What a wonderful novel. I enjoyed this book tremendously and found myself yearning for the social structure so prevalent in 19th Century England. I found parallels between my own relationships and those of the main character: Elizabeth Bennet. With four sisters, Lizzy appears to be opinionated, level-headed, intelligent, pretty and committed to her own happiness over the satisfaction of others. Although she is confined to the social rules and habits of her time (and "obeys") she refuses to betray her own desires and motivations. She has a true loyalty to her family despite their flaws. She is particularly close to her father and older sister, Jane. Her mother appears to very shallow and, although Lizzy respects her, I do not feel that their relationship is very close. This mother has but one mission in life: to see her daughters married well as soon as possible. She is weak and a true prisoner to society's opinions and her own relationship with her husband is strained and hollow. There seems to be a mutual disrespect between the two of them. Being single at the time I read this book, I wished sometimes for some "rules" of courtship that were universally known and shared by both men and women. It seems at the time that "letting it all hang out" was the only guiding principle. And that usually led to broken hearts and broken promises. In Jane Austen's day, a woman approaching her late twenties was considered a spinster. I felt those same pressures in my late twenties. Ever since I was a young girl, I longed to be a bride, wife, mother. As I matured I also wanted to be a ... lawyer, manager, trainer, consultant. It became more and more diffictul to prioritize and balance those multiple roles and I found I had much more control over those areas of my life that did not depend on another person. The courtship rituals, path to marriage eluded me. I wonder how much of that was due to Pride and Prejudice.
A beautifully written book, loved by generations of readers. Even if your English Lit teacher made you read it 30 years ago, try it again now that you're mature enough to enjoy it.
The Puffin Classics edition is skillfully and moderately abridged.
