I believe I was supposed to have read this book in middle school. I don’t think I got past the first couple of chapters. At the time, the story and themes didn’t click with me. I probably should have tried to pick it up again in high school, but sadly, I never did. But this year I read it with a book club (which included my husband), and I am so glad I did. I was surprised by how exciting I found the story. I often found it difficult to read only what was assigned for a given week! Even knowing how the story ended, I found myself surprised. There is never a dull moment in this book. I have always been told that Austen is one of the greats, and now I know why.

Before I get to the story and writing, I will comment on the adaptions of the story. I had seen both the 2005 film and the BBC mini-series before reading the book. I love the film and always will love it as a movie. But I will admit that the BBC mini-series is so much better in regards to faithfully representing Austen’s writing. The Elizabeth of the BBC version has all the spunk and charm and expressiveness I would expect from Austen’s Elizabeth. While the film version of Darcy will always be who I have in mind when reading, it is the BBC version that will forever be Elizabeth.

Pride and Prejudice is a book with such depth of character, both in the characters and what the book teaches. Austen isn’t preachy but simply describes the human experience as it is. Best yet, she does it with such wit and clever comments that you have to be quick to catch it all. This is a novel from a Christian author at its best. And that is how I would describe Austen’s writing: clever. In the past, when reading books from this period, I quickly became bogged down with the language in a way that I didn’t even with Shakespeare. And like I said, I never tried to finish this book when I was younger. But I have attempted other authors from the same period, and they do not have the same grasp for beauty with simplicity, or humor, that Austen has. She is never verbose without reason, and in her cleverness, is as straightforward as possible. Best yet, Austen has a wonderful grasp of human nature. Many scenes stood out to me, but one of the revelatory ones that I want to mention is one episode of banter between Elizabeth and Darcy.

“And your defect is a propensity to hate everybody.”

 “And yours,” he replied with a smile, “is willfully to misunderstand them.”

And here we have, to me, the crux of the story (though long before their change). We are so quick to think we understand others, yet how little are we able to understand the inner life of another person! Darcy and Elizabeth remind me so much of Benedict and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing. They are so alike, yet so different, and both their pride and their prejudice get in the way of so much time to love. They can’t see past their own preconceptions of what the other person must be like until they are finally confronted with their faults with no room to escape. But in the midst of balls and 19th-century social and economic issues, with a bit of levity, Austen develops her characters and her readers. She doesn’t leave them the same yet still somehow falling in love. 

People do and often should change. We see Darcy’s pride readily, hearing the perspective of Elizabeth the most. But slowly we, with Elizabeth, break down our assumptions and acknowledge our faults. Elizabeth thought very highly of herself and especially of her ability to read the character of others. She also allowed herself to be snobbish (prejudiced) towards anyone who took criticism of her and her family. But she was humble and reflective enough to see how wrong her conceptions of people could be and was able to let herself see people in a new light. And thus the reader will hopefully find themselves at the end. After letting herself be humbled, she could see how aloofness might really be shyness, and prejudice can be care for those a person loves. And Darcy was changed as well. He truly did not understand how he, a most caring and devoted person, was coming off as a jerk to almost everyone who did not know him. He didn’t need to be a Bingley, all openness and gaiety, but he did need to let people close enough to let his true self shine through. Elizabeth also needed to shove her snobbish chip off her shoulder, allowing her softer intellectual side to shine through, which Darcy saw through her sharp tongue and loved. Truly, I think he loved her more with her pointed criticism of him. 

There are so many themes in this book. There is little wonder why so many have read and written on Austen’s work, and this one in particular. There are the details of social standing, inheritance, reputation, language, family, marriage, and so much more. But I was always drawn back to Austen’s grasp of human emotion and the mind. This is a book of self-awareness, humility, and character-building. Where I love Robert Jordan for worldbuilding, Austen has the claim on writing depth of character. And I loved reading this with a group. I loved to hear the humor that stood out to my friends and especially to my husband. I also loved to hear the guys’ interpretation of events, especially on the scenes with Darcy and Elizabeth. It brought me a greater understanding of the book and the men in my life. So while you don’t need to have friends to read the book with, I definitely recommend it. But if you are looking for an engaging story full of suspense, surprise, and humor, and one that ultimately has a comedic ending, then this is the book for you. No adaptation does it full justice. Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is well worth the read.

Blessings to you and yours,

~Madelyn Rose Craig