Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

This is one book that I have always wanted to read however never really had the patience for. In order to understand the story you have to read every page over and over to get a grip on the language. There are moments where you beg for clarity so you can simple understand whether or not anybody is getting married or kissing!

This is the ultimate fairytale and in coincidently the fairy tale that Jane Austen herself never got. I have recently watched the autobiography of Jane Austen. Her tragic history is what made her novels so riveting and inspiring. At a young age she met a young man whom she fell in love with, however do both of their financial circumstances the two were forced to go their separate ways and Jane never fell in love again.

Instead she wrote their love story in many different ways and in the end of every novel everyone lived happily ever after, most of the time extremely rich as well! Her sister Cassandra was too unfortunate in love and through Janes writing she was given her happy ending too, over and over again.

I found this story of courage, determination and above all things love utterly inspiring. The novel Pride and Prejudice tells the story of the Bennet family who are of poor background and rely on marriage in order to give their children a better life. In coincidently this is much the same as Jane Austen’s family dynamic. Elizabeth who is much like Jane herself is a strong minded, intelligent young lady who refuses to settle for less than the best when it comes to love. Her sisters Jane, Lydia, Kitty and Mary are in the same situation as herself, if they do not want to end up as maids they have to marry up.

Following the arrival of a new, rich and hansom suitor Mr Bingley the girls go into an absolute frenzy when he takes an interest in Jane. As well as this his best friend Mr Darcy a rather unpleasant young man takes a secret interest in Elizabeth who despises him upon meeting him and Mr Bingley. As the story develops the both sisters fall  in and out of love and have their hearts broken until the very end where amazingly enough all is well, Elizabeth falls in love with Mr Darcy and Jane with Mr Bingely and they all get married and live happily ever after.

Throughout the story I found the witty banter thoroughly amusing, especially when it came to Caroline Bingley and Elizabeth Bennet. The two may not have been matched in social standing but in wit they were equal competition. Upon the introduction of Mr Darcy I knew immediately that he would fall in love with Lizzy, how could he not? She mates him in every way, stubborn, opinionated and born to be royalty. I found Mrs Bennet entirely obnoxious and annoying, however through all that we see a caring mother who only wants the best for her children no matter the way she goes about it. Although the story line is predictable the witty banter and hilariously embarrassing scenes between all characters makes up for it!

I found myself utterly enthralled in the story and wanted to join the Elizabethan times for a second. However the storyline is at risk of being lost on those who have no patience for the language thoroughly different from modern literature. I fear that this amazing literature will be lost to future generations as we grow further away from formal language and our vocabulary is taken over by slang. So for those of you who are interested, you are in for an amazing journey of the heart, stick with it! You will be ever so grateful in the end.

J