Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen

[AlysonofBathe]

Hey everyone!

I've posted a review on Pride and Prejudice here (http://for-the-reading.blogspot.com/2012/03/pride-and-prejudice-jane-austen.html) at my blog for the 1001 books challenge.

Overall, I wasn't particularly impressed or distressed; I enjoyed some of the humor and some of the characters, but I just wasn't taken with the Bennet clan. How does everyone feel?

Cheers,
Alyson

[cacian]

well put it this way I am trying to work out the title first.
I am trying to find a link between pride and prejudice as words and in the story.
I can't actually work why one would find a link between being proud and being prejudiced.
The mean of prejudiced for me suggest someone who feel uncomfortable around other people for many reasons. Being rich does not necessarily make you prejudiced other things can like power/rank/position/title.
I do not link prejudicism to just someone who happens to be an upper class because lots of upper class people I know are anything but prejudiced.
Why would one in that position of wealth behave in a prejudiced way when they have it all. To me it is a misplaced judgement and an incorrect assumption.
To be proud again is nothing with money or wealth.
It is as common to be proud as it is to be prejudiced anyone regardless can be both either or none.
To write a book that bases itself on assumptions such as this is is not a very clever thing to do.

[AlysonofBathe]

I found the title pretty straightforward, and certainly not an ignorant undertaking by Austen. Pride and Prejudice is doubly related to Lizzy and Mr. Darcy; at first, given that we see the events from Lizzy's POV, the reader assumes that Mr. Darcy suffers from a lot of pride, as well as prejudice because of his stance towards the Bennet clan. However, as the novel continues and Mr. Darcy becomes more sympathetic a character, Lizzy, and in turn the reader, realize that she has been very prejudiced against Mr. Darcy. And, Lizzy is certainly a very proud character throughout.

Cheers,
Alyson

[Charles Darnay]

I always just assumed it to be substitute qualities for the characters themselves. Liz = Pride, Darcy = Prejudice, so it is "Pride and Prejudice" instead of "Elizabeth and Darcy".

[Ecurb]

Actually, it's Elizabeth who is "prejudiced" (because Darcy declared her "not handsome enough to tempt him") and Darcy who is "proud". (He's such a snooty bastard.)

But Austen is really saying that pride and prejudice are flip sides o the same coin. Elizabeth won't let go of her prejudices because she is "proud" of her quickness at discenrment. Darcy won't let go of he pride, because he is prejudiced in favor of the values he learned as a child.

Prejudice is a form of pride, and pride begets prejudice.

[AlysonofBathe]

I agree - I think one bleeds into the other and that both characters display a little bit of both. I foresee a similar conversation happening once I get to Sense and Sensibility. :)

Cheers,
Alyson

[radiantsar]

I loved it a lot more than you.

See:

1. http://yadaldeo.wordpress.com/2012/04/09/part-i/

2. http://psychoinsanity.livejournal.com/722.html

[OrphanPip]

I've read that Austen was likely convinced to change the title by her publisher, because of the success of Sense and Sensibility.

In S and S she intentionally modelled two characters as the antithesis of each other, but you don't really find that too much in P&P. Like Ecurb said, pride and prejudice end up being too closely connected for any character to embody one or the other.

[Onceler]

I have a question about the book Pride and Prejudice, Does anyone remember what Elizabeth Bennet's thoughts were on love and poetry? I know she said that poetry doesnt help procuring love (or something close to that) but I'm not sure if she explained why she thought that. If someone could explain her thoughts to me that would be great

[the facade]

I found it a light, entertaining read.
Primarily Mr.Bennet's snide remarks and sarcasm that offer a comic relief from the drama.

[AlysonofBathe]

Mr. Bennet was pretty entertaining, although I still think I favor Catherine for the snideness.:P

[wordeater]

I don't agree with the statement that the visual mediums work better. The adaptations are often too melodramatic, with strings in the background and yellow-white costumes. The novels have more wit and are less sentimental.

[RicMisc]

I foresee a similar conversation happening once I get to Sense and Sensibility. :)

I found that in Sense and Sensibility there was little room to discuss whom of the sisters represented which characteristic, but you might of course see that differently after reading the book.

[Veho]

I found that in Sense and Sensibility there was little room to discuss whom of the sisters represented which characteristic, but you might of course see that differently after reading the book.

That is very true. The reader is left with no doubt.

[prendrelemick]

I think the title was going to be First Impressions but was changed to Pride and Predjudice at the last minute.