Pride and Prejudice (1813)

ok but can I get a Pride and Prejudice sequel real quick, preferably one titled Pride and Prejudice: 2 Pride 2 Prejudice

(for realsies though, I loved this so much. It made me laugh and Feel Things so much more than I expected. never again will I say that reading classics isn't my thing)

Here are a bunch of P&P gifs because I need to vent my love for it somehow and this is is the only relevant place to do so (i hope i don't break goodreads bc THERE WILL BE A LOT OF GIFS)


I'm pretty sure Darcy's smile is the definition of RADIANT


I will never not be SHOOK™ when I watch this scene - question: how do you get over a scene like this (answer: you dont)


HE'S SO SMITTEN I'M EMOTIONAL


THE ICONIC HAND FLEX


GOOSEBUMPS EVERYWHERE. DAT EYE CONTACT


when you unexpectedly meet the super rich guy whose proposal you rejected and he's soaking wet and it's super scandalous and you're shook #justgirlythings


what a smooth-talker. when will Mr. Collins learn to stfu tho


A THOUSAND TIMES YES !!!!



this scene always makes me laugh so much - it's basically the 19th century version of the Michael Scott EVERYBODY FUCKING CALM DOWN gif


CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS LINE IS STRAIGHT FROM THE BOOK!!! DARCY!!! CALLS!! HER!! THAT!! LOVELIEST ELIZABETH!!! i need a moment


one of my favourite things to do is say this line in an exaggerated posh british accent - IT'S SO MUCH FUN hehe


LOOK AT THESE CUTIES

this review is like 90% gifs but it's already my fav review that i've ever written

with that being said, I am off to watch the P&P 2005 movie, the BBC mini-series, and the Lizzie Bennett Diaries. IT'S GONNA BE A FUN COUPLA DAYS.

Update: I watched all of them and they all made me love this book even more than I already did - are we surprised? no. my love for P&P is infinite and ever-present

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Edit: Removed my rating for this because I read it such a long time ago and I think if I reread it now (which I will soon) I'll A) find it a lot easier to read and B) love it a hell of a lot more!

(Also I bought the stunning Penguin drop cap edition of this today and I'm in love with it it's so pretty c':)
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(Reviewed June 28, 2014)

I DID IT! I FINALLY FINISHED READING THIS. :')

Pride and Prejudice and I had a complicated relationship to say the least. At first, I just couldn't get through it. I was incredibly bored and the writing was proving to be a constant struggle for me to get used to. I read 183 pages and then gave up (at which point I wrote the review that is below this one). I really didn't want to leave it unfinished but I had decided that if I wasn't enjoying it, then it wasn't worth my time and hey, at least I tried, right?

Having been disappointed with my reaction to such a well loved classic, I thought I would watch the movie which I knew I would love a lot more. I watched the movie, LOVED it (A LOT) and was convinced that I should at least do the book justice and finish it. Surprisingly, upon trying again the next day, I found it much easier to read and actually quite enjoyed it. The plot picked up and I was able to appreciate the characters much more.

As to why I disliked the book so much throughout the first half, I don't know. I think I just wasn't in the right mood. You certainly can't rush a Jane Austen novel, something which I undoubtedly learned the hard way.

I guess you could consider this book Mr Darcy and me Lizzy. Much like Lizzy convinced herself that Mr Darcy didn't have any redeemable qualities, I convinced myself that this book just wasn't the book for me. Then, after taking a breather and watching the movie, I decided to give the book another chance and I am very, very glad that I did (and I'm sure Lizzy is glad she gave Mr Darcy a second chance too!).

Needless to say, this book was quite the tumultuous read for me. Maybe after a couple of years I will reread it and come to appreciate it more but for now, it will have to be a solid 2 star read for me (whoops rated it down - what can ya do ?).


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Preface: I initially gave this book a rating of 2 stars so....

Yes, I am an abomination. Cue the incredulous screaming.

First of all, I did not finish reading this. I couldn't, I just couldn't. I read almost 200 pages, hoping that the story would pick up or I would find it easier to read, but alas, it was all in vain.

The thing is, I tried. I tried so very hard, but in the end I was like You know what, if I'm not enjoying this then at least I tried right?

Put simply, I just did not like Pride and Prejudice . I found it painfully boring, something which wasn't helped by the fact that it wasn't exactly an "easy" read. And you're probably all like: Well, it's the 19th century, whaddaya want? They're not exactly party animals. And to that I say: I guess the 19th century isn't for me then. To be honest, I just felt too much of a disconnect with the time period and all that it entailed to be able to appreciate the characters or what they were saying. I'm not saying that I hated it, I didn't. It's by no means a bad book, just not the book for me.

In the end, I just came to the conclusion that I didn't want to force myself to read something that I knew I wasn't enjoying.

I feel really bad giving this a low rating since pretty much everybody and their mother has read and dearly loved this but when it comes down to it, Pride and Prejudice is still a book - It's a classic, yes, but that doesn't mean that it's gonna get a 5 stars by default. I wish I loved it but I didn't, and that's really as simple as it gets.

( )

Excellent book! Such a wonderful love story. Maybe the best I've ever read. The 1995 BBC movie with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy is an awesome companion piece to Austen's classic. You should watch that after reading this! ( )

Where do I begin?
I first read this amazing book in high school. I so fell in love with Jane Austen that I proceded to read all of her books that I could get my hands on.
I should probably read it once a year.
Jane Austen is a true inspiration. ( )

Miss Jane Austen, the shoujo mangaka in British literature

Why do we always find Jane Austen's hero to be so charming? That's possibly because we are looking through a lover's perspective, I guess. She has loved him and lost. Lucky or not, she never had a chance to test his dream lover's charm and faith. Her fairy tales always end like this:

Finally, this beloved young guy turned up and proposed to the woman who has loved him affectionately for so long.

Actually, that's how things like in Austen's imagination. Sadly, in reality, Mr. Darcy seldom turns up to respond to such a secret, passionate and faithful lover.
We've had great enchanting moments in every Austen's novel:

Put on that beautiful white gown, set out to meet this handsome and charming guy, dance and turn around and around, fall in love both of you, for thy beauty and intelligence.

Then we come to the painful part of Austen's novels:

Does he really love me? Why hasn't him turned up yet? It's so, so lonely looking at that empty little path in front of the gate everyday. He has not come maybe because I don't have a good fortune, since I'm quite sure he has been attracted by my charm. He has once told me that to marry a lady who he loves but without a good fortune would be a stern test of his character. So sad and so painful.

Poorness is misery, and how about charm, beauty and intelligence, since they couldn't bring me real happiness? Or rather, they mock at my misery.

Such is Austen:

Loved and imagined, however she lived with her family for her whole life. Mr. Darcy never turned up for her. And if she were married, what she would possibly face were pregnant and death which was the common fate of woman in her time.
She is unfortunate and also fortunate for having great talent. I love her romance as much as her tears. Her novels are entertaining, vivid and intelligent. Her own emotions, intelligence, pain and suffering have greatly made these imagined perfect romance charming and moving.

As a modern woman, we have many methods to keep in touch with Him. So it's not so difficult to make Him realize your affection and keep yourself in his heart.
Requirements for being a heroine in Austen's world:

Beautiful enough to attract him. Intelligent, confident and brave enough to interact with him charmingly and equally. Rational and realistic to some extent. Faithful and affectionate. Of course, you should also wear a beautiful white gown and be able to dance charmingly.

Being single for her whole life, I'm sure she had sincerely loved and been loved, though lost in the end because of various reasons. Is there anything happier than that in a human being's life process?

To marry or not, it’s a complicated question, just like that many genius’ death are caused by half murder and half suicide. So why didn’t this great romantic novelist marry? Maybe she had never met anyone who could compare to Mr. Darcy, but she may also had other concerns, like her irresistible secret passion for writing and her fear for death after pregnancy.

What a lonely, passionate, creative and brave woman Miss Jane Austen had been! ( )

When I started my reading list for 2017, I decided to go heavy on the classics, those books that always appear on those Read These Books Before You Die lists, 100 Greatest Books, blah-blah-blah. So I read it. It was okay, but I wasn’t exactly bowled over, it was a bit stiff and stilted. Not surprising considering the setting, plot, etc. “Oh, Lady Frillypants and Lord Salsburywichshireford! What an honor to see you at our daughter’s ball! Fa-la-la!” It wasn’t horrible, and I’m glad to have read it, but I did remove the other Jane Austen novels I had put on my list. One was enough. ( )