Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen | Surprisingly Entertaining {Yomna's Review}

My rating: 5/5

What's the first thing that comes to mind when the word 'classic' is uttered? For me, for a long time, it was 'boring'. And this I blame most completely on English class. Why? Simply because reading for English all but strips a classic of all its enjoyment. Instead of focusing on understanding and enjoying a read, instead, we have to think about stylistic features, why the paragraphs are long, how is imagery used to convey meaning? Although, who can blame those teachers, how else can you show an adept understanding of the English language if not by analysing and considering word choice and structure? However, all I'm saying is, an unfortunate waste product of this learning is a lack of enjoyment for the literature being read. 

But why, Yomna, if you think classics are boring, did you pick up Pride and Prejudice? And to that I have a simple answer. Teen fiction only offers so much advancement in terms of vocabulary, so therefore, I have to resort to classics so I am consistently improving. Reading has been an activity for me that while extremely enjoyable, also serves the additional purpose of improving my language, and therefore, I don't want to lose this advantage by reading books that are at my level rather than challenging myself. That doesn't mean I'm never reading teen fiction again though! On the contrary, I'm eager to go back, but once in a while I'll reach for something a little refreshing and new. 

Anyways, I loved this book. It's not exactly what you expect from a romance, (there's no kissing) it's more innocent and meaningful. I think, really, that this book isn't a completely romantic book. I think, mostly it is about the dynamics between rich and poor, marriage, and arrogance. For example, Jane Austen has a really sarcastic style that makes fun of all the arrogant people who try to bully Lizzy, especially in the case of Lady Catherine and Miss Bingley. And also, more importantly it's about all the horrible marriages that surround Lizzy. Literally every couple is wrong for each other and really frustrating, which makes it even more rewarding when Lizzy and Jane get happy marriages. Finally, this book has a most dynamic set of characters, especially in the personalities of the 5 sisters. All of them are different and so interesting. 

I strongly recommend this book. It's really interesting for much more than just the romance, which was honestly just a surprisingly small fraction of this book. If you want to get into classics, this one is a good one to start with!

Thanks,

Yomna