Book Review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

“There is a stubbornness about me that never can bear to be frightened at the will of others. My courage always rises at every attempt to intimidate me.”

I must admit that while reading the first half of this novel I was tempted to set this book aside. However, this being my first Jane Austen novel I carried on, determined to see it through and I’m so glad that I did! My love for Elizabeth and Darcy grew tenfold and I was completely absorbed in their story as well as those of Jane and Lydia. I really began to appreciate Austen’s ability to present such a likeable female heroine, and went from merely slogging through the novel to excitedly anticipating the next of Austen’s works that I plan to read (which, in my eyes, is an achievement and a half!). Elizabeth was such a well written character, and I (like many others) found myself silently cheering her on throughout the entire novel. Though I admit that I admired her initial rejection of Darcy (before I knew the truth of course!), to say I was thrilled when they FINALLY got together at the end would be an understatement! 

However, all gushing over Elizabeth and Darcy aside, I was captivated by the actions of Lydia and the exploration of the impact that her actions would have upon not only her, but also her family as a result of social expectations. It was here that I admired Austen’s boldness and truly fell in love with the novel! I found that the pace picked up significantly at this point which made for a much better reading experience than that of the start which I found to be quote slow, and it was therefore this that eventually won me over.

Overall I’d give this novel a 4 star rating, and had it not been for my lack of interest at the beginning of the book, I would have awarded it 5 stars.