Pride and Prejudice

By Jane Austen

Edited by Joseph Pearce

Contributors to this volume:
Christopher Blum
Anthony Esolen
Richard Harp
Douglas Lane Patey

Jane Austen is arguably the finest female novelist who ever lived and Pride and Prejudice is arguably the finest, and is certainly the most popular, of her novels. An undoubted classic of world literature, its profound Christian morality is all too often missed or wilfully overlooked by today's (post)modern critics. Yet Austen saw the follies and foibles of human nature, and the frictions and fidelities of family life, with an incisive eye that penetrates to the very heart of the human condition. This edition of Austen's masterpiece includes an introduction by Professor Christopher Blum and several insightful critical essays by leading Austen scholars.

The Ignatius Critical Editions represent a tradition-oriented alternative to popular textbook series such as the Norton Critical Editions or Oxford World Classics, and are designed to concentrate on traditional readings of the Classics of world literature. Whereas many modern critical editions have succumbed to the fads of modernism and post-modernism, this series will concentrate on tradition-oriented criticism of these great works. Edited by acclaimed literary biographer, Joseph Pearce, the Ignatius Critical Editions will ensure that traditional moral readings of the works are given prominence, instead of the feminist, or deconstructionist readings that often proliferate in other series of 'critical editions'. As such, they represent a genuine extension of consumer-choice, enabling educators, students and lovers of good literature to buy editions of classic literary works without having to 'buy into' the ideologies of secular fundamentalism. The series is particularly aimed at tradition-minded literature professors offering them an alternative for their students. The initial list will have about 15 - 20 titles. The goal is to release three books a season, or six in a year.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Ignatius Press
• Release date: May 11, 2010
• ISBN: 9781681493916

Jane Austen

Jane Austen (1775–1817) was an English novelist whose work centred on social commentary and realism. Her works of romantic fiction are set among the landed gentry, and she is one of the most widely read writers in English literature.

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INTRODUCTION

Christopher Blum

Thomas More College

Happiness in marriage is entirely a matter of chance (see p. 24). This grim doctrine, espoused by Charlotte Lucas in one of the opening chapters of Pride and Prejudice, serves as a foil to the good sense and earnest hopefulness of the heroine, Elizabeth Bennet. It is true amiability, and neither a comfortable situation nor romantic attraction alone, that Eliza sees as providing perfection in a match. To her, the process of choosing a husband is one of coming to understand his character, for it is the man’s character—together with that of his wife—that ensures the marriage’s success or failure. Although Jane Austen herself never married, she plainly understood that marriage and family were the essential framework of the moral life. And it is indeed because of its creator’s moral vision, and not merely for its fairytalelike ending, that Pride and Prejudice is a work of such rare loveliness. As with each of Jane Austen’s novels, it is a probing reflection upon love, marriage, family, and the search for stability and goodness in community. The love of Miss Bennet and Mr. Darcy grows in the rich soil of family and social life, and, in turn, provides for the continuance and perfection of their families and even of England. Not lacking social commentary, Pride and Prejudice stands apart from Austen’s other novels for its sustained and focused consideration of the moral development of its heroine and hero. Herein lies this novel’s claim to our attentive reading and rereading. Seemingly inexhaustible in its capacity to delight generation after generation of readers, Pride and Prejudice also instructs, by depicting for us the happiness that is possible in married life with the integrity, the proportion, and the graciousness that any work of art must have if it is to be truly beautiful.

Rather Too Light, and Bright, and Sparkling

Upon the novel’s publication, Jane Austen and her family staged a reading of it for their own enjoyment and that of a friendly neighbor. Reflecting upon the experience in a letter to her sister Cassandra, Austen avowed that she was satisfied enough, but had nevertheless found it rather too light, and bright, and sparkling. It wants shade, she explained; it wants to be stretched out here and there with a long chapter of sense, if it could be had; if not, of solemn specious nonsense, about something unconnected with the story . . . anything that would form a contrast, and bring the reader with increased delight to the playfulness and epigrammatism of the general style. She was perhaps partially in jest: I doubt your quite agreeing with me here. I know your starched notions.¹ Yet Austen was a sufficiently accomplished writer to know when she had succeeded in a particular vein. Pride and Prejudice is almost universally the first of her novels to become a favorite to readers, and not only because its plot is accessible and timeless. The prose is so immediately engaging, and the wit so pungent, that its title is almost a byword for perfection. This artfulness is the novel’s chief weakness. For many seem able to read it and delight in it without gaining much of a sense of its author’s convictions or her purposes beyond mere amusement. And a different sort of reader is reluctant even to begin the novel for fear that its popularity must be a sign of shallowness. What needs to be vindicated against both misconceptions is the status of Pride and Prejudice as the type of book that can be regarded as an old and valued friend. If we are able to perceive the essential rectitude of Austen’s moral vision, then we will be amply fortified in our determination to make regular visits to Longbourn, Netherfield, Rosings, and Pemberley.

It must, however, be admitted that we are not to look to Jane Austen’s novels for a fully developed or systematic moral philosophy. They are, after all, works of the imagination, and like any great piece of music, or poetry, or even painting, her novels help us to pursue the good not by teaching us exactly in what it consists, but by revealing to us that the rational and virtuous life is the most attractive and, indeed, the only happy life. What we need to see is not the presence of precise definitions or the solution to difficult questions, but instead the grand and noble truth that virtue is its own reward and brings in its train, so far as this mortal life affords, all other subordinate goods in their proper measure. A novelist, then, would be trustworthy to the extent that his mind conforms to the first truths of the moral life: that the soul is better than the body, that the will is a rational appetite, that the individual is made for and perfected by society. Jane Austen is, of course, more than merely trustworthy; she is a woman of right judgment. A careful and faithful observer of human action, she communicates to us in her novels the result of a lifelong reflection upon character. If we looked to her only to affirm virtuous behavior and to condemn viciousness, then we might as well read a catechism or a morality play. What she provides is still more precious, if less obviously necessary, for she shows us that virtue, while difficult, is eminently desirable.

It is helpful in appreciating Jane Austen’s moral vision to compare her description of character to Aristotle’s. Let us consider their two heroes: Mr. Darcy and the great-souled man of the fourth book of the Nicomachean Ethics. The initial resemblance is striking. Mr. Darcy unites the advantages of birth and wealth to those of person and bearing. From the first impression he gives of his fine, tall person, handsome features, [and] noble mien (see p. 10) to Mrs. Gardiner’s later observation that there is something a little stately in him (see p. 251), Mr. Darcy conforms at least outwardly to Aristotle’s portrait of magnanimity: A slow step is thought proper to the great-souled man, a deep voice, and a level utterance.² Yet the inner cause of this outward propriety is, for Aristotle, a refined cast of mind: The man who takes few things seriously is not likely to be hurried. The great-souled man attends only to matters of the highest importance, to public affairs in which he might gain great honor by being of the greatest service. That Darcy has not yet attained such perfection we are warned just after we meet him. The narrator allows him to be clever but at the same time haughty, reserved, and fastidious (see p. 16). Reserve is certainly compatible with magnanimity, which consists chiefly in a kind of self-possession that has the unintended consequence of causing the magnanimous man to be thought disdainful. Aristotle is, however, keen to specify that he is not in fact disdainful, but is instead unassuming toward his inferiors and forgiving toward those who have wronged him.³ That Mr. Darcy is called haughty and fastidious, then, assures us that he does not possess the virtue. And his admission that his temper would perhaps be called resentful and that his good opinion once lost is lost forever (see p. 61), suffices to prove that, at the story’s commencement, he is a hero with a potentially tragic flaw.

From the horrid specter of a life of bitterness and scorn Mr. Darcy is saved, of course, by his love for Miss Bennet. The great crisis of his initial proposal to Elizabeth causes him to interrogate his own behavior and motives, and to find himself wanting. His confidence that she would accept him had been blind; her refusal was little short of a revelation. By you, he later tells her, I was properly humbled (see p. 360). There is something almost Pauline about his conversion. Scales fall from his eyes, and he is transformed into a model of civility and patience. The difference, before and after, would seem to be that Darcy learned that he owed the world far more than the preservation of his exterior dignity. Both in his speech and in his bearing, the gentleman was obliged to consider his audience, and to know that reserve and frankness, while good in their places, both need to be moderated by the higher good of charity, or, in Austen’s parlance, amiability. This transformation of Darcy is a leaving behind of the self that is accomplished by and through love; his change of heart is doubtless why Pride and Prejudice is found compelling by so many men. For however poorly we male readers may stand in for Darcy, we can very readily imagine a face rendered uncommonly intelligent by the beautiful expression of her dark eyes (see p. 24) and, like him, fall in love with Eliza. Somewhere inside every male heart is a chivalrous desire to lay down his life for his beloved lady. The male reader, therefore, has a kind of connatural knowledge of the source of Darcy’s transformation; we sense the essential accuracy of Austen’s portrayal of his soul and therefore accept Darcy as a true image of at least certain aspects of the pursuit of moral perfection.

In one of the earliest published appreciations of Austen’s novels, Richard Whately, an Oxford don and an accomplished student of Aristotle, described them as being a kind of fictitious biography. Their great merit and usefulness, he explained, is that they present us . . . with the general, instead of the particular,—the probable, instead of the true; and, by leaving out those accidental irregularities, and exceptions to general rules, which constitute the many improbabilities of real narrative, present us with a clear and abstracted view of the general rules themselves. In sum, the characteristic excellence of her novels is that they concentrate, as it were, into a small compass, the net result of wide experience.⁴ Almost two centuries later, we can add to Whately’s appreciation the conviction that the experiences upon which Jane Austen reflected were capable of shedding accurate and true light upon the search for the good. In other words, Austen herself—and what is known of her life witnesses to this truth—lived and loved the good life as understood by the great Classical and Christian tradition of the West. In her novels, we see her taking delight in good disposition and noble actions. And even though she does not write about the lives saints, we are confident that she enables and encourages her readers to rejoice and love and hate aright.⁵

Pictures of Perfection . . . Make Me Sick & Wicked

Few novelists can match the purity and integrity of Jane Austen’s moral vision. With a small number of exceptions—and Mrs. Musgrove’s large, fat sighings head the list—she offers judgments of actions and character to which even a Jansenist could give assent. Yet she is not widely thought of as a moralist because her judgments rarely intrude upon the reader’s delight. There are doubtless a variety of reasons for the understated quality of her moral reflections. One may be the ambiance of the kind of Anglicanism in which she lived and moved. The early Oxford years of John Henry Newman, who took his rooms there just six weeks prior to Austen’s death, testify to the muted quality of much contemporary Anglicanism. When Newman and his friends took to popularizing the lives of the saints, they were viewed as suspicious innovators. So when Austen allows that pictures of perfection. . . make me sick & wicked, we may be able to perceive a certain influence of Protestantism upon her mind.⁶ On the other hand, Aristotle, among many others, judged that those who speak well tend rather to understate the truth; for this seems in better taste, because exaggerations are wearisome.⁷ Economy in speech, moreover, better suits the true purpose of rhetoric, which is to clear away obstacles that obscure truth’s ability to convince with its own proper light.⁸ At first glance, Pride and Prejudice may not seem to be the novel in which Austen best shows her understatement; Miss Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy, after all, have seen so many spotlights as to risk becoming caricatures. Yet if we consider the supporting role of Mrs. Gardiner, we will see some of Austen’s most deft writing. Here is a portrait of an amiable, intelligent, elegant woman (see p. 141), crucial to the verisimilitude and moral of the novel, but easily overlooked or underestimated.

Her role within the innermost action of the story proves Mrs. Gardiner’s importance. She is the confidante Elizabeth’s regard for Mr. Wickham; she consoles first Jane and then Lizzy for their disappointments; she is the agent of Elizabeth’s chance meeting with Darcy at Pemberley; together with her husband, she enjoys the enduring regard of the Darcys after their marriage. The contrast with Mrs. Bennet could not be more complete. Their mother cannot be relied upon or confided in by her two eldest daughters; she very nearly frustrates their happiness; she even seems to bear the chief burden of the blame for her own failed marriage and for the inadequate moral formation of her younger daughters. Indeed, when Mr. Darcy allows himself to declare to Elizabeth, You cannot have been always at Longbourn (see p. 181), the reader knows that he is perplexed by the contrast between Elizabeth and her mother, and that the ready answer to his difficulty is that, in addition to favoring her father, she has, with Jane, frequently been staying with her aunt Gardiner in town (see p. 141).

Austen employs a play of light against dark in the contrasting portraits of Mrs. Gardiner and Mrs. Bennet. She often bids us to attend to their different modes of speech. Mrs. Bennet is effusive, indiscreet, awkward, and loud. She declares and declaims in public, in front of servants, and in the town of Meryton what would better have been kept quiet. Mrs. Gardiner, on the other hand, chooses moments when she and Elizabeth can be alone for their weightier conversations. She calls upon Elizabeth to employ more precision in her use of language, criticizing the expression violently in love as so hackneyed, so doubtful, so indefinite (see p. 142). And, most importantly, her discretion and judgment lead her to restrain her speech at appropriate times. After their second visit to Pemberley, she and Elizabeth talked of [Darcy’s] sister, his friends, his house, his fruit, of every thing but of himself (see pp. 264-65). Elizabeth longed to publish her newfound regard for Mr. Darcy, and Mrs. Gardiner was curious to know of it, yet neither would prematurely open such a delicate and difficult subject.

As an exemplary wife, an aunt valued for her wisdom, and a mother of four happy children, Mrs. Gardiner is a picture of feminine excellence. We are even given hints of her elegance when we are told that she wishes to see Pemberley not because it is a fine house richly furnished, but because she knows that the grounds are delightful (see p. 237). Much like Fanny Price and Anne Elliot, Mrs. Gardiner would seem to prefer the country to the city, the beauty of God’s creation to man’s; Pemberley she would see because it had some of the finest woods in the country (see p. 237). The added fact that she is not a great walker (see p. 247) only adds to her delicacy. Mrs. Bennet, we may presume, shares her youngest daughter’s height and high animal spirits (see p. 48). And where Mrs. Bennet sees life almost exclusively in terms of pleasures and the money that provides for them, Mrs. Gardiner approaches life as a moral phenomenon. Thus her early conversation with Elizabeth about Mr. Wickham shows her considering marriage as a lifelong covenant uniting two hearts and creating a family. Mr. Wickham’s lack of wherewithal is a barrier to his marrying Elizabeth not because the young bride would be lacking in baubles, but because their situation in life would not be suitable for a gentleman’s daughter: You must not disappoint your father (see p. 146). Elizabeth, more romantic than her aunt, taxes her then and later with a too-worldly prudence. Yet the reader is confident that Mrs. Gardiner’s understanding of marriage is far higher and more complete than that of Charlotte Lucas, and our regard for her is vindicated by the terms in which she later commends Mr. Darcy’s character: "His understanding and opinions all please me; he wants nothing but a little more liveliness, and that, if he marry prudently, his wife may teach him" (see p. 138). Like Jane Austen her creator—also an aunt who valued her nieces—Mrs. Gardiner affirmed the role of the passions in human life, but still more strongly affirmed their subordination to and perfection by reason.

He Is Perfectly Amiable

As undoubtedly necessary as was her aunt’s influence upon the development of her character, it could not suffice to guarantee Elizabeth’s permanent happiness. For this no parent or elder or governess of any kind would do. Elizabeth, like every other person, must grow into adulthood and owe her happiness, if she were to attain it, to the choices her own will and to the influence upon her of that true friend upon whom she could rely implicitly, her husband. To our jaded and unromantic world, that Elizabeth should find herself by losing herself in her love for Mr. Darcy is old-fashioned and constricting. She must be reinterpreted, like every other heroine in Austen’s novels, and become a strong-willed woman, an independently minded woman, a feminist.⁹ It is a sad distortion of the novelist’s mind to reduce her conception of humanity to that of a struggle between the sexes. For while she might have agreed with Mary Wollstonecraft in finding Rousseau’s depiction of womankind demeaning and inaccurate, her mind was more at one with Louis de Bonald’s observations that marriage had under the influence of Christianity, received all of its dignity and sweetness and that woman is the natural friend of man.¹⁰ It is the surpassing sweetness of the friendship that grows between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy that makes Pride and Prejudice such a hopeful and beautiful story about human nature. That we are, as a race and as individuals, redeemed by love was a truth known and cherished by its author.

Elizabeth Bennet, too, understands that her future happiness must rest in large part upon the character of her husband. Thus she early disagrees with Charlotte Lucas’s pinched and narrow view of marriage, and she hopes that her sister Jane will succeed to all the felicity which a marriage of true affection could bestow (see p. 102). The quality that a good husband must have is plain to her: amiability. The dilemma for her, and, by implication, for mankind in general, is to distinguish between the appearance of amiability and its actual presence.¹¹ From the point of view of the heroine, Pride and Prejudice is a story of willful self-deception ceding place to right judgment. Trusting in the quickness of her own wit—a wit that must have been uneven because it was inherited from her flawed father—Elizabeth is all too readily moved by the pleasing manners and captivating softness (see p. 182) of Mr. Wickham. Her pride had been piqued by Darcy’s refusal to ask her to dance at the Meryton assembly, and she acted upon her bruised passions to the point of being unreasoning. In spite of holding better principles, she had never felt a wish of enquiring as to Mr. Wickham’s real character (see p. 205). And the further reason, she realized only after having read Mr. Darcy’s letter, was that his countenance, voice, and manner, had established him at once in the possession of every virtue (see p. 205).

It is wonderful indeed that Pride and Prejudice should not be a story of love at first sight, or even second or third sight. Jane Austen’s doctrine is evident: the choice of a spouse should repose upon a true knowledge of his character, a knowledge gained by the experience of his having performed good and reasonable actions that prove his self-command and virtue. In Mr. Darcy’s case, there are a variety of signs for Elizabeth to see. First is his letter, the very gravity of which tells in favor of his character, in spite of the bitterness in tone that he later regretted. And, as Elizabeth herself allows, the adieu is charity itself (see p. 359). Then there is the testimony of Pemberley: the refined tastefulness of the furnishing, the loyalty of the housekeeper, the proof of his fraternal care for his sister’s comfort, the good reputation he enjoys in the surrounding country. What the improvement of his manners toward Elizabeth and the Gardiners leaves undone, his chivalrous deeds on behalf of Lydia complete. Elizabeth’s reaction to her aunt’s narrative of his dealings in London discloses her final change of heart: 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 (see pp. 319-20). Their later discussion of their surprise reunion at Pemberley only confirms the nature of their mutual regard. Elizabeth confessed that her conscience told her that she deserved no extraordinary politeness (see p. 360) from him; Darcy replied that he had wished to prove that her reproofs had been attended to (see p. 361). Each had learned to see the other as a source of moral improvement, and from this mutual admiration grew love.

The consonance of Jane Austen’s vision of marriage and Aristotle’s doctrine on the role of friendship in the moral life is perfect. One of the most surprising and important aspects of Aristotle’s discussion of friendship is his contention that the good man needs virtuous friends, in order to contemplate his friends’ virtuous actions, to be improved by their example, and to share with them the pursuit of the good life.¹² Jane Austen’s heroine comes to regard her possible match with Mr. Darcy in the same light, musing regretfully at a moment when she thinks it impossible that their union . . . must have been to the advantage of both; by her ease and liveliness, his mind might have been softened, his manners improved, and from his judgment, information, and knowledge of the world, she must have received benefit of greater importance (see p. 305). When she later assures her worrying father that Mr. Darcy is perfectly amiable, she receives in turn from him a mournful testimony to the same truth, in the form of a solemn injunction: "My child, let me not have the grief of seeing you unable to respect your partner in life (see p. 367). The Bennets themselves had married poorly, and Elizabeth had suffered the mortification of witnessing the impropriety of her father’s behaviour as a husband" (see p. 233). The risk of a poor marriage was high and the consequences grave: nothing less than the dissolution of society. Thanks to a kind Providence, the two eldest Miss Bennets would marry well, but their youngest sister’s ugly fall from grace proved their own parents’ faulty relationship to be a tragedy affecting more than one generation.

Few readers of Pride and Prejudice have doubted its beauty. To give an account, however, of exactly what that beauty consists in is a task rendered difficult by the changes in our language since Jane Austen’s day. She was able to assume that her audience would understand her when she portrayed in her heroines and heroes the high ideal of gentlemanly and ladylike behavior. To her eyes, which perceived moral beauty as readily as physical, to be upright, dignified, and decorous was to be beautiful.¹³ In this way of thinking, as in so many other ways, Austen was, as Alasdair MacIntyre has contended, the last great representative of the classical tradition of the virtues.¹⁴ When we read her novels attentively, we are introduced to a way of thinking that more closely accords with our nature than it does with the modes of thought we have inherited from the recent past. We learn to use the language of character more carefully and more accurately. We learn to distinguish more subtle shades of virtue and vice. And, perhaps most importantly, we learn about the qualities of soul that are required for a happy marriage. To read and to reread her novels, therefore, is no vain exercise in nostalgia; it is, rather, an important means of healing our minds from the wounds that the modern world has caused. Can we not see in her tremendous popularity the great need of this dying modern civilization for witnesses who testify that there is indeed such a thing as human happiness? Jane Austen is loved, and loved widely and deeply, because her own love for the good and her faith in God’s Providence are infectious. To read—and to reread—her stories is to nourish the virtue of hope.

The Text of

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Volume I

CHAPTER I

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.

However little known the feelings or views of such a man may be on his first entering a neighbourhood, this truth is so well fixed in the minds of the surrounding families, that he is considered as the rightful property of some one or other of their daughters.

My dear Mr. Bennet, said his lady to him one day, have you heard that Netherfield Park is let at last?

Mr. Bennet replied that he had not.

But it is, returned she; for Mrs. Long has just been here, and she told me all about it.

Mr. Bennet made no answer.

Do not you want to know who has taken it? cried his wife impatiently.

"You want to tell me, and I have no objection to hearing it."

This was invitation enough.

"Why, my dear, you must know, Mrs. Long says that Netherfield is taken by a young man of large fortune from the north of England; that he came down on Monday in a chaise and four¹ to see the place, and was so much delighted with it that he agreed with Mr. Morris immediately; that he is to take possession before Michaelmas,² and some of his servants are to be in the house by the end of next week."

What is his name?

Bingley.

Is he married or single?

Oh! single, my dear, to be sure! A single man of large fortune; four or five thousand a year. What a fine thing for our girls!

How so? how can it affect them?

My dear Mr. Bennet, replied his wife, how can you be so tiresome! You must know that I am thinking of his marrying one of them.

"Is that his design³ in settling here?"

"Design! nonsense, how can you talk so! But it is very likely that he may fall in love with one of them, and therefore you must visit him as soon as he comes."

I see no occasion for that. You and the girls may go, or you may send them by themselves, which perhaps will be still better, for as you are as handsome as any of them, Mr. Bingley might like you the best of the party.

"My dear, you flatter me. I certainly have had my share of beauty, but I do not pretend to be any thing extraordinary now. When a woman has five grown up daughters, she ought to give over thinking of her own beauty."

In such cases, a woman has not often much beauty to think of.

But, my dear, you must indeed go and see Mr. Bingley when he comes into the neighbourhood.

"It is more than I engage for,⁴ I assure you."

"But consider your daughters. Only think what an establishment it would be for one of them. Sir William and Lady Lucas are determined to go, merely on that account, for in general you know they visit no new comers. Indeed you must go, for it will be impossible for us to visit him, if you do not."⁵

You are over scrupulous surely. I dare say Mr. Bingley will be very glad to see you; and I will send a few lines by you to assure him of my hearty consent to his marrying which ever he chuses of the girls; though I must throw in a good word for my little Lizzy.

"I desire you will do no such thing. Lizzy is not a bit better than the others; and I am sure she is not half so handsome as Jane, nor half so good humoured as Lydia. But you are always giving her the preference."

They have none of them much to recommend them, replied he; they are all silly and ignorant like other girls; but Lizzy has something more of quickness than her sisters.

Mr. Bennet, how can you abuse your own children in such a way? You take delight in vexing me. You have no compassion on my poor nerves.

You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these twenty years at least.

Ah! you do not know what I suffer.

But I hope you will get over it, and live to see many young men of four thousand a year come into the neighbourhood.

It will be no use to us, if twenty such should come since you will not visit them.

Depend upon it, my dear, that when there are twenty, I will visit them all.

Mr. Bennet was so odd a mixture of quick parts,⁶ sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice, that the experience of three and twenty years had been insufficient to make his wife understand his character. Her mind was less difficult to develop.⁷ She was a woman of mean⁸ understanding, little information, and uncertain temper. When she was discontented she fancied herself nervous. The business of her life was to get her daughters married; its solace was visiting and news.

CHAPTER II

Mr. Bennet was among the earliest of those who waited on Mr. Bingley. He had always intended to visit him, though to the last always assuring his wife that he should not go; and till the evening after the visit was paid, she had no knowledge of it. It was then disclosed in the following manner. Observing his second daughter employed in trimming a hat,¹ he suddenly addressed her with,

I hope Mr. Bingley will like it Lizzy.

"We are not in a way to know what Mr. Bingley likes, said her mother resentfully, since we are not to visit."

But you forget, mama, said Elizabeth, "that we shall meet him at the assemblies,² and that Mrs. Long has promised to introduce him."

I do not believe Mrs. Long will do any such thing. She has two nieces of her own. She is a selfish, hypocritical woman, and I have no opinion of her.

No more have I, said Mr. Bennet; and I am glad to find that you do not depend on her serving you.

Mrs. Bennet deigned not to make any reply; but unable to contain herself, began scolding one of her daughters.

Don’t keep coughing so, Kitty, for heaven’s sake! Have a little compassion on my nerves. You tear them to pieces.

Kitty has no discretion in her coughs, said her father; she times them ill.

I do not cough for my own amusement, replied Kitty fretfully.

When is your next ball to be, Lizzy?

To-morrow fortnight.

Aye, so it is, cried her mother, and Mrs. Long does not come back till the day before; so, it will be impossible for her to introduce him, for she will not know him herself.

"Then, my dear, you may have the advantage of your friend, and introduce Mr. Bingley to her."

Impossible, Mr. Bennet, impossible, when I am not acquainted with him myself; how can you be so teazing?

"I honour your circumspection.³ A fortnight’s acquaintance is certainly very little. One cannot know what a man really is by the end of a fortnight. But if we do not venture, somebody else will; and after all, Mrs. Long and her nieces must stand their chance; and therefore, as she will think it an act of kindness, if you decline the office, I will take it on myself."

The girls stared at their father. Mrs. Bennet said only, Nonsense, nonsense!

What can be the meaning of that emphatic exclamation? cried he. "Do you consider the forms of introduction,⁴ and the stress that is laid on them, as nonsense? I cannot quite agree with you there. What say you, Mary? for you are a young lady of deep reflection I know, and read great books, and make extracts."⁵

Mary wished to say something very sensible, but knew not how.

While Mary is adjusting her ideas, he continued, let us return to Mr. Bingley.

I am sick of Mr. Bingley, cried his wife.

"I am sorry to hear that; but why did not you tell me so before? If I had known as much this morning, I certainly would not have called on him. It is very unlucky; but as I have actually paid the visit, we cannot escape the acquaintance now."

The astonishment of the ladies was just what he wished; that of Mrs. Bennet perhaps surpassing the rest; though when the first tumult of joy was over, she began to declare that it was what she had expected all the while.

How good it was in you, my dear Mr. Bennet! But I knew I should persuade you at last. I was sure you loved your girls too well to neglect such an acquaintance. Well, how pleased I am! and it is such a good joke, too, that you should have gone this morning, and never said a word about it till now.

Now, Kitty, you may cough as much as you chuse, said Mr. Bennet; and, as he spoke, he left the room, fatigued with the raptures of his wife.

What an excellent father you have, girls, said she, when the door was shut. "I do not know how you will ever make him amends for his kindness; or me either, for that matter. At our time of life, it is not so pleasant I can tell you, to be making new acquaintance every day; but for your sakes, we would do any thing. Lydia, my love, though you are the youngest, I dare say Mr. Bingley will dance with you at the next ball."

Oh! said Lydia stoutly, "I am not afraid; for though I am the youngest, I’m the tallest."

The rest of the evening was spent in conjecturing how soon he would return Mr. Bennet’s visit, and determining when they should ask him to dinner.

CHAPTER III

Not all that Mrs. Bennet, however, with the assistance of her five daughters, could ask on the subject was sufficient to draw from her husband any satisfactory description of Mr. Bingley. They attacked him in various ways; with barefaced questions, ingenious suppositions, and distant surmises; but he eluded the skill of them all; and they were at last obliged to accept the second-hand intelligence¹ of their neighbour Lady Lucas. Her report was highly favourable. Sir William had been delighted with him. He was quite young, wonderfully handsome, extremely agreeable, and to crown the whole, he meant to be at the next assembly with a large party. Nothing could be more delightful! To be fond of dancing was a certain step towards falling in love; and very lively hopes of Mr. Bingley’s heart were entertained.

If I can but see one of my daughters happily settled at Netherfield, said Mrs. Bennet to her husband, and all the others equally well married, I shall have nothing to wish for.

In a few days Mr. Bingley returned Mr. Bennet’s visit, and sat about ten minutes with him in his library. He had entertained hopes of being admitted to a sight of the young ladies, of whose beauty he had heard much; but he saw only the father. The ladies were somewhat more fortunate, for they had the advantage of ascertaining from an upper window, that he wore a blue coat and rode a black horse.

An invitation to dinner was soon afterwards dispatched; and already had Mrs. Bennet planned the courses that were to do credit to her housekeeping, when an answer arrived which deferred it all. Mr. Bingley was obliged to be in town the following day, and consequently unable to accept the honour of their invitation, &c. Mrs. Bennet was quite disconcerted. She could not imagine what business he could have in town so soon after his arrival in Hertfordshire; and she began to fear that he might be always flying about from one place to another, and never settled at Netherfield as he ought to be. Lady Lucas quieted her fears a little by starting the idea of his being gone to London only to get a large party for the ball; and a report soon followed that Mr. Bingley was to bring twelve ladies and seven gentlemen with him to the assembly. The girls grieved over such a number of ladies; but were comforted the day before the ball by hearing, that instead of twelve, he had brought only six with him from London, his five sisters and a cousin. And when the party entered the assembly room, it consisted of only five altogether; Mr. Bingley, his two sisters, the husband of the eldest, and another young man.

Mr. Bingley was good looking and gentlemanlike; he had a pleasant countenance, and easy, unaffected² manners. His sisters were fine women, with an air decided fashion. His brother-in-law, Mr. Hurst, merely looked the gentleman; but his friend Mr. Darcy soon drew the attention of the room by his fine, tall person, handsome features, noble mien; and the report which was in general circulation within five minutes after his entrance, of his having ten thousand a year. The gentlemen pronounced him to be a fine figure of a man, the ladies declared he was much handsomer than Mr. Bingley, and he was looked at with great admiration for about half the evening, till his manners gave a disgust³ which turned the tide of his popularity; for he was discovered to be proud, to be above his company, and above being pleased; and not all his large estate in Derbyshire⁴ could then save him from having a most forbidding, disagreeable countenance, and being unworthy to be compared with his friend.

Mr. Bingley had soon made himself acquainted with all the principal people in the room; he was lively and unreserved, danced every dance, was angry that the ball closed so early, and talked of giving one himself at Netherfield. Such amiable qualities must speak for themselves. What a contrast between him and his friend! Mr. Darcy danced only once with Mrs. Hurst and once with Miss Bingley, declined being introduced to any other lady, and spent the rest of the evening in walking about the room, speaking occasionally to one of his own party. His character was decided. He was the proudest, most disagreeable man in the world, and every body hoped that he would never come there again. Amongst the most violent against him was Mrs. Bennet, whose dislike of his general behaviour, was sharpened into particular resentment, by his having slighted one of her daughters.

Elizabeth Bennet had been obliged, by the scarcity of gentlemen, to sit down for two dances;⁵ and during part of that time, Mr. Darcy had been standing near enough for her to overhear a conversation between him and Mr. Bingley, who came from the dance for a few minutes, to press his friend to join it.

Come, Darcy, said he, I must have you dance. I hate to see you standing about by yourself in this stupid manner. You had much better dance.

I certainly shall not. You know how I detest it, unless I am particularly acquainted with my partner. At such an assembly as this, it would be insupportable. Your sisters are engaged, and there is not another woman in the room, whom it would not be a punishment to me to stand up with.

I would not be so fastidious as you are, cried Bingley, for a kingdom! Upon my honour, I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life, as I have this evening; and there are several of them you see uncommonly pretty.

"You are dancing with the only handsome girl in the room," said Mr. Darcy, looking at the eldest Miss Bennet.

Oh! she is the most beautiful creature I ever beheld! But there is one of her sisters sitting down just behind you, who is very pretty, and I dare say, very agreeable. Do let me ask my partner to introduce you.

Which do you mean? and turning round, he looked for a moment at Elizabeth, till catching her eye, he withdrew his own and coldly said, "She is tolerable; but not handsome enough to tempt me; and I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me."

Mr. Bingley followed his advice. Mr. Darcy walked off; and Elizabeth remained with no very cordial feelings towards him. She told the story however with great spirit among her friends; for she had a lively, playful disposition, which delighted in any thing ridiculous.

The evening altogether passed off pleasantly to the whole family. Mrs. Bennet had seen her eldest daughter much admired by the Netherfield party. Mr. Bingley had danced with her twice, and she had been distinguished by his sisters. Jane was as much gratified by this, as her mother could be, though in a quieter way. Elizabeth felt Jane’s pleasure. Mary had heard herself mentioned to Miss Bingley as the most accomplished girl in the neighbourhood; and Catherine and Lydia had been fortunate enough to be never without partners, which was all that they had yet learnt to care for at a ball. They returned therefore in good spirits to Longbourn, the village where they lived, and of which they were the principal inhabitants. They found Mr. Bennet still up. With a book he was regardless of time; and on the present occasion he had a good deal of curiosity as to the event of an evening which had raised such splendid expectations. He had rather hoped that all his wife’s views on the stranger would be disappointed; but he soon found that he had a very different story to hear.

Oh! my dear Mr. Bennet, as she entered the room, "we have had a most delightful evening, a most excellent ball. I wish you had been there. Jane was so admired, nothing could be like it. Every body said how well she looked; and Mr. Bingley thought her quite beautiful, and danced with her twice. Only think of that my

Reviews for Pride and Prejudice

[andjhostet-527429 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Finally got around to reading this. It felt cliche, probably due to how influential it is. Portrayal of high society English countryside is interesting, but got a tad stale after a bit. The prose was very plain, and easy to read, for such an old book. The dialog was great, and pretty witty. I'll say that I didn't find it quite as funny as some people claim, but it was still pretty clever at times and well done. The characters were great. At first I thought they were pretty shallow but the book revealed a lot more depth as it went on. After Darcy's letter, I tore through the book and finished the last 150 or so pages in one day. Pretty easy, and fun read that I overall enjoyed. I'll probably try more Jane Austen.

[bangerlm · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fun reread. Delightful and witty. :)

[mialro_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a Spanish, graphic novel adaptation of Pride and Prejudice. It's an ok envisioning; the speech bubbles' copying and pasting of text should have been edited a bit more closely, plus there's typos. I don't like how all the girls look 16 and all the guys look 40. The artwork was kind of cartoony, and more detail/accuracy could have been kept in the depictions of clothing, etc. 3.9/5Esta novella gráfica/illustrada es una adaptación de la novella de Jane Austen. Está más o menos bien. No corrigieron las palabras en los globitos de texto muy bien y hay errores. Tampoco me gusta que todas las mujeres se ven como quinceañeras y todos los hombres se ven como señores de 40 años. El/la artista debería dibujado los vestidos y otras cosas como estaban en esos tiempos. 3.9 de 5 estrellas.

[kslade-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Really fun book. I thought it would be boring when I first read it, but I got into it. This date listed here is for the second time I read it. This book could be read all the time and still be good.

[missyivey · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

A classic first published in 1813 - A large book...one I had always wanted to read since high school. Finally got it read in 2017 and now I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone. I didn't think it was ever going to end. The speaking language is some weird early period British - English dialect or something. I barely survived it! Such a boring novel! Why do I have to be such a finisher?

[missbrangwen · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What else is there to say about this novel, or what can I add to the numerous reviews that have been written already?Only my own reactions: That I loved rereading this so much, even more than I had expected. It is so lively and witty, so emotional and heartfelt, yet never cheesy or shallow. It is funny and comical, but never unjust in its authenticity. While the story is firmly rooted in its time, the features of the characters are timeless and still true to life. And I do think that Elizabeth Bennet must be one of the best female characters ever written!

[murderbydeath · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Fingers crossed, my binging might be at an end; after my last book , I had a sudden desire to re-read Pride and Prejudice and when I went to my shelves to grab a copy (it being amongst the titles I have no willpower to refuse whenever I see one in the shops), I saw this one waiting for me. Perfect.Of course, Pride and Prejudice, is a 5-star read for me, once and always, but this edition gets 5 stars for the format. Since my discovery of Griffin & Sabine, I’ve been a sucker for books with physical bits that are part of the story, and truly, my thoughts when purchasing this went no further than ‘ooh! letters!’. But upon opening it, I read the introduction by Barbara Heller and realised this isn’t just a novelty, but a tremendous amount of effort went into creating the letters themselves as accurately as possible. Not just hand-written, but hand-written in replica’s of period letters, each character being assigned a distinctive hand; Heller then found the Society of Scribes of New York, and members wrote each letter with pen and ink, using the imperfections inherit in handwriting to achieve perfection.The folding, addressing and postage too were all painstakingly researched and replicated, involving advice and instruction from the treasurer of the Midland (GB) Postal History Society.All efforts to avoid anachronisms were made, and the only variation from true authenticity are the few (2?) pivotal letters where Austen herself only quotes them partially. Here, as Heller states in the introduction, and in the Appendix, where she has notes on each letter individually, some compromise had to be made. As it would do no good to only include the part of the letter quoted in the text, Heller consulted various sources, and from the summaries given in the text, attempted to recreate what the original letter might have been. Here, I think, she only partially succeeds, as there was just no matching the tones exactly, but she made up for this by keeping these ad libs as brief as possible so as not to interfere with the authenticity any more than strictly necessary.MT made the comment that the book looked unwieldy to read, and I agree that some might find the way the text block is broken up by the glassine envelopes, making the book feel ‘crunchy’ might annoy or turn off some readers, but I frankly loved it. It made the feel of the book somehow ‘more’, like a scrapbook of an adventurous life, perhaps.So, a novelty, definitely, but a novelty done with authenticity and every effort at verisimilitude. Definitely not something that would enhance every title, but the importance of letter-writing to Austen’s works makes it a perfect fit. This is definitely an edition I’d give to any Austen fan who enjoys something just a little more from their favorite titles.

[almin-70827 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Pride and Prejudice is the precursor for all formulaic romance novels. Of course, I've yet to find one as well written as this one, but I noticed the formula about 3/4 into the book. This isn't a criticism of the book, just an observation, I very much enjoyed it. I love the language, so beautiful and challenging to comprehend at times. I listened to the audio, read by Rosamund Pike (who played Jane in one of the movie versions) and she was superb.

[chris.wolak · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

My first time actually completing this novel and it was like visiting with an old friend. I've seen all the adaptations, listened to it on audio, but had never read the book.

[jorgeousjotts · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Just delightful. =)

[john257hopper · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Until now I was no doubt one of the very few people who had read every Jane Austen novel except Pride and Prejudice. Having made an abortive attempt to do so 8 years ago after attending the Bath Christmas market, I have now succeeded it doing so after another visit to Bath last week. It will never be my favourite Austen novel (that is Northanger Abbey), but I enjoyed the gentle ironic style, and tensions between the five Bennet sisters and their mother and other relatives. A pity we don't get to see more of the shy, bookish Mary Bennet! I rather like their long-suffering father, isolated in a house of females too.

[moukayedr · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am going to fall into the minority when I say that I was not crazy enough about the book to give it five stars. It is not the fault of the writing or the story, it is just the fault of the tiresome high society which the novel is supposed to satirise, and did a good job of this.

The characters are well-drawn and colourful but nothing really happens in the story apart from the inner musings of the characters which makes for a long drawn out monologue. I found the final bit especially tiresome with the long drawn out denouement which could have been finished in one or two paragraphs. I did not need long explanations of why Darcy fell in love with Elizabeth, and when.

The pompous cousin Mr Collins was good for a laugh, like the empty-headed mother, with her constant nerves and endless scheming to secure matches for her daughters, while having a very superficial view of what constitutes a good match. The father is the stereotypical male who escapes from the drudgery of his domestic life into books and male hobbies. The two younger sisters are wonderful in their preoccupation with fashion, boys and uniforms. And the middle girl, Mary, is fascinating in her rebellion and escape into the intellectual world. I would have loved to read more about her.

It is amazing how much nuance Austen managed to pack in this story where nothing much happens, in terms of action. I understand the timeless appeal of the book as it talks to universal themes. Some of the characters in the book remind me of people I have known in modern life, and the moralising is also familiar to me from middle eastern society. The story can be very successfully adapted to a modern day Middle Eastern family drama.

[vesper1931 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

The story of Pride and Prejudice from Mary Bennet's point of view, with the addition of new characters which takes the story beyond canon. Can Mary also have her happy ending.
An enjoyable and well-written story. Another re-read

[stbyra · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Rereading Jane Austen is like seeing an old girl friend and catching up on the gossip. You know it's going to be funny and informative, and a great time.

[bcrowl399 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I gave this book the 100 page test and realized that it just wasn't appealing to me. I know it's a classic novel and I appreciate that given the time period when it was written, but I just couldn't go any further.

[technodiabla · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

What can I write about a book so famous, well-loved, and thoroughly studied? Well at first I was putt off because it felt like I was reading the screenplay of the BBC miniseries, which I have seen enough times to have memorized. It was also not a book well-suited to reading in very small chunks. Fortunately, a long plane trip allowed me to delve in and really immerse myself in the language which greatly improved the reading experience. Of course, it's a wonderful story with a wonderful ending.

[tibobi · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The Short of It:This beloved classic has finally been read by me. Any surprises? No, but I am glad to finally mark this one off my list.The Rest of It:If you’ve read the book or seen the movie, then you know that the Bennet sisters, all five of them are in some stage of being married off to suitable gentleman. Well, Mrs. Bennet HOPES for them to find suitable matches, men who will provide for them and allow them to live a respectable, if not wealthy life. Men of means.I think perhaps this aspect of the story is what’s kept me from the book all these years. I’ve tried to read it a handful of times and always put it down a few chapters in. It seemed too frivolous and a tad too pleasant. All this “finding a man” business. However, this made for a VERY enjoyable story to read during a pandemic.Plus, Mr. Darcy. The disagreeable Mr. Darcy if you ask Elizabeth Bennet. Anyone reading the book knows within two mentions of his name that he won’t be disagreeable for long. What made this book even more fun is that my daughter and I watched the movie as soon as I finished the book. I did not have access to the miniseries with Colin Firth so we opted for the Kiera Knightly movie which we both enjoyed quite a bit.There are no surprises with the story. It’s pretty much what I imagined but timing is everything and reading it now was so much more enjoyable than all my previous attempts. I dare say, that I may attempt another Austen. If so, which?For more reviews, visit my blog: Book Chatter.

[mandi628-599515 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I love this book. I have seen some of the movie versions, but none of them seem to match up to the movie in my head. The story is well told. Some of the characters are stereotypes and predictable, but that's what makes it so fun. It is such a statement of the culture - than and now!

[drfuriosa · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Seriously, this book is my first, my last, my everything. I read it slowly to savor it fully (also, it's been super busy around my house), and it was just the balm I needed. Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy are deliciously complex, and the slow burn of their coming together remains deeply satisfying to this day. Plus, Jane Austen is full of The Shade, with wry asides that would make RuPaul's drag racers very, very jealous.

February 25, 2020 update: It is a truth universally acknowledged that when you get to teach your favorite book for an elective class with people who CHOOSE to be there, you're going to have a most excellent time. I didn't realize just how deeply embedded this book is within me until I got to talk about it in 75-minute class periods with students.

[stillatim · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was disappointed with Sense & Sensibility when I re-read it recently; no such disappointment here. This is one of the best novels of the century. I still aspire to be Mr. Bennett, albeit with three fewer daughters. The youngest three, to be precise.

[veritythefox · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my massive favourites; required reading for lovers and writers.

[henrimoreaux · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was a pretty good read, the character traits are certainly as relatable in the 1800s as they are today.Not sure I will be rushing out to read more Jane Austen but I can certainly appreciate the story for what it was. I did think after all the lead up the ending was rather adrupt however.

[dmturner · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

It was time for my annual (or so) re-reading of one of my favorite books. A classic romance plot, a marvelous send-up of society's expectations, and beautifully written.

[drbrand-271246 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Is Mr. Bennet anyone else's favorite? Is Mr. Collins anyone else's least favorite?

[beauxarts79 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I am arguably the world's biggest romantic cynic, but even the most impenetrable heart must yield to words such as these: "She respected, she esteemed, she was grateful to him, she felt a real interest in his welfare; and she only wanted to know how far she wished that welfare to depend upon herself, and how far it would be for the happiness of both that she should employ the power, which her fancy told her she still possessed, of bringing on the renewal of his addresses." Austen has an instinct for the nuances of human behavior: the blush of the cheek, the awkward silence, the perplexity, the mortification, the often subtle shifts between adoration and aversion. She captures it all flawlessly and truthfully.

[thedenathome · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

2 copies: one paperback; the other an ebook on my ipad (obtained Nov. 2018). This is not for me. Austen is admittedly and justly a famous author...My ranking is just my enjoyment of this book, not its worth. As a classic, it deserves a place as a very important book. However, my dislike of nineteenth century high society Britain, of nattering about politesse and what is appropriate or not, and the opinions of an upper class woman about who is an appropriate husband/ what makes a man a good catch just leave me cold. The anti-heroes also seem to be cardboard cutout figures: if you know what would put someone in a bad light, then that is what any particular negative character will do! Granted, the sycophant is well distinguished from the controlling and opinionated higher society woman, but my objection still stands: what would a sycophant do here? Then he does exactly that. The shrewish woman who bosses everyone around? Well, what could she do badly and she does just that! The man of evil but charming character? Well, once again, he does not vary from what such a man will always do. Too harsh? Probably...but like I said, this is just not my type of writing. Brilliantly done? Sure, on many levels...still do not want to read another book like it.

[bibliodiction · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

To be fair, I did start this book 2 or 3 times before dedicating myself to reading its entirety. The verbiage was difficult to follow until I fell into the rhythm.

For the longest time, Mr. Bennet was my favorite character. I loved his sense of humor. Mrs. Bennet, however, irked me to no end. Lydia... I am too familiar with her personality. I do feel better about Kitty’s future now that Lydia’s influence is no longer an immediate concern. Studious Mary. I believe she’ll outdo them all.

I haven’t forgotten the two eldest sisters. I would imagine finding the positive in everyone and everything would be absolutely tiresome. All worked out fine for Jane, though.

Elizabeth was an interesting character. Observant, knowledgeable, and self-assured, until her future came into question. The truth is easier to come by with straightforward conversation instead of relying on perceived observations.

Then there’s the boys. Wickham, Collins, Bingley, Darcy... I could go on forever about every character in the book. Needless to say, the entrance of each added a unique layer to the story.

[thetruebookaddict · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

What can I say about this wonderful book which I knew would be wonderful before I even read it! I'm really not going to say too much, because haven't we all read it anyway? Oh, you haven't? Well, what are you waiting for? Jane Austen had such a knack with her characters and settings. Even as much as I love the films based on the books, the book really is a literary masterpiece. These people and their stories never get old because, although set in a different era, they are just like us. They hurt, love, hate, jest, and experience joy in every day things, just as we do. Such simple stories really, but how can we not identify with them when they could very well be happening to us. This is why I think Jane endures. Not just for her beautiful settings and her pretty and sometimes funny characters, but for her true insight into the workings of the human heart. Well done, Jane!

[nwieme-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

First time!! I started it for my book group and thought - I can't even pay attention long enough to figure out what they are saying hahahahah... but I got it- and then I couldn't put it down. I'm glad I was "forced" to read it.

[linyarai · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I feel like the movies stuck pretty closely to the book, so I enjoyed the book immensely. I though the characters were quite realistic and often felt like I was in the room with them.