Pride And Prejudice

Elizabeth Bennet is the second of five sisters. Her father is a gentleman with a small income. Her mother lives for facilitating marriages for her daughters. Their lives are all changed when Mr. Bingley rents Netherfield Park, and brings his friend Mr. Darcy to a ball with him. The story follows the sisters as they fall in love, travel, face heartbreak, and learn about themselves and life in general.

 Pride And Prejudice is one of my favorite books. I remember being apprehensive when I first read this book as it had been built up so much as a great love story. I was delighted to discover that it is much more than a love story. It is a wonderful satire on people, behavior, and class in Austen's time. I enjoy the plot and how wonderfully Austen writes her characters. While Austen's novels always display an amount of wit, I think this book shows her at her best.

I have now reread Pride And Prejudice quite a few times, and always enjoy it. I like following these great characters as they evolve from their first introduction in the book. I always feel pulled into the time period. I admire how Austen is able to do this without going into great detail about every piece of clothing, location, or politics. I think this is a masterfully written book.

I really like this edition from The Modern Library Classics. It includes commentaries about the book from Virginia Woolf, Mark Twain, Margaret Oliphant, and others. I especially like the notes that explain some terms that are not used as often anymore. Now any reader that did not know what the difference between a barouche-box and a phaeton is, and why that seems important to the characters will understand a little better.

I highly recommend reading this book.