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I finally finished Pride and Prejudice after reading it for a couple of weeks. Somehow I've managed not to read any Jane Austin before. But Bill read it a couple weeks ago and was laughing out loud so much while reading it I thought I should probably read it too.
I have to say I don't think I found it quite as funny as he did though I did enjoy it quite a bit. I have to say I think I prefer George Meredith's book The Egoist for posh people sitting around being witty and talking about life and love. It definitely felt like a book written by someone in their young twenties, I'm not quite sure how to explain that. Just her views and what was important. The fact that everyone had to be so nice, good and respectable in order to be proper characters and likeable. It was nothing like Thackery would have written. But rather it was all very moral and traditional. Despite the idea of having to find a husband appearing so ridiculous to the author it was the thing that happened to everyone in the end. Still as romantic comedies go it was most enjoyable.
I thought the social dynamics were very interesting. How Elizabeth's family, despite having servants and being independently wealthy, were looked down upon. I thought it strange how much she rallied against propriety with Mr. Darcy and his Aunt yet when it came to her own family she wasn't even able to talk to her sister and tell her what an idiot she'd been. But let her sister walk all over the family and get away with it. It seemed like an odd conflict but I suppose you are supposed to be better towards your family than strangers. I suppose I normally prefer books where things aren't as black and white and the people have more depth. But I did enjoy it. I was sure before reading it that I must have seen an adaptation of it but now I realise I haven't, just about every other book she's written but not this one. I think I would like to now, I'm especially curious to see the Bollywood version. I think it might transfer really well.
I have to say I don't think I found it quite as funny as he did though I did enjoy it quite a bit. I have to say I think I prefer George Meredith's book The Egoist for posh people sitting around being witty and talking about life and love. It definitely felt like a book written by someone in their young twenties, I'm not quite sure how to explain that. Just her views and what was important. The fact that everyone had to be so nice, good and respectable in order to be proper characters and likeable. It was nothing like Thackery would have written. But rather it was all very moral and traditional. Despite the idea of having to find a husband appearing so ridiculous to the author it was the thing that happened to everyone in the end. Still as romantic comedies go it was most enjoyable.
I thought the social dynamics were very interesting. How Elizabeth's family, despite having servants and being independently wealthy, were looked down upon. I thought it strange how much she rallied against propriety with Mr. Darcy and his Aunt yet when it came to her own family she wasn't even able to talk to her sister and tell her what an idiot she'd been. But let her sister walk all over the family and get away with it. It seemed like an odd conflict but I suppose you are supposed to be better towards your family than strangers. I suppose I normally prefer books where things aren't as black and white and the people have more depth. But I did enjoy it. I was sure before reading it that I must have seen an adaptation of it but now I realise I haven't, just about every other book she's written but not this one. I think I would like to now, I'm especially curious to see the Bollywood version. I think it might transfer really well.