book review on pride and prejudice

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Pride and prejudice, common sense media reviewers.

book review on pride and prejudice

Masterpiece of romance and manners entertains at any age.

Pride and Prejudice Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this book.

In addition to being greatly entertained, readers

Most of the young characters in Pride and Prejudic

Elizabeth and Jane Bennet are perfect models of si

No sexual activities are described, but a young gi

Characters' worthiness is often judged on the basi

Wine is occasionally consumed and offered medicina

Parents need to know that Jane Austen's romantic masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice, is an absolute joy to read and study for teens who are open to the pleasures of 19th-century prose and manners. The plot and characters are engaging for teens, and the book is worth revisiting at any age. Several film…

Educational Value

In addition to being greatly entertained, readers of Jane Austen's 1813 novel Pride and Prejudice will learn about life and gender roles among the upper classes in early 19th-century England. Teen readers may be surprised and amused by the rigid rules of conduct imposed on young women of that place and time. The occupations of "gentlemen" are also touched on, as well as cultural activities of the period, such as the music and dancing that people enjoyed.

Positive Messages

Most of the young characters in Pride and Prejudice are grappling with securing or choosing a marriage partner. Austen's message here is that a happy marriage should be built on true love between like-minded people, and that a life partner should be chosen carefully. Couples in the novel who make rash choices or who choose financial security before love come to regret their decisions.

Positive Role Models

Elizabeth and Jane Bennet are perfect models of sisterly love, and Jane in particular is the soul of kindness, always disposed to view acquaintances in a positive light. Elizabeth, who is known to be her father's favorite because she is sensible and smart, makes the occasional error in judgment, but she is generally a very admirable young woman: intelligent, kind, down-to-earth, respectable, and strong. Mr. Darcy, though prideful on the surface, is also generous, trustworthy, and caring.

Sex, Romance & Nudity

No sexual activities are described, but a young girl runs away with her lover and it is implied that the couple are living together without benefit of marriage -- very scandalous for the time.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Sex, Romance & Nudity in your kid's entertainment guide.

Products & Purchases

Characters' worthiness is often judged on the basis of wealth and property.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Wine is occasionally consumed and offered medicinally. One character is described as an "indolent" man who drinks and gambles.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that Jane Austen's romantic masterpiece, Pride and Prejudice, is an absolute joy to read and study for teens who are open to the pleasures of 19th-century prose and manners. The plot and characters are engaging for teens, and the book is worth revisiting at any age. Several film adaptations of Pride and Prejudice are also well worth seeing, including the 2005 movie starring Keira Knightley and the superb 1995 BBC series featuring Colin Firth as Darcy and Jennifer Ehle as Elizabeth. However, young people will get maximum enjoyment from this story if they read the novel first.

Where to Read

Community reviews.

  • Parents say (6)
  • Kids say (42)

Based on 6 parent reviews

Educational but Entertaining

What's the story.

The five single Bennet girls of Longbourne have somewhat dubious prospects for marriage, because their father, though a gentleman, has no male heir and his estate is "entailed" away to his next male relation. So, Mrs. Bennet is extremely eager to find rich husbands for her daughters. When the Bennets become acquainted with a new neighbor, the wealthy Mr. Bingley, and his proud friend Mr. Darcy, first impressions lead to some hard feelings as well as romantic ones. Bingley becomes quickly attached to one of the girls, whereas Darcy leaves the Bennets and their friends cold. First impressions are not always what they seem, however, and the Bennet girls, particularly Elizabeth and Jane, learn where pride and trust are justified, and where they are not, as the romantic story unfolds.

Is It Any Good?

Austen gives you brave and good heroes and heroines, despicable villains, a decent dose of comic relief, a great and complex plot, and plenty of suspense of the mostly restrained, emotional variety. Austen's clever observations and dialogue contribute to her brilliance in developing fully formed characters, despite the polite manners throughout. Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy are two of the most romantic and memorable characters in the whole of English literature, and their story never fails to entertain.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about gender roles in Pride and Prejudice. What are Elizabeth and her sisters allowed to do or not do in terms of their occupations and social behavior? How is a young woman's life different from a young man's in the world of the novel?

One of the themes Austen explores at length in Pride and Prejudice and in other novels is the compatibility and feelings that make a happy marriage. In the context of the book, what marriages are successful and which are not? What does Austen see as requirements for happiness in married life?

Jane Austen's novels are often compared and contrasted with the Brontes' darker, more gothic romances. How are the novels by these female novelists different, and how are they similar?

Why is Pride and Prejudice considered a classic of English literature?

Book Details

  • Author : Jane Austen
  • Genre : Literary Fiction
  • Book type : Fiction
  • Publisher : Alfred A. Knopf
  • Publication date : January 28, 1813
  • Number of pages : 368
  • Last updated : June 8, 2015

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A Literary Analysis of ‘Pride and Prejudice’

Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice is widely considered one of the greatest novels in English literature. First published in 1813, it has withstood the test of time and remains popular after over two centuries. The story explores the complexities of love and social class through its witty narrative and characters. Even after many re-readings, the novel never fails to entertain and resonate with modern readers. This article will provide a thorough analysis of Pride and Prejudice’s key elements, including its timeless themes, plot, characters, language, and style.

Setting and Context:

Pride and Prejudice is set in early 19th-century rural England , primarily in the village of Longbourn, located in Hertfordshire County. It depicts class divisions in Regency-era society through the contrast between the landed gentry, like Mr. Darcy, and the middle class, like the Bennet family. As the second daughter of an estate owner, Elizabeth Bennet belongs to the genteel but not the wealthy middle class. Success in marrying well was crucial for women’s social standing and financial security at this time.

Austen offers a sharp-eyed view of her contemporary society, its rigid social codes, and the pressures around marriage. Through humor and subtle criticism, she illuminates issues still relevant today, like class prejudices, social climbing, gender roles, and inequality within families. Her witty dialogue and realistic characters perfectly captured the nuances of ideas circulating in late Georgian England during the start of the industrial revolution. This social context is essential for understanding Pride and Prejudice’s plot and themes.

One of the novel’s overarching themes is pride and its detrimental effects when taken to an extreme. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet both struggle with pride that clouds their judgment of each other. Only by overcoming pride through humility, compassion, and self-reflection can true love blossom. Other major themes explored in Pride and Prejudice include social class divisions, the financial dependence of women, appearance versus substance, and the complexities of family dynamics.

Austen also pokes fun at social pretensions and emphasizes moral character over wealth or status. Throughout the story, characters learn the value of open-mindedness, discretion, sincerity, and forbearance in forming the opinions of others. Ultimately, Pride and Prejudice reminds readers that pride can distort perceptions when prejudices based on superficial qualities take hold. Beyond entertainment, these timeless themes give the novel layers of philosophical depth.

Plot Summary

The novel centers around Mrs. Bennet’s five daughters, in particular the witty and headstrong Elizabeth, and two eligible bachelors who arrive in their neighborhood: Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. From the start, readers see Elizabeth’s pride in her quick judgments and prejudices against the reserved Mr. Darcy after he insults her at the Meryton ball.

Meanwhile, the amiable Mr. Bingley falls for Elizabeth’s elder sister Jane. Various social functions like balls and dinner parties bring the characters together while also exposing misunderstandings, jealousy, and meddling from relatives. Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth are continually at odds, though they feel a spark of attraction beneath their outward indifference and dislike.

Events come to a dramatic climax at the Netherfield Ball when Darcy professes his love for Elizabeth and she refuses him, still believing him indifferent and proud. Later, after she learns more context about Darcy’s good character and learns to see past her prejudice, Elizabeth realizes she was mistaken in her harsh view of him and that he was genuinely attached to her all along. Through insightful conversations and heartfelt gifts, Darcy and Elizabeth reconcile and profess their mutual love in the touching finale. Mr. Bingley and Jane also reunite, having endured interference from Bingley’s disapproving relatives. The two couples marry, and Elizabeth achieves both love and financial security, usually denied to most women of her social standing.

Character Development

The complex and memorable characters in Pride and Prejudice are among the greatest achievements in English literature. Chief among these is Elizabeth Bennet, an independent-minded and spirited heroine. Her pride is contrasted with an open and judgmental nature, but through experiences and self-reflection, she develops humility and understanding. Witnessing her character transformation from prejudice to enlightenment is hugely satisfying.

Likewise, brooding Mr. Darcy undergoes an evolution, learning to express his feelings openly without reserve or shame. His personal growth involves overcoming excessive pride, which was once a barrier to his happiness. The supporting characters are also brilliantly depicted, from the gentle-natured Jane and amiable Mr. Bingley to the vain and obnoxious relations like Mr. and Mrs. Bennet, Lady Catherine, and Miss Bingley. Each character feels fully developed and psychologically realistic.

Language and Style

Austen’s light, precise prose perfectly conveys the nuances and humor in her stories and characters. Through wonderful prose and turns of phrase, she presents subtle social satire that still provokes laughter. Austen’s witty dialogue allows for cutting insights to emerge naturally from passionate discussions between Elizabeth and others.

Underneath the surface entertainment, however, Austen’s writing has layers of sophistication. She masterfully navigates complex ideas through economic storytelling that sustains interest without monologues. Modern readers can still find fresh humor in Austen’s perceptive critiques of society that feel enduringly relevant even after centuries. Her clean, graceful language remains highly readable and a model of clear, evocative storytelling .

Pride and Prejudice is a true work of literary genius that has undoubtedly earned its place among the great English novels. Austen created unforgettable characters and forged fresh perspectives on social class, gender, and the complex nature of human relationships that continue to resonate. Readers fall in love with Elizabeth Bennet’s resolute spirit, and witnessing Darcy’s redemption never fails to deeply satisfy.

On the surface, a novel of manners, marriage plots, and romance, Pride and Prejudice subtly examines philosophical ideas through down-to-earth realism and humor. Its spirit of clear-eyed honesty, compassion, and moral courage has kept these stories timely and inspirational over generations. Jane Austen breathed life into an English literary tradition that blended country landscapes with the intricacies of the human heart. Pride and Prejudice endures because it still moves, entertains, and illuminates like no other.

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Patrick T Reardon

Book review: “Pride and Prejudice” by Jane Austen

For me, the high point of my reading of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice came near the end of the 1813 novel when Elizabeth Bennett receives a letter from her aunt, Mrs. Gardiner.

But, before I get to that, let’s go about a hundred pages earlier to one of English literature’s great scenes:  The handsome, immensely rich and seemingly aloof Fitzwilliam Darcy, out of the blue, asks Elizabeth for her hand in marriage, even while asserting that, to do so, he has had to overcome his powerful reservations about the lowliness of her family and its place in the world.

His sense of her inferiority — of its being a degradation — of the family obstacles which had always opposed to inclination, were dwelt on with a warmth which seemed due to the consequence he was wounding, but was very unlikely to recommend his suit.

To this, Elizabeth responds with a dignified and, she feels, righteous anger, telling her would-be suitor that she has had a profound dislike of him ever since the delightfully charming George Wickham explained to her how Darcy had ruined his life, and that her dislike has just recently been heightened upon learning that Darcy had convinced his friend Charles Bingley to break off his courtship of Elizabeth’s sweet older sister Jane. 

Darcy was, she told him in no uncertain terms, “the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed upon to marry.”

book review on pride and prejudice

Darcy’s letter

The next day, as Elizabeth is walking, Darcy approaches and hands her a long letter responding — with straight-forward respect and deeply apparent restraint — to her two charges against him. 

In his defense, he details how Wickham, the son of his late father’s steward, was a wastrel who quickly squandered his inheritance and then tried to elope with Darcy’s 15-year-old sister Gloriana in order to lay claim to her substantial dowry.

As for her second charge against him, Darcy acknowledges that, yes, he did counsel Bingley against Jane, believing that she was indifferent to his attention and feeling that her family had constantly shown a “total want of propriety” by talking and acting as if a marriage of Bingley and Jane were a fait accompli.

This totally unexpected and, in its way, humble letter was from a man whom Elizabeth had strongly disliked for what he’d done to Jane and what she understood he’d done to Wickham — and a man who had put her into an exquisitely uncomfortable position by startlingly wooing her while also emphasizing her inferiority.

Nonetheless, Elizabeth did not read Darcy’s letter with the rage of a wronged woman. 

Instead, she did so with the open-heartedness of a lover of truth, with a willingness and desire to understand the world and the people in it, with a courageous  intellectual and emotional vulnerability.

She grew absolutely ashamed of herself — Of neither Darcy nor Wickham could she think without feeling she had been blind, partial, prejudiced, absurd…. When she came to that part of the letter in which her family were mentioned in terms of such mortifying, yet merited reproach, her sense of shame was severe. The justice of the charge struck her too forcibly for denial, and the circumstances to which he particularly alluded as having passed at the Netherfield ball, and as confirming all his first disapprobation, could not have made a stronger impression on his mind than on hers.

Elizabeth recognized her own foolishness in believing the fast-talking Wickham and in ignoring the gaucherie of her family.

“ Her heart did whisper”

book review on pride and prejudice

Many chapters later, Elizabeth receives the letter from Mrs. Gardiner. In it, her aunt relates how Darcy — while seeking total anonymity — arranged to save the reputation of Elizabeth’s youngest sister, 16-year-old Lydia.

This flighty, giddy teenager, swooning at soldiers in uniform, had run away with Wickham, asserting her love for him even if, for him, this affair was no more than a passing thing.  Of course, as a 19 th century man, his reputation would suffer little from the episode while Lydia’s life in respectable society would be over.

Suddenly, though, after much negotiation seemingly carried out by Elizabeth’s uncle Mr. Gardiner, Wickham agreed to wed Lydia and accept an annual payment to keep the couple financially stable.  But it wasn’t Elizabeth’s uncle, it was Darcy who, at great financial and emotional cost, paid off Wickham’s huge debts in order to coerce the wayward young man — “the man he most wished to avoid,” Elizabeth acknowledges — to do right by Lydia.

Since Darcy’s botched wedding proposal and his elegantly restrained letter, Elizabeth had been growing in her regard for him as she learned more about him and saw him loosening up his prideful demeanor. 

Indeed, in this case, she recognizes, Darcy “had done all this for a girl whom he could neither regard nor esteem,” the deeply silly, thoughtless and self-obsessed Lydia.

As Elizabeth ponders this, Austen writes:

“Her heart did whisper that he had done it for her.”

“Proud of him”

And not only that:

She was even sensible of some pleasure, though mixed with regret, on finding how steadfastly both [Elizabeth’s aunt] and her uncle had been persuaded that affection and confidence subsisted between Mr. Darcy and herself.

Yet, Elizabeth is a clear-eyed realist, and she knows that it is probably too much to think that he has affection “for her — for a woman who had already refused him.” Even more, she knows that for Darcy to pursue any affection — if there were any — would, if followed through, make him brother-in-law of Wickham, an abhorrent thought for him.

Elizabeth recognizes with painful objectivity the great obligations that she and her family owe to Darcy, debts that can never be repaid or, given his request for anonymity, even mentioned.

So, here she is, a 20-year-old woman who, in the space of a couple months, has turned down two marriage proposals — one from the buffoonishly self-important William Collins and the second from Darcy, a man whom she intensely detested at the moment of his astonishing offer but whom she has come to admire from a distance, even as, it seems, he will never again look her way.

She could mope and wail.  Lydia would mope and wail.  But Elizabeth is made of sterner stuff, and Austen writes:

For herself she was humbled; but she was proud of him. Proud that in a cause of compassion and honour, he had been able to get the better of himself.

book review on pride and prejudice

Truthful enough

These, to my mind, are perhaps the key sentences of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice .

Elizabeth finds herself on the outside of Mr. Darcy’s life, looking in.  In the course of their often-contentious relationship, she has deeply hurt him, and he has deeply hurt her.  Yet, she doesn’t wallow in self-pity.  She is willing to accept her role in what has happened between them, and, at this moment, she is not thinking about herself.

She recognizes that Darcy has done a good turn to her and her family.  He has given them an otherwise unobtainable gift, and she is humble to receive such a gift.

And here’s the key thing:

She was proud of him.

This, it seems to me, gets to the core of Austen’s novel. 

There is a pride such as Darcy exhibited at the start of the novel that is self-referential and close-minded.  It is a prejudice.  Elizabeth’s disdain for Darcy early on was its own form of prejudice.

Now, at this moment, Elizabeth is feeling a pride in Darcy.  She rejoices that he has “been able to get the better of himself,” to rise above the prejudices of his status, class and personality. 

Elizabeth’s pride in Darcy is without self-interest.  She knows he is someone who is probably lost to her forever.  But she is open-minded enough, she is humble enough, she is truthful enough to recognize all of the personal prejudices that Darcy has overcome to do her family a good turn. 

At this point, Elizabeth and Darcy have each moved away from their prejudices and toward seeing the world and the people in it with clearer vision and understanding.  They’ve moved away from ignorance toward truth.

And, in the process, in the half-blind ways of love, they have moved toward each other.

book review on pride and prejudice

Truth and illusion

There are many ways to read and interpret Pride and Prejudice .  It’s a delightfully comic story with richly drawn characters, and it’s a thrillingly convoluted love story.  In addition, the novel provides a fascinating view into the role of women and men in early 19 th century England through the perceptive and unblinking eye of Austen.

My reading of the novel leads me to see it as a story of truth and illusion — another way of saying pride and prejudice.

Elizabeth, at times, gets hoodwinked by illusion in one of its various forms.  The deceit of Wickham in his story about Darcy takes her in because, well, Wickham is handsome and playful and seems to think her attractive. Throughout the novel, though, when push comes to shove, she opts for truth rather than illusion — though truth is often much more painful to swallow.  An example of this is when she reads Darcy’s letter and, later, when she reads her aunt’s letter.

Lydia is the opposite, always choosing illusion, never looking at what is real. She could be called an airhead in modern parlance, but that implies that she’s just plain stupid. 

I don’t see her that way.  I see her as someone who — like her mother — consciously chooses to ignore reality and to live instead in a fantasy world.  In doing so, she places herself at the mercy of those around her.  She becomes someone whom others have to take care of — or, as Wickham does, to use. 

Lydia chooses a life of hiding out in make-believe.  She chooses a thin existence comprised of images floating in her head rather than the things and people of real life.

Choosing real life

Elizabeth chooses real life.  So does Darcy.  Even before eventually finding each other in love, they make choices that move deeper and deeper into the truth of existence.  It is a painful road that they are on, but they walk it.

Elizabeth has pride in the strength of her character and in her willingness, even eagerness to know truth.  She has pride in being a full participant in the world.  Darcy, it turns out, has within himself the same pride.

They embrace this open-eyed pride rather than the close-eyed pride of prejudice and illusion. They take pleasure in being themselves — their real selves, not illusions — in the real world.  That, to my mind, is why this novel is so rich and has been read and enjoyed so much over the last 208 years.

Through Elizabeth and Darcy, readers are inside a real world with two real people.  Through them, readers share a vibrantly rich existence — and are shown the way of doing so in their own lives.

Patrick T. Reardon

Written by : Patrick T. Reardon

For more than three decades Patrick T. Reardon was an urban affairs writer, a feature writer, a columnist, and an editor for the Chicago Tribune. In 2000 he was one of a team of 50 staff members who won a Pulitzer Prize for explanatory reporting. Now a freelance writer and poet, he has contributed chapters to several books and is the author of Faith Stripped to Its Essence. His website is https://patricktreardon.com/.

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The Literary Edit

The Literary Edit

Review: Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen

Pride and Prejudice

I have always struggled with Jane Austen and despite disbelief from a number of female friends, I’ve somehow managed to remain ignorant to the plot of Pride and Prejudice – never having watched the infamous BBC serialisation that made Colin Firth into a national heart-throb. Having attempted a number of Jane Austen’s novels in recent years, including Emma while at university and Persuasion more recently, I decided to ask around my friends and fellow readers, and Pride and Prejudice was the unanimous recommendation I was given.

And so I began, determined to overcome the lexical density of Austen’s that I had always struggled with. Following the advice of my English teacher at college, I read for a full hour so as to fully engage with both the plot and the writing. However, after my first sitting, I was soon reluctant to continue, and found myself putting off reading on a number of occasions where, had I been reading a different book I would have been more than happy to indulge my inner bookworm. After over a week of having done no reading whatsoever – quite a rarity for me – I had a free evening and so back to Pride and Prejudice I returned, determined to make a decent-sized dent in the book.

I soon became swept away by the plot and, much to my surprise, and indeed relief, I began to thoroughly enjoy Austen’s most loved book. I finished Pride and Prejudice feeling a great sense of achievement, both in terms of the union of Lizzie and William Darcy finally coming into fruition, and in having finally finished the novel of an author who I had never previously been able to.

It felt very appropriate to finish Pride and Prejudice on World Book Night, a day in which people like myself encourage others to discover the joy of reading.

About Pride and Prejudice

‘It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.’ Thus memorably begins Jane Austen’s  Pride and Prejudice , one of the world’s most popular novels.  Pride and Prejudice –Austen’s own ‘darling child’–tells the story of fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennett, one of five sisters who must marry rich, as she confounds the arrogant, wealthy Mr. Darcy. What ensues is one of the most delightful and engrossingly readable courtships known to literature, written by a precocious Austen when she was just twenty-one years old.

Humorous and profound, and filled with highly entertaining dialogue, this witty comedy of manners dips and turns through drawing-rooms and plots to reach an immensely satisfying finale. In the words of Eudora Welty,  Pride and Prejudice  is as ‘irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be.’

About Jane Austen

Jane Austen was an English novelist whose works of romantic fiction, set among the landed gentry, earned her a place as one of the most widely read writers in English literature, her realism and biting social commentary cementing her historical importance among scholars and critics. From 1811 until 1816, with the release of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815), she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1818, and began a third, which was eventually titled Sanditon, but died before completing it.

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1 comment on “Review: Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen”

Well done! And I have a suggestion for you, next time you struggle to get into a book. Find someone who loves it, and get them to read it aloud to you (of course, they have to be good readers, otherwise it’s hopeless), and give it at least a chapter. If you don’t engage with it then, you probably never will. Austen is stylistically hard for modern readers, but if you connect with the story, the rest will follow. Aunt xxx

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The Best Fiction Books » Classic English Literature

Pride and prejudice (book), by jane austen.

Pride and Prejudice was published more than 200 years ago, in 1813, but the book still speaks to us across the centuries. Written by Jane Austen when she was only 20, its original title was First Impressions . Like many great books, it was initially rejected by publishers and did not appear till years later, now under the title we know it by, Pride and Prejudice . By then, Austen had already had commercial success with Sense and Sensibility , a novel that also compares and contrasts two characters with the qualities (flaws) signalled in the title of the book.

Pride and Prejudice was a trailblazing book, not least because it has served as the template for every romance novel and Mills & Boon written since. The countless book and screen adaptations of Pride and Prejudice speak to a story that has universal appeal, its characters and plotline appearing in everything from Bridget Jones’s Diary to Pride and Prejudice and Zombie s.

But Pride and Prejudice is more than just a happily-ever-after story. Philosophers and literary scholars are just some of the experts we’ve interviewed who have chosen Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice as essential reading on their topic. Along with many other people , it is Austen scholar Patricia Meyer Spacks’s favourite Austen book. As she explains below, it’s also a serious work. Exploring that theme, she produced Pride and Prejudice: An Annotated Edition , published by Harvard University Press, which includes over 2,000 annotations to the text.

You can read all our interviews featuring Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice —and browse some of the original reviews and 19th century commentary on the book—below.

Recommendations from our site

“I think it’s always been my favourite, as it’s many people’s favourite among Austen’s novels. But I was always vaguely embarrassed by that as a scholar, because I didn’t think it was the best.” Read more...

The Best Jane Austen Books

Patricia Meyer Spacks , Literary Scholar

“The book is about the pleasure of being wrong. We forget that wrongness can be deeply pleasurable, but thankfully we have literature and art to remind us.” Read more...

The best books on Wrongness

Kathryn Schulz , Journalist

“This book is one of the perfect novels, in style and plot and characters. I think it is easy to overlook quite how inspiring it was when it insisted on a woman’s right to marry for love.” Read more...

Books that Changed the World

Amanda Craig , Journalist

“It’s a coming-of-age story, because she throws aside her prejudices but also sees the house and realises that she could be quite comfortable and maybe realises how important that is.” Read more...

The best books on Coming of Age

Meg Rosoff , Children's Author

“As the novel goes on they both re-learn how to judge one another, they re-evaluate the other’s moral worth. Among many other things, Pride and Prejudice is an exploration of moral epistemology.” Read more...

The best books on Ideas that Matter

A C Grayling , Philosopher

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is available as an audiobook, performed by the English actress Rosamund Pike.

Listening time: 11 hours and 35 minutes.

Great Actors Read Great Books

“Why do you like Miss Austen so very much? I am puzzled on that point…I had not seen ‘Pride & Prejudice’ till I read that sentence of yours, and then I got the book and studied it. And what did I find? An accurate daguerrotyped portrait of a common-place face…I should hardly like to live with her ladies and gentlemen, in their elegant but confined houses”

Charlotte Brontë to GH Lewes, 12 January 1848, quoted in The Brontes: A Life in Letters, by Juliet Barker

“Read again and for the third time at least, Miss Austen’s very finely written novel of Pride and Prejudice. That young lady had a talent for describing the involvements and feelings and characters of ordinary life which is to me the most wonderful I ever met with.”

Sir Walter Scott, Journal, March, 1826

“The key to Jane Austen’s fortune with posterity has been in part the extraordinary grace of her facility, in fact of her unconsciousness: as if, at the most, for difficulty, for embarrassment, she sometimes, over her work basket, her tapestry flowers, in the spare, cool drawing-room of other days, fell a-musing, lapsed too metaphorically, as one may say, into wool-gathering, and her dropped stitches, of these pardonable, of these precious moments, were afterwards picked up as little touches of human truth, little glimpses of steady vision, little master-strokes of imagination.”

Henry James, quoted in David Dowling (ed) Novelists on Novelists

“She did not know enough of the world to be a great novelist. She had not the ambition to be a great novelist. She knew her place”

Arnold Bennett, quoted in Jane Austen: Critical Assessments, edited by Ian Littlewood

Other books by Jane Austen

Sanditon by jane austen, jane austen's manuscript works by jane austen, mansfield park by jane austen, persuasion by jane austen, emma by jane austen, our most recommended books, great expectations by charles dickens, wuthering heights by emily brontë, jane eyre by charlotte brontë, nineteen eighty-four by george orwell, macbeth by william shakespeare, barchester towers by anthony trollope.

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book review on pride and prejudice

Book Review of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

Set around the time of the Napoleonic Wars, but making little reference to it, Austen’s  Pride and Prejudice , as most people know, follows the romance of snooty, unapproachable Darcy and high spirited, generous Elizabeth Bennet. Darcy is proud and Elizabeth is (in my opinion rightly so) prejudiced. Of course, we all know that ultimately Elizabeth and Darcy get it together after Darcy shows his principles and kindness helping Elizabeth’s wild and inexperienced sister Lydia form a reasonably satsifactory marriage with Wickham. Wickham a handsome and charming soldier initially makes a favourable impression on Elizabeth, but significantly is a cad who had already disrupted Darcy’s own sister’s lives.  Austen is in a class of her own for weaving intricate plot beautifully together and portraying character. For example, we love Elizabeth’s dad, but we don’t really respect him. We agree that Bingley (Darcy’s friend) and Elizabeth’s sister, Jane will get robbed blind by their staff, as they are just too kind. It is this kind of detail and witty insight that makes her so brilliant. We are appalled by the manners of Mrs Bennet, but delighted by her rudeness. We are astonished by the skill and mastery that Austen applies in writing satire and irony. Humour and wit abound in Jane Austen’s writing and especially in  Pride and Prejudice . In my opinion, her understanding of social class and restrictions on women (and men too) is second to none. Direct yet playful; searing yet light; funny yet profound –  Pride and Prejudice  is a book you will wish to return to time and time again. 

book review on pride and prejudice

Book Discussion Questions on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Which male character in the book do you have most sympathy for and why? Is Mr Bennet a good father? Why or why not?  In  Pride and Prejudice  which sister is most like you? Why?  How much sympathy do you have for Lydia and the choices she made?  Are you likely to fall for a ‘cad’ like Mr Wickham? Why do you think  Pride and Prejudice  has been such a popular book for over two hundred years?  There have been lots of  movie adaptations and series made of  Pride and Prejudice . Who would you cast as the main characters?  Whose marriage will be more successful – Jane and Bingleys or Elizabeth and Darcy’s?  How much sympathy do you have for Charlotte Lucas? Was she wise to marry Mr Collins? Mr Collins is probably the most insufferable character in  Pride and Prejudice ? Is there anyone who he reminds you of  him that you are happy to chat about? What is the funniest line in the whole book?  The opening line of  Pride and Prejudice   is one of the most quoted in literature. What other stand out ‘first lines’ can you think of?  What is the quality that you most admire in Jane Austen’s writing? At the minute books like  Jonathan Coe’s Middle England  are doing the rounds. They are in stark contrast to Jane Austen’s  Pride and Prejudice  as they specifically make reference to current culture and politics. Do you prefer Austen’s seemingly timeless writing or would you have welcomed the inclusion of more specific context in  Pride and Prejudice ? 

The letter that Darcy sends Elizabeth angers her hugely. Have you ever received a letter from someone you hated who you then went on to become romantically involved with? If so would you like to share your story?  Darcy is initially judgemental and snobbish, yet ultimately Elizabeth sees his good qualities and falls in love with him. He claims to retain his principles but manages them better with more self-awareness. Do you think we really can change as adults or do we always revert to our young selves?  Elizabeth is from quite a large family of girls, all requiring a husband in order to have financial security. Would you marry for money rather than love?  Elizabeth can dance and play the piano tolerably well, but is probably too lazy to become really skilled at either. Do you share these traits. Is being  ‘B’ grade in life  enough?  Pride and Prejudice  is set a time of historical signficance yet is almost completely consumed by local and domestic affairs? Does what is happening in the world affect your view of the world, or are you more like the characters in this novel and consumed with your domestic circumstances? Does this matter? Look around the bookclub. Who is more prone to be proud and who is more likely to be prejudiced? Keep your banter light hearted and don’t quarrel! 

The numerous adaptations of Pride and Prejudice make it a well known story and bookub members spend hours drinking wine and discussing which actor playing Darcy they prefer!  Lucy Worsley has recently written an insightful account of Austen and her life called  Jane Austen at Home.  It is well written and a fascinating read if you are interested in knowing biographical information and more about the context of her writing. There are also numerous societies devoted to the study of Jane Austen and plenty of amusing teen and adult spin-off novels too.  If you have never read a Jane Austen book start with this one and there is a good chance that you will become hooked on her writing.

book review on pride and prejudice

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

A beautiful classic....

book review on pride and prejudice

Introduction…

Well…I’m a day late to posting this…I apologize…

Anyway…the most recent book I finished was Pride and Prejudice …It was actually a week or so ago…I haven’t been reading as much as I’d like lately…very sad…but it was a very beautiful book that I enjoyed…so why not review it? Also…I wanted to do a book review and couldn’t decide which book and my wonderful friend said this is the one I should…and here we are…

For those who don’t know Pride and Prejudice is a Classic Romance written by Jane Austin about Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy…as they go from hating each other…to loving each other…I loved the story…I love romance very much…and the dialogue and the DRAMA were awesome…it was interesting and incredibly funny…all around enjoyable…there were parts that I felt incredibly slow and were hard for me to read…those parts were in Mr. Darcy’s absence and were quite frustrating…but I think that was the only downfall…

The Characters…

The characters were simply wonderful…they were loveable and hateable and relateable…and it was great! The character you were supposed to hate…it was easy to…the characters you were supposed to love won your affection…so many of the characters were incredibly relatable…specifically Mr. Darcy and his social awkwardness…it was hilarious…but also painfully relatable…it was…again…wonderful…

The Romance…

The romance was incredibly sweet…it made me happy…there were painful facepalm moments…but also beautiful sweet moments…the characters learned and grew through their personal struggles and they eventually grew together in the most unexpected way…but oh so beautiful!!!

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In Conclusion…

I loved Pride and Prejudice…and definitely thank my friends who convinced me to read it through arguments and memes…as I do not read classics simply due to them being classics…I do not regret reading it…the slow parts were frustrating but overall it was wonderful!!!

book review on pride and prejudice

Ready for more?

Pride and Prejudice

By jane austen.

'Pride and Prejudice' is a classical piece of Literature with a detailed description of characters, and their manners, in 19th century rural England.

About the Book

Mizpah Albert

Article written by Mizpah Albert

M.A. in English Literature and a Ph.D. in English Language Teaching.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a romantic novel of manners written in 1813. Originally titled as ‘First Impressions’ and published as three volumes, it throws light upon the character progress of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is a romantic novel of manners written in 1813. Originally titled as ‘First Impressions’ and published as three volumes, it throws light upon the character progress of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy . It is a classical piece of Literature with a detailed description of characters, and their manners, in 19 th century rural England.

Key Facts about Pride and Prejudice

  • Title:   Pride and Prejudice, initially named as First Impression 
  • When/where written : Austen has written the novel between October 1796 and August 1797, but it was published only in 1813 .
  • Published:  January 1813
  • Literary Period:  Romantic period
  • Genre:  Romance novel, Fiction, Satire, Novel of Manners
  • Point-of-View:  Third-person omniscient
  • Setting:  Rural England in the early 19th century
  • Climax:  Unexpected Marriage proposal from Darcy to Elizabeth
  • Antagonist:  George Wickham

Jane Austen and Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice  is one of the most popular novels in the English language and by Jane Austen . Entitled ‘First Impressions,’ in the beginning, it is the second of four novels that Austen published during her lifetime. It was published anonymously in the beginning by Thomas Edgerton. Even now, centuries from the date of publication, the novel captures the hearts and minds of readers across the world. Jane Austen was an avid reader, from a family of readers, who would gather in her father’s rectory to read aloud. They used to read works such as Samuel Johnson, Frances Burney, and William Cowper. Ultimately, she would read from her own works-in-progress. Needless to say the impact of reading in her works, which is often a key indicator of the character development in her novels. According to Austen, the way a character reads, symbolizes the character’s potential in understanding life, other people, and oneself. The popularity of Pride and Prejudice lies in the beautiful description of characters, especially the delightful nature of Elizabeth, an unforgettable cast of comic characters, witty dialog, and a satisfying romantic plot.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Digital Art

Books related to Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice is a romantic novel of Manners that satires the class and perspectives of people. In the novel of manners, the conventions of society have dominance over the story. The characters are differentiated based on their stand in the societal conventions .

Jane Austen’s novel deals with the domestic affairs of the English landed gentry of the 19th century. The novel of manners is a popular genre used in the 19 th century. Notable writers of the novel of manners include Henry James, Evelyn Waugh, Jane Austen, Edith Wharton, and John Marquand.

Some of the notable works similar to that of Pride and Prejudice include Jane Austen’s Sense and Sensibility , Persuasion, William Makepeace Thackeray’s   Vanity Fair ,  Gustave Flaubert’s Madame Bovary , Leo Tolstoy’s Anna Karenina, Guy de Maupassant’s Bel-Ami, Thomas Hardy’s  Tess of the d’Urbervilles, and  Edith Wharton’s The House of Mirth and The Age of Innocence.

The Lasting Impact of Pride and Prejudice

From January 28, 1813, the day Jane Austen’s second novel first saw print it has enchanted readers around the world, in every language, for 200 years. As a story of happily ever after, the novel has set a model for an infinite number of romantic novels, yet none equaled to replace the delights of Austen’s.

Beyond the “love” in the story , there is humor, hypocrisy, and scandal, all that make it a story to inspire. The novel has been adapted several times for films and miniseries around the world.

It is obvious that the lasting impact Pride and Prejudice created will not die sooner amidst the lovers of literature even among the generation to come. Being one of the most popular novels in English literature, 20 million copies are sold so far. Also, the number of derivatives abound in modern literature, stand as a testimony to its popularity.

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Pride and prejudice quotes 💬, pride and prejudice historical context 📖, pride and prejudice themes and analysis 📖, pride and prejudice character list 📖, pride and prejudice summary 📖.

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for Austen readers, fans & scholars

  • Oct 3, 2018

‘Pride and Prejudice’: What critics said

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Jane Austen was (rightfully) proud of “Pride and Prejudice.” She called the novel “My own darling Child.” In one letter she said of Elizabeth Bennet: “I must confess that I think her as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print, & how I shall be able to tolerate those who do not like her at least, I do not know.”

But what did critics and other readers have to say about the novel? Read on.

The Critical Review, March 1813

“Although these young ladies claim a great share in the reader’s interest and attention, none calls forth our admiration so much as Elizabeth, whose archness and sweetness of manner render her a very attractive object in the family piece. … Many silly women as Mrs. Bennet may be found; and numerous parsons like Mr. Collins, who are every thing to every body; and servile in the extreme to their superiors. Mr. Collins is indeed a notable object. … There is not one person in the drama with whom we could readily dispense — they all have their proper places; and fill their several stations, with great credit to themselves, and much satisfaction to the reader.”

The British Critic, 1813

“We have perused these volumes with much satisfaction and amusement and entertain very little doubt that their successful circulation will induce the author to similar exertions.”

Mary Russell Mitford, 1814:

“The want of elegance is almost the only want in Miss Austen. … in every word of Elizabeth, the entire want of taste which could produce so pert, so worldly a heroine as the beloved of such a man as Darcy. … Darcy should have married Jane. He is of all the admirable characters the best designed and the best sustained.”

“Everytime I read ‘Pride and Prejudice’ I want to dig [Austen] up and beat her over the skull with her own shin-bone,” Twain wrote in one letter to a friend.

Charlotte Brontë

“I had not seen Pride and Prejudice till I had read that sentence of yours, and then I got the book. And what did I find? An accurate daguerrotyped [photographed] portrait of a commonplace face; a carefully fenced, highly cultivated garden, with neat borders and delicate flowers; but no glance of a bright vivid physiognomy, no open country, no fresh air, no blue hill, no bonny beck [stream]. I should hardly like to live with her ladies and gentlemen, in their elegant but confined houses.”

Anna Waterston

Waterston — an American reader in the 1850s — thought Darcy’s proposal to Lizzy was “one of the most remarkable passages in Miss Austen’s writings.”

Sources: Flavorwire , Deirdre Le Faye’s “Jane Austen: The World of Her Novels,” Juliette Wells’s “Reading Austen in America.”

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PRIDE & PREJUDICE

by Jane Austen with edited by David M. Shapard ‧ RELEASE DATE: Nov. 1, 2003

An exhaustive and exhausting marriage of Austen's Pride and a modern reader’s analysis of it.

A mammoth edition, including the novel, illustrations, maps, a chronology, and bibliography, but mostly thousands of annotations that run the gamut from revealing to ridiculous.

New editions of revered works usually exist either to dumb down or to illuminate the original. Since its appearance in 1813, Austen's most famous work has spawned numerous illustrated and abridged versions geared toward younger readers, as well as critical editions for the scholarly crowd. One would think that this three-pounder would fall squarely in the latter camp based on heft alone. But for various other reasons, Shapard's edition is not so easily boxed. Where Austen's work aimed at a wide spectrum of the 19th-century reading audience, Shapard's seems geared solely toward young lit students. No doubt conceived with the notion of highlighting Austen's brilliance, the 2,000-odd annotations–printed throughout on pages facing the novel's text–often end up dwarfing it. This sort of arrangement, which would work extremely well as hypertext, is disconcerting on the printed page. The notes range from helpful glosses of obscure terms to sprawling expositions on the perils awaiting the character at hand. At times, his comments are so frequent and encyclopedic that one might be tempted to dispense with Austen altogether; in fact, the author's prefatory note under "plot disclosures" kindly suggests that first-time readers might "prefer to read the text of the novel first, and then to read the annotations and introduction." Those with a term paper due in the morning might skip ahead to the eight-page chronology–not of Austen's life, but of the novel's plot–at the back. In the end, Shapard's herculean labor of love comes off as more scholastic than scholarly.

Pub Date: Nov. 1, 2003

ISBN: 0-9745053-0-7

Page Count: -

Publisher: N/A

Review Posted Online: May 27, 2010

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

GENERAL NONFICTION

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EMMA WATSON

BOOK REVIEW

by Jane Austen & Joan Aiken

JANE AUSTEN'S THE HISTORY OF ENGLAND

by Jane Austen

NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ‧ RELEASE DATE: Oct. 28, 1996

This is not the Nutcracker sweet, as passed on by Tchaikovsky and Marius Petipa. No, this is the original Hoffmann tale of 1816, in which the froth of Christmas revelry occasionally parts to let the dark underside of childhood fantasies and fears peek through. The boundaries between dream and reality fade, just as Godfather Drosselmeier, the Nutcracker's creator, is seen as alternately sinister and jolly. And Italian artist Roberto Innocenti gives an errily realistic air to Marie's dreams, in richly detailed illustrations touched by a mysterious light. A beautiful version of this classic tale, which will captivate adults and children alike. (Nutcracker; $35.00; Oct. 28, 1996; 136 pp.; 0-15-100227-4)

Pub Date: Oct. 28, 1996

ISBN: 0-15-100227-4

Page Count: 136

Publisher: Harcourt

Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 1996

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THE NUTCRACKER AND THE MOUSE KING

by E.T.A. Hoffmann ; adapted by Natalie Andrewson ; illustrated by Natalie Andrewson

THE NUTCRACKER

by E.T.A. Hoffmann & illustrated by Julie Paschkis

TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

TO THE ONE I LOVE THE BEST

Episodes from the life of lady mendl (elsie de wolfe).

by Ludwig Bemelmans ‧ RELEASE DATE: Feb. 23, 1955

An extravaganza in Bemelmans' inimitable vein, but written almost dead pan, with sly, amusing, sometimes biting undertones, breaking through. For Bemelmans was "the man who came to cocktails". And his hostess was Lady Mendl (Elsie de Wolfe), arbiter of American decorating taste over a generation. Lady Mendl was an incredible person,- self-made in proper American tradition on the one hand, for she had been haunted by the poverty of her childhood, and the years of struggle up from its ugliness,- until she became synonymous with the exotic, exquisite, worshipper at beauty's whrine. Bemelmans draws a portrait in extremes, through apt descriptions, through hilarious anecdote, through surprisingly sympathetic and understanding bits of appreciation. The scene shifts from Hollywood to the home she loved the best in Versailles. One meets in passing a vast roster of famous figures of the international and artistic set. And always one feels Bemelmans, slightly offstage, observing, recording, commenting, illustrated.

Pub Date: Feb. 23, 1955

ISBN: 0670717797

Publisher: Viking

Review Posted Online: Oct. 25, 2011

Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 1, 1955

More by Ludwig Bemelmans

MADELINE'S SEASONS

developed by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno

LOVE FROM MADELINE

by Ludwig Bemelmans ; illustrated by Steven Salerno

LA BONNE TABLE

by Ludwig Bemelmans

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book review on pride and prejudice

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Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is my favorite book of all time-- which isn't a phrase I throw out lightly! This book truly has the best of all worlds-- a wonderful romance, lovable characters, humor, and beautiful writing. Pride and Prejudice is the story of a young woman in the 1800's, Elizabeth Bennet. The Bennet family has five daughters, and in an age where the only thing women could do was marry rich, all the girls are pressured to find wealthy matches to secure the family's comfort. Elizabeth, however, refuses to marry the first man the comes along, and only marry when for love. She meets brooding, silent, proud and very rich Mr. Darcy, who at first has no interest in Elizabeth. Over time, he begins to fall in love with her wit and charm. Elizabeth thinks Darcy is the last man she could ever marry, but through the course of the novel, begins to see that her prejudices towards him are fake and that he is a true gentleman who is only shy. The questions remains-- will they overcome their pride and prejudices and get married? I'm not a huge fan of 'classical classics' where the writing style is dull and hard to understand. I was so pleased to find that this is not the case with Austen's writing style. I enjoyed every single page of this wonderful novel, and truly did not want it to end! I will certainly be reading more Austen! I would recommend this book to anyone-- fans of romance, family-oriented stories, comedies, fans of classics, and even reluctant readers of classics who would like an easy gateway into the world of classic novels.

Richard Carter

Book review: ‘Pride And Prejudice’ by Jane Austen

In 2022, to honour a drunken deal, my sister-in-law and I bought each other copies of books we admire greatly. So she received some Kathleen Jamie , and I ended up with the complete novels of bloody Jane Austen. There was no way I was going to read all of those in one go, so I decided to read one novel a year. In 2022 I read Sense and Sensibility , and in 2023 I read Pride and Prejudice .

They’re basically the same novel.

In Pride and Prejudice , over-privileged toffs worry about how much money each of them is worth, and about being seen to be conducting themselves with decorum. Mr Darcy is full of pride, and Elizabeth Bennet is full of prejudice against him. But (spoiler alert) they eventually resolve their differences, as you knew damn well they would.

I can’t begin to imagine how Mansfield Park might turn out.

…Oh, actually, I can.

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Readability Australia

Book review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

  • May 18, 2020
  • Fleur Morrison
  • Book Reviews

Could Pride and Prejudice be the perfect isolation read during the coronavirus pandemic? Funny, escapist and romantic, it just might be.

After having watched the series starring Colin Firth a few times over the years, I felt like I knew the story well enough not to bother reading the book.

But when Helen Garner wrote about reading it in her book Everywhere I Look , I thought I’d give it a try. (Plus I wasn’t sure whether I could consider myself a ‘real’ reader if I’d never read this king of classics.)

And Pride and Prejudice was every bit as engaging and impressive as you would expect.

I’m not sure if I need to introduce the storyline to anyone, but essentially it centres on a family with five marriageable daughters. Set in England in the early 1800s, the search for a husband is government by many rules of society, with both pride and prejudice centre stage in any relationship.

The protagonist, Elizabeth Bennett, is clever and questioning, but this doesn’t prevent her from hastily forming her own negative opinions when she meets Mr Darcy, who is not as effusive and charming as his companions.

The story revolves around the development of her relationship with Mr Darcy, and the unravelling of all of her misconceptions about him, and the evolution of Mr Darcy’s own behaviour.

Other storylines include the eldest sister, Jane’s relationship with the charming Mr Bingley, and the seemingly disastrous pairing of younger sister, Lydia, with the badly-behaved Mr Wickham.

Jane Austen wrote Pride and Prejudice with great humour and wit, and retains its bite two hundred years later. The truths about relationships that she reveals also have enduring relevance. Each couple exposes different forms of relationship, from Mr and Mrs Bennetts’ resigned and loveless relationship, to Jane and Mr Bingley’s good-natured mutual adoration, after their false start.

Austen’s depictions of her family are often hilarious, especially her snobbish mother and her silly sister, Lydia. These two characters lift the mood of the novel from brooding romantic drama, blending it with a comic exploration of personality and social structures.

I also found Mr Collins, a cousin who was ridiculously formal and pretentious in the language he used towards the girls, and it felt like readers were invited into the joke, as the girls restrained their laughter.

This book of manners is funny, insightful and romantic – the perfect balm for these uncertain times.

Here are some of my favourite quotes from the book:

“Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chane. If the dispositions of the parties are ever so well known to each other, or ever so similar beforehand, it does not advance their felicity in the least. They always continue to grow sufficiently unlike afterwards to have their share of vexation, and it is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life.”
“I cannot comprehend the neglect of a family library in days such as these.”
“Reflection must be reserved for solitary hours; whenever she was alone, she gave way to it as the greatest relief; and not a day went by without a solitary walk, in which she might indulge in all the delight of unpleasant recollection.”
“… and more than commonly anxious to please, she naturally suspected that every power of pleasing would fail her.” “She had better have stayed at home,” cried Elizabeth; “perhaps she meant well, but under such a misfortune as this, one cannot see too little of one’s neighbours. Assistance is impossible; condolence, insufferable. Let them triumph over us at a distance, and be satisfied.” “For what do we live, but to make sport of our neighbours, and laugh at them in our turn?” Pride and Prejudice is available at Booktopia (Australia) and The Book Depository (US and UK) 

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Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

by Laksha Vijaikumar , Editor March 3, 2022

Angst, agony, and awkwardness: all elements of the iconic book Pride and Prejudice . Written by Jane Austen in 1797, Pride and Prejudice focuses on Elizabeth Bennet, the witty and charming daughter of an English country gentleman. As the second of five daughters, Elizabeth and her sisters were constantly told they had to marry rich to live comfortably. However, the cynical Elizabeth isn’t quite keen on that. Especially not when her first meeting with Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy gets off on the wrong foot, and rightfully so. When a man says you are “tolerable but not handsome enough to tempt [him]” (Austen 2), you have every right to be mad. 

Throughout the novel, I couldn’t help but feel like Elizabeth was being a whiny brat. At times she prides herself for not being prejudiced, but she is just as prejudiced as any of the other characters. Mr. Darcy is far too proud at the beginning of the novel. He feels the need to insult Elizabeth’s looks in order to feel superior to her. Besides the characters, if you are not a fan of “old-timey” literature, Pride and Prejudice may be a tough read for you. The language is difficult to understand at times, and you might have to reread it multiple times in order to understand anything. 

But while the characters do start off annoying, their character development is off the charts. Seeing two people put aside their differences and fall in love is one of the most beautiful things in life. Austen does a terrific job of portraying the awkwardness between the soon-to-be-couple. Darcy and Elizabeth’s mannerisms and relationship reminded me of every middle school couple. Their interactions are humorous to the point that you can’t help but laugh out loud.

Although the book may be hard to read at times, the interesting dynamic between the extroverted Elizabeth and the introverted Mr. Darcy will make you smile the entire time you read. Overall, I give this book 4.75/5 stars.

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Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Book: pride and prejudice by jane austen.

book review on pride and prejudice

About the Author: Jane Austen

People Who Read "Jane Austen" Novel Also Like :

  • Northanger Abbey
  • Sense and Sensibility
  • Pride and Prejudice
  • Mansfield Park

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Quotes

"How shameful what I have done!" she exclaimed, "I have always been proud of myself, thinking that I can distinguish between right and wrong!—I have always regarded myself very highly, and thought I was capable! I often looked down on my sister's A kind of tolerant and kind, often showing unprofitable random suspicions, and satisfying his own vanity-what a shame this thing shakes out!-but it is also a shame! If I really fell in love, I would It can't be more pathetic than blind! But I'm not stupid in falling in love, but in vanity.--I was happy when a person had a crush on me when we first met, the other ignores me, and I get angry, so from either of them I invite prejudice and ignorance, and drive out the reason. Until now, I have They have no self-awareness.” --- Quoted from page 168

Short Comments:  Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

  • The character's mood changes and grows; 
  • The artistry of daily life is explored and organized into stories; 
  • The contrast between the clown and the gentleman and the British humor; 
  • The simple and clear language, no Regardless of description and lyricism, language is restrained.

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Summary

Book Review of Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

What's good reading austen's pride and prejudice. .

"Yes, vanity is indeed a problem; pride, a really smart person will have his own way."

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book review on pride and prejudice

Book Review

Pride & prejudice.

  • Jane Austen
  • Historical , Romance

book review on pride and prejudice

Readability Age Range

  • Penguin Group

Year Published

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austin has been reviewed by Focus on the Family’s marriage and parenting magazine .

Plot Summary

Though she knows that 18th-century women must — above all else — marry well, Elizabeth Bennet is a spirited thinker put off by social conventions. She’s happy when her sister Jane falls for the wealthy Mr. Bingley, but Elizabeth and Bingley’s prideful friend, Darcy, clash. As the tale unfolds, several of Elizabeth’s other sisters experience the highs and lows of relationships. Meanwhile, debates and misunderstandings fuel Elizabeth’s distain for Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy. When she finally learns the truth about Darcy’s character and discovers that his actions have restored her family’s honor, Elizabeth overcomes her prejudice against his pride and realizes she loves him.

Christian Beliefs

Mr. Collins, a cousin who will inherit the Bennet estate after Mr. Bennet’s death, is a self-important clergyman, clueless about the way he presents himself to others. Noblewoman Lady Catherine de Bourgh is his patron. After Lydia Bennet scandalously runs off with Mr. Wickham, Mr. Collins advises Mr. Bennet to forgive his daughter but never to see or speak of the couple. Mr. Bennet scoffs at Collins’ view of “Christian forgiveness.” Aside from the mention of some characters attending church, little is said about religion — though critics note that Pride and Prejudice focuses on issues important to Christians, including love and family relationships.

Other Belief Systems

Most of the characters believe that nothing matters more than social class. Characters threaten, criticize, ostracize, flatter, marry, venerate and despise other characters, all for the sake of maintaining or elevating their status in society.

Authority Roles

Mr. Bennet remains fairly detached from his family’s goings-on. Some critics attribute Lydia’s family-disgracing relationship with Mr. Wickham to Mr. Bennet’s lack of attention to his daughters’ activities. Mrs. Bennet is single-minded — she wants to see that her daughters marry well. In her efforts to accomplish this, she makes foolish remarks at every turn, frequently putting off the people she means to impress. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner, Mrs. Bennet’s brother and sister-in-law, offer wisdom, comfort and companionship to the girls, playing the role of surrogate parents in many instances. Lady Catherine de Bourgh demonstrates her contempt for the lower-class Bennets by first criticizing the girls’ upbringing and, later, hatefully confronting Elizabeth about marrying Darcy.

Profanity & Violence

The Lord’s name is used in vain several times.

Sexual Content

When Lydia Bennet runs off with Mr. Wickham, she and her entire family face dishonor unless the couple are married. (Her indiscretion is assumed but never mentioned outright.)

Discussion Topics

Get free discussion questions for this book and others, at FocusOnTheFamily.com/discuss-books .

Additional Comments

In a 2003 BBC Big Read poll of the “UK’s Best-loved Books,” Pride and Prejudice, published in 1813, was ranked No. 2 behind The Lord of the Rings.

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What is Pride and Prejudice ?

Pride and Prejudice is a romantic novel by Jane Austen , published anonymously in three volumes in 1813. It has inspired many stage and screen productions, one notable adaptation being a 1995 TV miniseries starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth .

Who is the author of Pride and Prejudice ?

Jane Austen is the author of Pride and Prejudice . She published three other novels during her lifetime: Sense and Sensibility , Mansfield Park , and Emma . Her novels Persuasion and Northanger Abbey were published posthumously.

What is the plot of Pride and Prejudice ?

Pride and Prejudice follows the turbulent relationship between Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a rich aristocratic landowner. They must overcome the titular sins of pride and prejudice in order to fall in love and marry.

What is the first sentence of Pride and Prejudice ?

The famous first sentence of Pride and Prejudice is: “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.”

What was Pride and Prejudice originally titled?

Pride and Prejudice was originally titled First Impressions .

book review on pride and prejudice

Pride and Prejudice , romantic novel by Jane Austen , published anonymously in three volumes in 1813. A classic of English literature , written with incisive wit and superb character delineation, it centers on the burgeoning relationship between Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman, and Fitzwilliam Darcy , a rich aristocratic landowner. Upon publication, Pride and Prejudice was well received by critics and readers. The first edition sold out within the first year, and it never went out of print.

Pride and Prejudice is set in rural England at the turn of the 19th century, and it follows the Bennet family , which includes five very different sisters. The eldest, Jane, is sweet-tempered and modest. She is her sister Elizabeth’s confidant and friend. Elizabeth, the heroine of the novel, is intelligent and high-spirited. She shares her father’s distaste for the conventional views of society as to the importance of wealth and rank. The third daughter, Mary, is plain, bookish, and pompous, while Lydia and Kitty, the two youngest, are flighty and immature.

Mr. Bennet is the family patriarch. He is fond of his two eldest daughters—especially his favorite, Elizabeth—but takes a passive interest in the younger ones, ultimately failing to curb their childish instincts. An intelligent but eccentric and sarcastic man, he does not care for society’s conventions and mocks his wife’s obsession with finding suitable husbands for their daughters. As several scholars have noted, however, Mrs. Bennet is rightfully concerned. Because of an entail , the modest family estate is to be inherited by William Collins, Mr. Bennet’s nephew, who is the next male in line. Indeed, as Austen scholar Mary Evans noted, “If Mrs. Bennett is slightly crazy, then perhaps she is so because she perceives more clearly than her husband the possible fate of her five daughters if they do not marry.” Unfortunately, Mrs. Bennet’s fervor and indelicacy often work against her interests. A woman of little sense and much self-pity, she indulges her lively youngest daughters.

Throughout the novel, the Bennet sisters encounter several eligible bachelors, including Charles Bingley, Darcy, Lieutenant George Wickham, and Collins. Bingley has recently let Netherfield estate, which neighbors the Bennets’ home, Longbourn. Austen describes him as “good-looking and gentlemanlike; [having] a pleasant countenance and easy, unaffected manners.” He has come by his fortune through his family’s interest in trade, which was seen as a less respectable means of obtaining wealth than by inheriting it, as his friend Darcy has done. Darcy is clearly a product of this hierarchical thinking: he believes in the natural superiority of the wealthy landed gentry. He is arrogant but perceptive.

Young woman with glasses reading a book, student

Darcy’s estates were once managed by Wickham’s father, but he and Wickham are no longer friendly. Wickham is attractive and charming, making him immediately popular among the women in the nearby town of Meryton, where he and other soldiers have been stationed. Collins, on the other hand, is “not a sensible man, and the deficiency of nature had been but little assisted by education or society.” He is a clergyman whose patron, the controlling Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is Darcy’s aunt.

Other supporting characters in the novel include Elizabeth’s friend Charlotte Lucas, who is described as sensible and nearing an age where marriage is unlikely; Charlotte’s parents, Sir William and Lady Lucas; Mrs. Bennet’s brother, Edward Gardiner, who works in trade, and his wife, both of whom are generous and well-grounded; Bingley’s sisters, the snobbish and scheming Caroline and Louisa Hurst; and Darcy’s 16-year-old sister, Georgiana, who is painfully shy but good-humored.

Pride and Prejudice

By Jane Austen

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COMMENTS

  1. Pride and Prejudice Review: Jane Austen's Classical Romance

    Pride and Prejudice Book Review. Pride and Prejudice is a novel of all the time. It has captivated the hearts of readers across ages. The interesting plot captures the reader's attention from the very first line. As it is narrated through the perspective of Elizabeth Bennet, the readers will get the feel of living alongside the Bennet family.

  2. Pride and Prejudice Book Review

    Pride and Prejudice - Book Review A truly magnificent novel to enlighten the reader not just about the romance of the past, but of the life and values of the ones in the days of old. A novel that weaves through love, class, reputation, family values and integrity along with the other hundred more. A book set in the past but by no means stuck to ...

  3. Pride and Prejudice: A Literary Analysis and Detailed Book Review

    Date: September 2, 2023. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is widely considered one of the greatest novels in English literature. First published in 1813, it has withstood the test of time and remains popular after over two centuries. The story explores the complexities of love and social class through its witty narrative and characters.

  4. Book review: "Pride and Prejudice" by Jane Austen

    In addition, the novel provides a fascinating view into the role of women and men in early 19 th century England through the perceptive and unblinking eye of Austen. My reading of the novel leads me to see it as a story of truth and illusion — another way of saying pride and prejudice. Elizabeth, at times, gets hoodwinked by illusion in one ...

  5. Review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

    Although written in the early 19th century, the book reads easily and Austen grabs your attention just enough to make you want to keep going. I immediately connected with her characters and wanted to see how their lives would pan out. I wasn't disappointed. stars Elizabeth Bennet.

  6. Review: Pride and Prejudice

    Pride and Prejudice -Austen's own 'darling child'-tells the story of fiercely independent Elizabeth Bennett, one of five sisters who must marry rich, as she confounds the arrogant, wealthy Mr. Darcy. What ensues is one of the most delightful and engrossingly readable courtships known to literature, written by a precocious Austen when ...

  7. Pride and Prejudice (Book)

    Pride and Prejudice (Book) by Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice was published more than 200 years ago, in 1813, but the book still speaks to us across the centuries. Written by Jane Austen when she was only 20, its original title was First Impressions.Like many great books, it was initially rejected by publishers and did not appear till years later, now under the title we know it by, Pride and ...

  8. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice

    Book Review of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Set around the time of the Napoleonic Wars, but making little reference to it, Austen's Pride and Prejudice, as most people know, follows the romance of snooty, unapproachable Darcy and high spirited, generous Elizabeth Bennet. Darcy is proud and Elizabeth is (in my opinion rightly so) prejudiced.

  9. Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

    For those who don't know Pride and Prejudice is a Classic Romance written by Jane Austin about Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy…as they go from hating each other…to loving each other…I loved the story…I love romance very much…and the dialogue and the DRAMA were awesome…it was interesting and incredibly funny…all around enjoyable…there were parts that I felt incredibly slow ...

  10. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

    Title: Pride and Prejudice, initially named as First Impression. When/where written: Austen has written the novel between October 1796 and August 1797, but it was published only in 1813. Published: January 1813. Literary Period: Romantic period. Genre: Romance novel, Fiction, Satire, Novel of Manners. Point-of-View: Third-person omniscient.

  11. 'Pride and Prejudice': What critics said

    "I had not seen Pride and Prejudice till I had read that sentence of yours, and then I got the book. And what did I find? An accurate daguerrotyped [photographed] portrait of a commonplace face; a carefully fenced, highly cultivated garden, with neat borders and delicate flowers; but no glance of a bright vivid physiognomy, no open country, no fresh air, no blue hill, no bonny beck [stream].

  12. PRIDE & PREJUDICE

    PRIDE & PREJUDICE. An exhaustive and exhausting marriage of Austen's Pride and a modern reader's analysis of it. A mammoth edition, including the novel, illustrations, maps, a chronology, and bibliography, but mostly thousands of annotations that run the gamut from revealing to ridiculous. New editions of revered works usually exist either to ...

  13. Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

    Rating. 5 stars = Bohemian Rhapsody Awesome! Review. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen is my favorite book of all time-- which isn't a phrase I throw out lightly! This book truly has the best of all worlds-- a wonderful romance, lovable characters, humor, and beautiful writing. Pride and Prejudice is the story of a young woman in the 1800's ...

  14. Book review: 'Pride And Prejudice' by Jane Austen

    In Pride and Prejudice, over-privileged toffs worry about how much money each of them is worth, and about being seen to be conducting themselves with decorum. Mr Darcy is full of pride, and Elizabeth Bennet is full of prejudice against him. But (spoiler alert) they eventually resolve their differences, as you knew damn well they would.

  15. Book Review: 'Pride and Prejudice' by Jane Austen

    Book Review. "Pride and Prejudice" is a classic novel that has stood the test of time for more than two centuries. The story follows the lives of the Bennet sisters, particularly Elizabeth Bennet, as they navigate love, social status, and societal expectations in early 19th-century England. What sets "Pride and Prejudice" apart from ...

  16. Book review: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

    And Pride and Prejudice was every bit as engaging and impressive as you would expect. I'm not sure if I need to introduce the storyline to anyone, but essentially it centres on a family with five marriageable daughters. Set in England in the early 1800s, the search for a husband is government by many rules of society, with both pride and ...

  17. Book Review: Pride and Prejudice

    Angst, agony, and awkwardness: all elements of the iconic book Pride and Prejudice.Written by Jane Austen in 1797, Pride and Prejudice focuses on Elizabeth Bennet, the witty and charming daughter of an English country gentleman. As the second of five daughters, Elizabeth and her sisters were constantly told they had to marry rich to live comfortably.

  18. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

    For over 150 years, Pride And Prejudice have remained one of the most popular novels. Jane Austen herself called this brilliant work her "own darling child." Pride And Prejudice, the story of Mrs. Bennet's attempts to marry off her five daughters are one of the best-loved and most enduring classics in English literature.

  19. Pride & Prejudice

    In a 2003 BBC Big Read poll of the "UK's Best-loved Books," Pride and Prejudice, published in 1813, ... Book reviews cover the content, themes and worldviews of fiction books, not their literary merit, and equip parents to decide whether a book is appropriate for their children. The inclusion of a book's review does not constitute an ...

  20. Pride and Prejudice

    Pride and Prejudice, romantic novel by Jane Austen, published anonymously in three volumes in 1813. A classic of English literature, written with incisive wit and superb character delineation, it centers on the burgeoning relationship between Elizabeth Bennet, the daughter of a country gentleman, and Fitzwilliam Darcy, a rich aristocratic ...

  21. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

    Synopsis: 'It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.' The opening of Jane Austen's ever-popular novel sets the tone of her sparkling comedy of manners and morals. There are five daughters in the Bennet family and marriage is the only career open to them.

  22. ‎Down To Sleep (Audiobooks & Bedtime Stories): Pride and Prejudice

    ‎Show Down To Sleep (Audiobooks & Bedtime Stories), Ep Pride and Prejudice Audiobook (Part 6) - Jul 21, 2024