Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Review

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I chose to read Pride and Prejudice, because it is one the most well liked and well known books of classic literature. Women, for generations, have and continue to love Jane Austin. I assumed that I would, too, but Pride and Prejudice did not meet my expectations. The reason was simple. I didn’t care about the girls or who they married. The girls thought about nothing but themselves, and they seemed to have no useful occupation. I thought that Austin was clever in that she was able to take something that was intrinsically boring, that is the life of five girls who sat around all day doing nothing, and breathed some life into their story with a bit of comedy. Austin wrote two appealing characters in both Liz and Jane, but, even so, I found my mind wondering. I didn’t have any “buy in” into these girl’s lives and futures.

Austin’s writing is good, but it isn’t spectacular. I would have liked this book more if my expectations weren’t so high. Pride and Prejudice is by no means bad, but I found nothing great about it. Austin does have a strong point of view, but it is obviously limited by her sex, class and race, and strictly anchored in the early 19th century. There is nothing intrinsically wrong with that, but it isn’t what I expect from a classic. I think that the next Jane Austin book that I read, I will enjoy a great deal more, because will know what to expect.


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THE W's

WHEN I Discovered This Classic

I discovered it in high school.  I may have read it, but I, definitely, have seen some kind of TV or movie adaptation.  The book was familiar.

WHAT Makes It A Classic

It has an audience.  Jane Austin has tapped into the souls of a lot of young women.

WHY I Chose to Read It

I wanted to compare it with Jane Eyre.

WILL It Stay A Classic

Without a doubt, it will stay a classic.  With all the movie adaptations, new readers will continue to find it.

WHO I’d Recommend It To

A young woman

Pride and Prejudice

Could I possible complete a classics challenge without reading Jane Austin?  I'm reading several books at the same time.  Pride and Prejudice is in the rotation.

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte Review

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I felt like I, probably, read this book in high school. I’m sure that I have never seen a movie adaptation, but some elements of plot seemed familiar. Almost anything that I read in the 80’s is, almost, completely new to me if I pick it now. I don’t think that I would have enjoyed this book as a young adult. I didn’t know enough about literature to recognize Jane Eyre as an impeccable rendition of a gothic/romantic novel, and I didn’t know enough about history appreciate how forward thinking Brontё was on the issues of sexism, poverty, religion, and class. My tastes are evolving, too. I’ve always liked books filled with action and adventure, but, now, I, also, crave exceptional writing. Brontё doesn’t dazzle you with symbolism and allegories you can’t understand. Jane Eyre is very accessible, yet the writing is clear and sophisticated.

One of the things that make this book special is Jane’s character. A bildungsroman, which this book is, can only be successful if you enjoy the main character. Jane is likeable, both as a child and young adult. She is every woman, fighting to find and defend herself in a hostile world.

Brontё may have been forward thinking about many things, but she didn’t appear to be so on issues of race. She seems to almost have an obsession with white skin. Every person’s skin color was described, paying special attention to the darkness versus lightness, dark clearly being the inferior. There were a couple of times in the book when Jane made disparaging analogies about Jews, as well. There were also references to phrenology. Brontё( like all of us) was part of the society in which she lived and not immune to its influences.

I enjoyed this book a great deal. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to anyone, but I think it would appeal especially to women.

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Jayne Eyre: The Ws

WHEN I Discovered This Classic

I discovered it in high school.  I may have read it.  Some very specific elements of the plot seemed very familiar.

WHAT Makes It A Classic

150+ years after it was written, it is still being discovered and enjoyed by new readers.  The writing is excellent, and the issues that Brontё deals with are still present in society. 

WHY I Chose to Read It

I wanted to step out of my comfort zone with a romance.

WILL It Stay A Classic

Without a doubt, it will stay a classic.  With all the movie adaptations, new readers will continue to find it.

WHO I’d Recommend It To

Women
Yes, I can imagine men liking the book, but I think Jane would have a special appeal to women.

 

I've selected Jane Eyre as my January classic.