need the opposite. Mr. Darcy, in his own home, is more rested than before, leading to a friendlier man in general. Being in a restful environment with people you like makes a world of difference. Lizzie saw the difference between a rested and exhausted introvert. He's also friendlier in one-on-one conversations, which is a real thing most of us do. Also, lurking around conversations is an introvert thing. Mr. Darcy being "rude" is relative and depends on perspective. Writing a letter that sounds more eloqent than your vocal speech is the last candle on the cake. All this proves he's an introvert, not a stuck-up man. 

Overall Thoughts and what I liked

The first thing I'm happy about is finding a Safe For Work (SFW) book to listen to in my hallway office. I've had bad luck guessing what is safe to read and what can wait for home. This is Bridgerton minus the spice. It is definitely a good thing to read in public, a clean romance with no reference to sex at all. Your kids could read this. Keep in mind "intimate" means friendship in this context and does not reference sex. SFW is the first plus to Jane Austen. 

People and relationships are the center of all this drama. You'll love it if you like Bridgerton drama, but want SFW books for you and your kids. Not all classics are kid-safe, but this is. It might be hard to understand larger words, but it's not hard to figure out based on context clues. Look at their reading level or read it with them. 

It ended too soon, honestly. I wanted it to last longer. It was fun. I'd read more Jane Austen if I found more. Or I can look up more next year (too much to read this year to look up more now). 

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Did you hear? Morrow just got a cover reveal! Below is the cover reveal for my upcoming novel, Morrow, which will have a sequel. Cheers! <3