Pride and Prejudice

One of the most popular books of all time. It is usually the introduction book to Jane Austen. Many movie(usually bad) adaptations have been made of all her books but because of the book' s popularity it probably has the most. I own the Penguin2005 edition. Has notes, chronology of Jane Austen's life, annotations. Recommended for HS and above age groups.

A fantastic love story set in the 1800s about a young woman Elizabeth Bennet and her family's struggle to find a husband for each of the five Bennet sisters. Mr. Darcy, a darker character comes to town and Elizabeth struggles to understand why a man could be so cold.

This is my favorite book ever! Read it.

Two stars is my rating from when I read this on my own in high school. I liked it more the second time through when we read it for class, and I started to understand the humor in it. I even wrote my AP English literary criticism/research paper on this book, which helped me appreciate it more than when I read it independently.

To me, Pride & Prejudice was the beginning. The beginning of not only my love for Elizabeth and Darcy, but the beginning of my love for Jane Austin's novels, and the beginning of my love of reading romances. Pride & Prejudice is my favorite literary work. This beautiful, romantic, witty classic will touch your heart and envade your dreams like no other shall.

Not my usual choice of books, but I'm glad I picked up this classic to read. I was pleasantly surprised to find the characters interesting and throughtprovoking and the plot, whilst clearly historical, still relevant to modern romantic life. I found myself sympathising with Elizabeth's situation and wondering what sort of move Mr Darcy would make next. Mr Bennet also proved to be a most understated, but corner-stone character.As someone who usually reads more modern books, I found it hard at first to understand the language used. However, by the end of the book, I was hooked on the plot and unspoken subtexts. The short chapters give plenty of thinking space and help with the reading. I would thoroughly recommend this book as a must-read. Well worth the peserverance.

I was recently "attacked" on a review I posted on a well-known site for criticizing a classic that I just didn't enjoy. In the attack, this person accused me of having never read another classic and, as such, the reason I didn't enjoy said novel was because of lack of education in the classics. (I worded it much more nicely than she did).I read Pride and Prejudice before I was a teenager. This book spawned my love of classics. I went on to read everything provided to me by my book-loving Aunt and then I raided my father's study bookshelves for Jules Verne, Alexander Dumas and even a little Milton. I've been reading classics for over 20 years and I think at this point I know what stories I enjoy and which I don't - and I can accept the fact that not all classics do it for all people. Dickens, I'm looking at you.But with Pride and Prejudice I get everything I love in a classic. Romance, a dashing lead man (with just enough mystery and intrigue), a strong-willed leading woman in Elizabeth. I get silly giggles over subtle interactions that bring out that "uncomfortable" feeling in the characters, I feel the rage of Elizabeth with Darcy's first proposal and I also feel the softening of the heart beginning with that fateful letter.I also grew up in a family filled with girls. I am the eldest of 6 girls (all from the same two parents, yes) ((and three brothers too)). Jane Austen does a fantastic job of capturing the different personalities that emerge with sisters. There's the responsible, stoic eldest, the strong-willed, the mundane, the follower and the flighty. I focused quite a bit on the sisters relationship with this read-through and enjoyed catching even now a few things that had before escaped my attention.Pride and Prejudice is a classic. It's a fantastic movie (both of them, but Colin Firth edges it out for Mr. Darcy for me!). It's a story that grew gracefully with me as I aged and a story I can look forward to enjoying for hopefully many years to come. And one day, I plan to be that Aunt the provides this book to my own nieces and to experience through their eyes the first thrill that famous opening line brings.

Classic-still possibly the best book ever written in the English language. Worth a re-read!

I just re-read this and at the same time was reading a chic-lit book. This definitely won out! I had to finish it and read one more of Jane Austen's before returning to the light fluff!

I have enjoyed reading this book very much. Even though it was written almost 200 years ago, I could still really easily identify with the characters and social situations (if you try to ignore the incest). There's also a great deal of humour in it, as well as some drama.

A timeless classic by Austen...this is one of the few books that I've read over and over.

At the moment, this is my favorite Jane Austen book. I've read it three times over the years and I will more than likely be reading it again. Everyone should read the classics at least once.

My favorite Jane Austen book. I've lost count how many times I've read it since I was a teenager.

If you haven't watched the movie yet I strictly recommend you read this book first, because it is more entertaining than the movie! Genius observer, this auther Jane Austen!Obviously, it was not easy to marry for love AND for fortune. The mother of the five sisters uses all kinds of tricky words to convince them to marry someone rich. But the girls have their own philosophy - unusual for that time! Very vivid, humorous conversation.

Excellent, a classic as usual, with a great into.

It is a difficult thing; reviewing a classic such as Pride and Prejudice. Unlike many others I never read this book in school. I bought a copy about five years ago (when I was 15) nonetheless, but I couldn't pull through. The language was too much for me, never mind the fact that my English was seriously lacking. But I decided to give it another try. My English and my resolve to finish it have both improved tremendously. Personally, I am of the opinion that you either like Classics or you don't. Reviewing it on plot points and character development has been done to no end and I'm sure you will be able to find countless reviews if that's what you're looking for. I am going to write down my personal experience with this book.It starts when Mrs Bennet finds out that the grand house Netherfield is rented to Mr Bingley, a rich young and unmarried (!) man and as she has five unmarried daughters, she of course strives to marry one to him. However, the Bennet family belongs to the middle class and doesn't have money, connection or special virtue. In fact, most of the family borders and what is called "vulgar" but what would be called asocial in the bad way today, I believe.There were no passages in the book that I found particularly bad to get through, because I think Austen's talent lies deep within the small passages between the dialogue, where she reveals Elizabeth's thoughts and attitude. I know a lot of other readers skip these passages, because in most book today they're little more than padding. But this is not the case with Austen books! If you want to understand and enjoy her works you simply must read every single word she put on paper. Classics are always a good way to go, and you should go read this one. It's free on Project Gutenberg, and I believe on Amazon as well. Why not give it a try?

Almost ten years ago, I read this, my very Jane Austen novel, and I was completely in love with the book. In the ensuing years I gobbled up every other single book of Austen’s I could get my hands on. Recently my book club decided to read Pride and Prejudice and I was shocked to learn that I was the only one in the group who had read anything by Austen. Keep in mind, I’m the youngest in the group by a solid 30 years. How had they missed the brilliance of one of my favorite authors? Anyway, the book club’s decision prompted me to re-read my second favorite Austen novel (Persuasion is still my fav). It was such an incredibly rewarding experience. The first time I read it I mainly focused on the romance between Elizabeth and Darcy. Second time around I noticed everything else, and there’s so much! **If you haven’t read the book, fair warning, the plot is pretty well known, but I do discuss things that might ruin it for you if you really don’t know how it ends.**For one thing, Austen’s wit is unmatched. Austen is sometimes considered boring because there's not a lot of action, but she's so funny and you can't forget the characters she creates. The stuffy Lady Catherine, the pious Mr. Collins, the insufferable Miss Bingley, the utterly unlikeable Mr. Darcy, who of course becomes so lovable; they are all such divine creations. Elizabeth, our heroine, can be stubborn and judgmental, but whatever her faults, her love of her sister Jane supersedes all else. I love that Jane’s happiness is more important to her than her own. It says a lot about her that she puts someone else’s welfare above all else. If there’s one thing that Austen could truly capture, it’s the love between two sisters. “Elizabeth instantly reads her feelings, and at that moment of solicitude for Wickham, resentment against his enemies, and everything else gave way before the hope of Jane’s being in the fairest way for happiness.” It’s easy to forget that turning down a marriage proposal was a huge deal during that time period, especially when you had no other prospects. Lizzy doesn’t just turn down one proposal, she turns down Darcy once and then Mr. Collins multiple times. And Collins isn’t the sharpest knife in the drawer. After Eliza turns him down four times in a row, he still thinks she’s being coy and says, “You are uniformly charming” and is convinced she will still accept him. A wonderful example of Austen’s famous social commentary is the section which talks about the public opinion on Darcy and Wickham. First everyone loves Wickham, then they hate him, they hate Darcy and then they love him, but it’s rarely based on their actual experience with the individuals. They are swayed by the merest whisper of a scandal or controversy. “…everybody was pleased to think how much they had always disliked Mr. Darcy before that had known anything of the matter.” One of Darcy’s main objections to Jane (as a possible wife for Bingley) is her family, which can be a bit embarrassing. I loved reading the section that chronicles Elizabeth and Darcy's dinner at Lady Catherine’s house. The pompous old woman (Darcy's aunt) is blatantly insulting Lizzy and he is mortified. It’s a great reminder that everyone has family members that they aren’t always proud of, but you can’t judge someone because of that.“Mr. Darcy looked a little ashamed of his aunt’s ill breeding, and made no answer.” Charlotte’s role in the novel completely changed for me this time. When I first read it I was only 18 and I couldn’t believe she settled for Mr. Collins. Now I’m 27, the same age she is in the book, and I understand her decision so much better. She was making a huge sacrifice. She had no prospects, she was getting "old" and she knew she would just be a burden to her family. I still wouldn’t have done it, but now I really get it. It was a different time and she knew this might be her only shot at having her own household. Her decision also underlines how unusual Lizzy’s decision to turn down Collins was. Another interesting element is Mr and Mrs. Bennet's relationship. Although she is a fluttering idiot and at first glance, he's hilarious and likable, I found myself really frustrated with him by the end of the book. He completely ignores Lizzy’s warning about Lydia’s behavior. He doesn’t take it seriously and doesn’t realize his mistake until it’s too late. He didn't think ahead and plan for his daughters' futures, thus putting them in a horrible position. He also treats his wife with utter disdain. Even though she incredibly annoying, he should at least show her some affection or respect because she's the mother of his children. Lizzy’s views of married life are rooted in her own parent’s unhappy marriage. It’s the only real example of how a husband and wife interact that she's witnessed for her whole life. She’s particularly horrified by Charlotte’s marriage because she sees it as the joining of two people who are so different in intelligence and temperament, just like her parents, and she’s worried it will lead to unhappiness for her friend. That’s why it was so important for her to end up with someone who was her intellectual equal; she needed a partner she could respect. “Elizabeth, however, had never been blind to the impropriety of her father’s behavior as a husband. She had always seen it with pain; but respecting his abilities, and grateful for his affectionate treatment of herself, she endeavored to forget what she could not overlook, and to banish from her thoughts that continual breach of conjugal obligation and decorum which, in exposing his wife to the contempt of her own children, was so highly reprehensible.” The problem with watching too many movie and miniseries versions of P&P is that I sometimes forget what is and isn’t in the book. It always bothered me that in the movie versions, Elizabeth and Wickham seem so buddy-buddy in the scene where they chat at the end, but I’d forgotten that in the book she’s still seething inside. She just acts nice so she can get out of the conversation.“…she had walked fast to get rid of him; and unwilling for her sister’s sake to provoke him.” P. 264I’d also forgotten that there’s a whole section where Lizzy has fallen in love with Darcy (after learning what he did for Lydia, etc.) and she thinks there’s no way he still likes her. They’re at a party together and she follows Mr. Darcy around the room with her eyes, and then gets mad at herself for being so silly. I love that we get to see her a bit vulnerable and girlish. She’s fallen for him and so her defenses are down. I love how the end of the book gives a summary of what happened to everyone in the following years. Jane and Bingley move closer to the newly-married Darcys. Lydia tries to weasel favors out of the Darcys, but gets turned down (ha). Kitty is improved by Jane and Lizzy’s new positions in society and is kept from Lydia’s company. Lizzy and Darcy’s sister get along so well, and Elizabeth maintains her spunk and ever shocks her new sister-in-law with how she talks to her husband, just brilliant. A few things I had forgotten about P&P: 1) Elizabeth goes by Lizzy and Eliza too, I love that. 2) Kitty’s real name is Catherine 3) Mr. Collins is described as “tall, heavy-looking” and is only 25. Because of the movies I had begun to picture him as short. 4) The book says about Mrs. Bennet, “Eliza was the least dear to her of all her children,” – ouch, even if you don’t get along well with your mother, that’s still pretty harsh. “There are few people whom I really love, and fewer of whom I think well. The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense.” – Elizabeth

I come back to this book all the time as one of my all-time favorite reads. It's hands down my favorite by Jane Austen. The wit, personalities, and charm will not fail to win over even the most hardened reader. It does require one to have a comfortable grasp of the English language because her use of phrasing and turns of phrase will leave a lot of people scratching their heads. Yet, when you get it, it's absolute magic. I don't believe I have ever read as finely penned a work as this one. Hollywood definitely agrees seeing as how they have made film adaptations of this book almost once every 5 years.

this has to be one of the best love stories of all time Jane Austen did such a marvelous job that when i read it i fell as if i am Elizabeth Bennet adn my love of life is Mr. Darcy.

I read this at least once a year.

Re-reading from what, high school English?As a 16-year-old I *hated* this book, and the Brontes, and my junior year British literature class. But wandering around the house with nothing to read I decided to try again, and I'm pleased to discover that either the book got better (not likely) or I've matured, and this is a delightful book, and I love Mr. Darcy. (But after a similar attempt with Wuthering Heights, I still want to punch Heathcliff in the face.)

A beautiful love story full of biting humor, Pride & Prejudice has some of the most memorable, endearing characters in literary history. This book will be remembered and cherished long after you read it.

Mr Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet...do I really need to say anything more?

Pride and Prejudice is a classic in English literature, however, the story itself is a transcendent tale, chock full of interesting and strong characters. This timeless novel by Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, introduces us to the character of Elizabeth Bennett, who will go on to become the model for a million other rebellious, determined and spirited heroines throughout the history of literature.We are introduced to the Bennett household - the controlling and overbearing mother, the silent and resilient father, the beautiful and gentle Jane, the witty,intelligent and lively Elizabeth, the plain and simple Mary, the head-strong and silly Kitty, and the rebellious and mischievous Lydia. The Bennetts, cross paths with the Bingleys who are new in town, and are known to be quite wealthy. It is at a ball thrown by the Bingleys that we are first introduced to the charming yet stoic Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy of Pemberley in Derbeyshire. Upon first meeting, the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Lizzy Bennett, despite their instant attraction to each other, find themselves at odds with each other. Followed by many twists and turns, that are sure to leave the reader both shocked and perhaps even frustrated at times, Pride and Prejudice is a novel that will keep the reader engrossed at all times. An absolutely meticulous read, sure to enrich your senses with its beautiful and eloquent prose - Pride and Prejudice is a novel about feminism, romance, friendship and ultimately, finding it within yourself to get past your own "pride and prejudice" in order to accept love into your life. A novel for all times, and all ages - an exceptional novel.

By far my all time favorite book. This classic work by Jane Austen transports you back in time to a world where ettiquette was everything and a single first impression could make or break you. I think this is one of the most enduring love stories of it's time about 5 sisters who don't always fit the mold. If you're wanting to get into the classics and have something to really sink your teeth into, this is it!

IT IS A TRUTH universally acknowledged, that this single book must not be in want of further praise. However, Pepys’ review on P&P—the one hundred and eighty fifth, unless someone else concurrently wrote one—was soon composed: though dilatory in undertaking business, he was quick in its execution. For fear that spoilers might lessen his reading pleasure, Pepys rarely perused reviews on L——T——, except cursorily when his books were finished. He was well aware that their drastic growth for popular titles made them illusorily useful. Be that as it may, the first thing he dared to point out was that, at the beginning of the book, there were too many girls (four boys for nine girls!), and all prettier than the others. (Completely unrealistic?) Also he did not like the many words stressed by Jane Austen (sometimes up to four in the same paragraph!). It gave him the impression that the author thought he was not clever enough to understand the story. But it only embarrassed Pepys at the beginning. His interest then exponentially increased in the course of his reading. One anecdote Pepys was keen to relate in his review was his feeling to be again on Jacques Roubaud’s heels. Roubaud was the French gentleman—nay, author—who already introduced him to Trollope through his The Great Fire of London. Before reading P&P in English, Pepys clearly recollected his having leafed through several French translations in a bookshop, and compared their first page—an interesting exercise to do with translations. He looked all amazement when he discovered Roubaud’s having written a laudatory introduction to one of them! Although not in the most intimate terms with Roubaud, Pepys was very sensible of the warmest gratitude towards the person who brought him into P&P, one of the best love story he had ever read. (But he almost never read love stories…) FINIS

I love this book. It is defintely on of my favorite books of all time and it's always a good book to fall back on when nothing else sounds good. There's not much about this book that hasn't been said already. It's a great comentary on life and I think that all high school students should have to read it. I think it would surprise a lot of them, I know it surprised me. I really didn't think I would like it, but I couldn't put it down. Now I've read it multiple times and have been encouraged to read other Austen novels, which I am in the process of doing. My suggestion...if you haven't read it, what are you waiting for? Get off the computer and start now.

530 reviews on LT alone. What in the world can I add that hasn’t already been said about this classic? Probably not a lot. First I will admit sheepishly that I lived to be (ahem) a certain age without ever experiencing any desire to read Jane Austen. My woeful public education, obviously, never presented the opportunity and, as an adult, I never felt the urge to pick up one of her books. But here on LT I find myself reading books I would have never considered in the past, wonderful books, not to be missed books, ‘why did I wait so long?’ books. So one day while in Barnes and Noble, I found myself standing in line with “Pride and Prejudice” in my hand.So I finally opened it and settled in to see what all the fuss was about. Oh my, it didn’t take long to see that this was going to be one book that lived up to the hype. The one thing that surprised me greatly was the humor in this book about the landed gentry in the 18th century English countryside. I never expected to be laughing out loud at biting humor, shared in the proper style of English manners:“Sir William Lucas had been formerly in trade in Meryton where he had made a tolerable fortune, and risen to the honour of knighthood by an address to the king during his mayoralty. The distinction has, perhaps, been felt too strongly. It had given him a disgust to his business and to his residence in a small market town; and, quitting them both, he had removed with his family to a house about a mile from Meryton, denominated from that period Lucas Lodge; where he could think with pleasure of his own importance, and, unshackled by business, occupy himself solely in being civil to all the world.” (Page 19)Austen ridicules this class struggle at every turn, but does so in the most proper manner. Her development of the main characters, the fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennett and the aloof but kind hearted Mr. Darcy, is brilliant. But for me, it was the development of some of the more minor characters that flawlessly revealed her opinion of the classes: Mrs. Bennet, trying desperately to claw her way to the upper class to assure her daughters of a proper marriage; the pompous Mr. Collins, so overwhelmed by those of wealth that he can hardly contain himself; and his benefactor, Lady Catherine, so full of herself and her position that she actually believes she can forcibly convince Elizabeth not to marry Darcy, since she is so below him, that had me laughing out loud again and again.There’s nothing more I can say except, “Will someone please point me to the next Jane Austen book?” Very higly recommended.

Read this in high school and couldn't put it down. One of the masterpiece classics of all time. Austen is definitely my favorite author and her humorous romances always leave me wishing I lived in England in the 1700's.

Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, tells the story of how Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy meet and fall in love despite Mr. Darcy's pride and Elizabeth's prejudice. Austen explores the comic possibilities of both pride and prejudice through every character of the book. Of course, there is more to this book than just romance. Throughout the book, Austen delves deeply into the English class system and shows how money influences almost every decision. She also is an expert at creating interesting and intriguing characters, each of whom is more than just a type.I haven't read this book for at least 10 years, and I had forgotten how quickly Darcy falls for Elizabeth, and how long it takes Elizabeth to overcome her first impressions (her prejudice) of Darcy to fall in love with him.