Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I do not deem myself worthy of rating a timeless classic, Pride and Prejudice. However, I can help other readers see this book in a new light. There are readers who steer clear of classics with numerous reasons. I, myself, have dreaded the classics because I had a notion that these will consume a lot of my time and brain, and there is a possibility that I may not find an attraction to these and feel exhausted by the time I leaf through 3-4 pages. Today, nobody has time to be disappointed. When we pick up a book, we wish to be amused, enlightened or even scared — depending on the genre — but we never commit to a book to be bored at the end. Still, to make my opinion on the classics permanent, I decided to at least try the book, once.

Words cannot describe the extent of my delight after reading only a few chapters of the book. By the time I finished a few chapters, I fell in love with it. Jane Austen has not just created the wonderful characters in the story, rather, she have given them a life. Mr. Bennet’s witty comments to his wife’s irrational fears and baseless joys made him an amusing man. While reading his dialogues, one cannot help but remember their own father’s manners of escaping trivial matters of the house. His remark to Mrs. Bennet when she tries to discuss a new neighbor’s arrival is my favorite.

You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it.

On reading this simplest remark in the beginning of the first chapter, itself, I knew that I have not made a wrong decision of picking out this piece of art.

Each daughter of Bennets has a unique character. Jane’s patience, beauty, kindness, and ignorance towards the evil of the world are the attributes that make the reader angry with anyone, who tries to harm her. Elizabeth’s witty remarks, outspokenness, and fearlessness are contagious. Mary and her books, Kitty and her innocence, Lydia and her stupidity are very cleverly defined by the author.

Mr. Darcy’s complicated personality, which keeps the reader confused on what to think of him, is mesmerizing to me. The author has kept the plot simple, yet spellbinding, till the last page. Mr. Bennet’s blunt remarks on his girls and Mrs. Bennet’s weird ways of throwing her daughter, Jane, in front of Mr. Bingley to get his attention are quite entertaining. The love among sisters is another important factor in this story. The book intercepts the real world in more ways than I can count. While reading it, I was going back to my childhood memories a lot. The intensity of Mr. Darcy’s feelings towards Elizabeth and her obliviousness towards his desires are quite fascinating. Many times I paused just to contain the turbulence of emotions that this book arose in me.

Jane Austen, successfully, reminded me the unfathomable power of the words. I regret the time that I wasted in running away from this classic, and I recommend the readers who have a fear of classics, to give it a try; you shall not regret it.

If you’re still scared, go to my blogger page, where I have shared my journey of reading this splendid classic, chapter by chapter:

http://noagendajustlife.blogspot.in/search/label/My%20Take%20on%20Classic%20Books

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