Pride and Prejudice (1813) by Jane Austen
It’s been about 2 months since I finished Pride and Prejudice, so I’ve lost some of the connectedness and enthusiasm that accompanies reading the book. That’s just the way things seem to go after you finish a book–the vivid memories recede and the book’s impacts attenuate until they flat line into some compact, long-term impression that stays with you. In the case of Pride and Prejudice–my first encounter with Jane Austen–what I’ve been left with is a deep, enduring fondness. It was definitely a good read. As a matter of fact, I vow to read a couple more Austen novels.
Now, if I put more energy into self-recollection I can start to remember why I have this lingering fondness for the book. I simply got caught up. Caught up in the plot and the games: Who will marry whom? What’s up with Mr Darcy’s behavior? What went wrong with Jane and Mr. Bingley? Caught up in sympathizing with characters. At times Elizabeth. Other times Mr. Darcy. Much of the time, Mr. Bennett. Caught up in loathing others. Austen makes it very easy to feel that way towards characters like Lydia, Mr. Collins, and Lady Catherine.
I suppose I could hardly have imagined that I’d get caught up in a love story set in 19th century England, wherein most of the time characters are just standing or sitting around doing seemingly nothing. I mean, on the surface, it’s simply just people continually inviting other people over to each others houses. Where’s the intrigue there? Plus, it’s a “chick book;” how can I relate or possibly find this interesting?
How naive.
Yes, it is about love, but what greater topic is there? And more than that, it’s also about making decisions in a world with clearly defined rules, expectations and preconceptions. Although it seems like nothing is really happening on the surface, in actuality there is a complex game of observing, acting and positioning going on between the characters through their conversations and actions. When you’re immersed in this world and eventually pick up its rules, its easy to identify with the characters and get where they’re coming from. That means I don’t need to be a woman or part of the landed gentry in 19th century England to understand them.
Austen makes this world easily accessible through her writing. She strikes a balance with flowery and comedic in her prose. If 19th century English love stories are like shots of the harshest alcohol, she soothes and balances this harshness so that one is left with a most sweet and effervescent cocktail. It also helped that the book was divided into relatively short chapters. This moved things along so that there are really no lulls. Overall, I got through the book quickly and effortlessly. I did not want to put it down.
I suppose all of this is why this book is so popular and why it is often reread by fans. One simply gets caught up in Elizabeth’s world. The plot’s conflicts, misunderstandings and near-misses act as playful irritants that only heighten the effect of the book’s resolution–a resolution that is obvious, but steadfastly fulfilling. In the end, that’s much of why readers come back. And after 2 months, that’s why I still have a certain fondness for the book.
The Straining Reader 