This was my first read of the romance classic and I have to say I really enjoyed it. It is undoubtedly one of the best romances I’ve ever read and had me unable to stop smiling when the characters finally got together (which is very impressive for a two hundred-year-old book).
Another surprising feature of the novel was the very unadorned prose, with barely any descriptions and focusing mainly on dialogue. This made it much easier to read and follow than I’d expected, though the dialogue was a bit confusing due to the language and expressions they used. It’s also worth noting that the book is in third person omniscient, something that took me a few pages to realize but that didn’t mar my overall enjoyment.
The character work was also very impressive, with the arcs of the would-be couple being subtle but significant. I also have to mention that I liked them from nearly the beginning and really enjoyed their evolution. Their romance grows in a very believable way and is fairly simple to understand, even despite the historical difference.
In general, the novel has aged very well, with barely any sexism or inappropriate content that may ward modern readers off. That said, there were some instances where the culture and the age show in the way marriage and relationships were portrayed, though because of the main character's strong personality it wasn’t that much of a problem.
Another thing that pleasantly surprised me was how much agency both characters showed and how female characters had almost as much say in relationship matters as men (which I wasn’t expecting given the novel's age). This is something even modern writers struggle with (both male and female), with one of the characters usually existing only to be fallen in love with and lacking any sort of personality or agency.
Overall, I really enjoyed this book and will use it as a model to which I’ll compare any future romances I read. It also made me want to check out more novels by Jane Austen, which I hope will main the high bar this set for her as an author in my mind.
Spoiler Commentary:
I loved Lizzy. From the first moment when her father spoke of her; I liked how strong her personality was and how much she spoke her mind (which is a trait I love seeing in characters). For a similar reason I also liked Darcy, who wasn’t the prototypical love interest (unlike his friend Mr. Bingley).
I enjoyed how both characters had flaws and how their relationship evolved to the point of them improving as people but also making them very compatible without erasing their humanity or making them perfect. I also liked how the tittle of the book referred to their flaws, which they never truly grew out of.
Storywise, I enjoyed the novel and its slow, slightly slice-of-life, pacing and plotting, without any over-the-top drama. The part about Lydia eloping with the soldier (whose name I can’t fully recall) was my least favorite part and I much rather would have liked to see more of Lizzy’s experience at Darcy's state. That said, it wasn’t an excessively long arc so it didn’t make me want to stop reading.
I also noticed the author's criticizism of society in that the women's main prospect in life was marrying a man of fortune. This was, however, not especially significant for the character of Lizzy, who was much more independent and spoke her mind more often. It was also evident when she confronted Lady de Bourgh, as she listed some of the more lady-like hobbies she knew little about (like drawing) and challenged Lizzy's upbringing and education. This, though subtle, was appreciated as it helped my modern mindset get around some of the issues this time presented.
Finally, I also liked how undramatic and pleasant the final chapters were, giving a fitting conclusion to the story without any pretensions of spectacle. And, as I’ve said at the beginning, I can’t help but smile when thinking of them together.
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