'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen - A Review

Isn't marriage just complicated?

Rating - ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Genre - romance, novel of manners

Themes - love, wealth, marriage, class, pride, prejudice

Similar Books - 'Wuthering Height' - Emily Brontë, 'Sense and Sensibility' - Jane Austen

Elizabeth Bennet and her four sisters desperately need to marry to ensure stability in their futures, in an era where women have limited choices for self-preservation. 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen explores the tumultuous road to a successful marriage through difficulties of trust, wealth and love, as seen in Mr Darcy's and Elizabeth's difficult relationship from enemies to lovers.  

I particularly liked Austen's characterisation of the women in the novel, especially as she is most praised for the realistic construction of her characters. Each sister has a distinct personality, Elizabeth being the brave one, Jane the mature one, their younger sisters childish but desperate to be part of society. Elizabeth's strength to turn down men even if it jeopardises her future, especially in an era where women were financially dependent on men, really conveys her strong sense of self as a character and her adamance to marry for love. Mr Darcy is a complicated character, filled with enigmas in the beginning and slightly annoying, yet we see how Mr Darcy and Lizzy are able improve each other in their relationship, overcoming their prides and the prejudices they hold about each other. Yet I did find the novel a bit dull to read at times, maybe because I don't often read romances, but I still enjoyed the character's relationships with each other, romantic, platonic or just a sisterly relationship.

I don't often read romances, it's really not my genre, so I can't think of many books that I consider quite similar to 'Pride and Prejudice', apart from Emily Brontë's 'Wuthering Heights'. Class and women are key themes in both, exploring the importance of marrying well in order to have a stable future. Both also have strong, female protagonists, but are from completely different genres of romantic to gothic literature. 

Overall, I give 'Pride and Prejudice' four stars. Although I enjoyed Austen's ability to create unique and engaging characters, I did find the plot slightly dull. But that's a me problem really...