Jane Austen Book Group - Pride and Prejudice

[Kell]

The second book we'll be reading (throughout March and April) is Pride and Prejudice:

'His perfect indifference, and your pointed dislike, make it so delightfully absurd!' "Pride and Prejudice" has delighted generations of readers with its unforgettable cast of characters, carefully choreographed plot, and a hugely entertaining view of the world and its absurdities. With the arrival of eligible young men in their neighbourhood, the lives of Mr and Mrs Bennet and their five daughters are turned inside out and menide down. Pride encounters prejudice, upward-mobility confronts social disdain, and quick-wittedness challenges sagacity, as misconceptions and hasty judgements lead to heartache and scandal, but eventually to true understanding, self-knowledge, and love. In this supremely satisfying story, Jane Austen balances comedy with seriousness, and witty observation with profound insight. If Elizabeth Bennet returns again and again to her letter from Mr Darcy, readers of the novel are drawn even more irresistibly by its captivating wisdom.

~~***~~


In deference to those who may be reading it for the first time - if you're going to talk about a major plot point, please state which chapter your post relates to and use the spoiler tags, so that those who haven't yet reached that point will know to wait a while before reading that post!

Some questions to consider:
1 - "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." This is arguably one of the most famous opening lines of any novel. How much (or little) do you agree with the sentiment and why?

2 - In what ways do the Bennet sisters vary inpersonality and how does that affect their relationships with each other and with men? How do they each approach the idea of courtship?

3 - How do men and women interact? Which interactions in particular did you find interesting and why? How do these relationships and interactions compare to engagements and marriages today?

4 - Are the characters in Pride and Prejudice conventional in their thoughts and actions according to the time in which the novel is set? In what ways do they conform (or not) to conventions? What is expected of them and how do they react to those expectations?

5 - Who was your favourite character and why?

6 - Was there a particular part you enjoyed/disliked more than the rest?

7 - Was this the first book you've read in this genre/by this author, has it encouraged you to read more?

8 - Were there any parts/ideas you struggled with?

9 - Overall, was reading the book an enjoyable experience?

10 - Consider the title of the novel. To which character(s) do you most closely link the Pride and the Prejudice, and why? Do you think it's an apt title?

(You do not have to answer all, or indeed, any, of these questions, they are meant only as points for you to perhaps mull over as you read, and provoke more discussion. Please feel free to ask and answer any questions that come up as you read.)

[Echo]

I started reading this a few weeks ago, and I had forgotten how absolutely funny it is! Almost every page is full of wonderful, witty, ironic remarks about Elizabeth's bizarre family. It's a definite contender for my favorite Austen...it's right up there with Persuasion. :mrgreen:

[supergran71]

I started reading this a few weeks ago, and I had forgotten how absolutely funny it is! Almost every page is full of wonderful, witty, ironic remarks about Elizabeth's bizarre family. It's a definite contender for my favorite Austen...it's right up there with Persuasion. :mrgreen:
My favourite part is where Darcy asks Elizabeth to marry him. The conversation they have is so cleverly constructed and the way she not only refuses him but positively puts him down. Funnily enough I have just read this part today. I found myself wondering whether Jane herself had had an experience like that. When you think about the sheltered life (compared to today) that young 19th century women had, I find it amazing that she was able to build this scene the way she did. What experience could she have drawn on I wonder. P&P will always be my favourite Jane Austen.

[Icecream]

I think you are probably right Supergran. That is the kind of thing that needs a certain amount of experiance I think.:)

[Gyre]

I am enjoying 'Pride and Prejudice' more than 'Sense and Sensibility', I think Mrs Bennet is so funny.

:D

[Kylie]

Pride and Prejudice is my favourite Jane Austen (so far). It is, as you said Gyre, very funny. I'm usually pretty patient when reading novels, but with P&P I found myself skipping ahead to read all the Darcy/Elizabeth parts because I just couldn't wait to find out what happened, and what dialogue occurred between them.

I wish I could re-read it again this month but I have a lot of other books on my plate at the moment. I'll just have to relive it again through all of you! :mrgreen:

[supergran71]

Kylie it is such a shame that you did that. Although Elizabeth and Darcy are the main characters in this book, it is important to read ALL of the story to understand the people and the world they are living in. Not only that, the way Jane Austen writes and constructs her stories has a special brilliance which you miss by skipping through it. In my eyes that is a sacrilege. Sorry I dont mean to insult you, but please please do find time to read her books, from the beginning and slowly to digest every word and every nuance.

[Kylie]

Calm down Supergran. I never said I didn't read the whole book, just that I couldn't help skipping ahead to read some parts. :roll:

I appreciate the writing of Jane Austen as much as anyone, and you'll see that if you read any of my reviews of her works (which can be found here (http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=124349&postcount=34) and here (http://www.bookclubforum.co.uk/forum/showpost.php?p=98374&postcount=95)). Jane Austen is my favourite author, and it is insulting to me that you imply that I'm being 'sacrilegious' or in any way not appreciating her brilliance.

[supergran71]

I am sorry Kylie, I obvously misunderstood you and I did apologise in advance in case you felt I insulted you. (olive branch held out). I am really pleased that you love Jane Austen so much and I will read your review, promise.

[Kylie]

No worries :mrgreen: I'm looking forward to reading the rest of her books this year as they come up in the reading circle. (Persuasion, Northanger Abbey and Mansfield Park are the ones I've yet to read - what a treat!)

[Angel]

Mrs Bennett is very funny! The way in which she is so wittily portrayed epitomizes how it was considered essential to secure a 'good' marriage. I think that to a certain extent this is still relevant in today's society - deep down we all want the best relationships and future for all of our children and secretly we all want a happy ending! Certainly Austen's best novel - I have lost count the number of times I have read the book and watched the DVD :mrgreen:.

[supergran71]

Which version do you like Angel?

[Angel]

No competition :mrgreen:. Colin Firth (hence my gorgeous avatar!!)

[Gyre]

I am still reading (not very far though).

I am just at the part where Mr Collins has proposed to Elizabeth and I actually feel embarrassed for her, I am saying inside my head, 'oh please stop talking'.

I do like Elizabeth and I know her outlook reflects the time period but she should really lighten up.

[Gyre]

I finished 'Pride and Prejudice ' (finally) and I really enjoyed it, it was so funny in parts and just so different for its time I felt.

Whoo hoo I read it!!!

[Echo]

It is definitely one of the funniest ones. You might also like Emma because of all the ridiculous scrapes that Emma gets herself into. I think we're reading Mansfield Part next, and although I love it, Fanny Price is not one of my favorite Austen heroines. And it's definitely not as funny and Pride and Prejudice!

In any event, I'm so glad you liked it!!

[supergran71]

Good for you Gyre and I am glad you enjoyed it. It is a great read

[Gyre]

Thanks everyone, I really enjoyed it, I loved the part with Elizabeth and Mr Darcy's proposal, it was so emotional and I thought Elizabeth was so assertive wasn't she?

I actually thought at one point with Lydia, I would gladly throttle her, the way she treated her family. :irked:

[Sarahrob]

!!Spoiler Warning!!

I adore Pride and Prejudice. I love Mr Bennet's dry, sardonic humour. The bit where he first introduces Mr Collins: "About a month ago I received this letter; and about a fortnight ago I answered it, for I thought it a case of some delicacy, and requiring early attention."
Fabulous!

I find Charlotte a heartbreaking character - to have to give yourself entirely to Mr Collins just to secure a position in society. Poor Charlotte.

I do like Lydia. She is so trivial and so completely unconscious that her actions could possible interfere with anyone else in any way. Ultimately her actions speak very clearly to me about her age. She is so young and giddy that she needs very firm restraints which the family are entirely unable to provide.

I love the way Elizabeth stands up to Lady Catherine when she arrives at Longbourn. To refuse to oblige her would have been extraordinary and shows Lizzy's stubbornness. When you contract Lizzy's attitude towards Lady Catherine with Mrs Bennet, described as "delighted to speak to a Lady Catherine" - how much courage would that have taken?

One of the questions asked was whether a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. To me this would be the fundamental responsibility of the characters in this novel. All are middle or upper class, with a responsibility to marry and provide an heir for their estate. It's not as explicit in this novel as it is in others, but the undercurrent is still there, the pressure to marry for women as well as men. Think of how Mrs Bennet pressured Lizzy to marry Mr Collins in ordeer to secure the future of the entire family.

Currently my favourite Austen novel is Persuasion, but this is close!

[happyndhilarious]

the way she treated her family. :irked:

Oh yeah, you're totally right.

[Janet]

I haven't read this thread as I'm not very far into the book yet. I tried Emma last year but gave up as it was tedious. I've had this on my 'to read' pile for several years.

I'm finding it quite hard to get into though, but I will persevere and get to the end! :roll:

[Val on the road]

I've just taken Pride and Prejudices to the bibliotheque. ;)

[Janet]

I've just taken Pride and Prejudices to the bibliotheque. ;)
Bibliotheque - library? Did you read it, or does the wink mean you gave up on it?!

[Val on the road]

I'm reading it, and on the same time I'm reading In Cold Blood, by Truman Capote.

[Janet]

I'm finding it quite hard to get into though, but I will persevere and get to the end! :roll:
I'm within 50 pages of the end of this novel now.

I've gone from feelings of complete indifference to this book and avoidance of reading it, to absolutely loving it!

I can't wait to finish it now to see how it pans out (even though I'm certain it'll have the requisite happy ending)!

:D

[supergran71]

I'm within 50 pages of the end of this novel now.

I've gone from feelings of complete indifference to this book and avoidance of reading it, to absolutely loving it!

I can't wait to finish it now to see how it pans out (even though I'm certain it'll have the requisite happy ending)!

:D
There you go, now what did I say!! You should read Emma or Sense and Sensibility now, both equally enjoyable. I have a slight preference for Emma.

[Janet]

There you go, now what did I say!!
:D I bow to your superior knowledge!

Oh wow. I can't believe just how my feelings for this book turned round. I went from feeling so indifferent to it at the start that I kept finding excuses not to read ( :icon_eek: ) to wanting to read it slowly in order to make it last.

I wanted to slap some of the female characters hard to start with. My head could tell me that the ladies would have behaved that way in 1813 when the novel was first published, but my heart couldn't stand the way they were so pathetic! However, I soon got over that and warmed to them.

I especially loved the characters of Lizzy, Mr Darcy (despite never having seen P&P on the TV, I still pictured Darcy as Colin Firth - which is no bad thing!) and Mr Bennet. Oh, and Jane.

I wanted to slap Lydia for being so selfish, and give Mrs Bennet a damn good shake by the shoulders for being such an embarrassment.

It had humour in spades. It was sad too. Mr Bennet being trapped in such a loveless marriage was a tragedy considering his lovable and amiable nature.

I have quite a few 'favourite bits', but I think the one that stands out for me was where Jane stood up to Lady Catherine when she came to dissuade Elizabeth from having a relationship with Darcy - this bit showed just how strong the character of Lizzy really was.

As a ‘modern’ woman, it seems very strange to me how society worked back then. For Charlotte to marry someone after only knowing them for such a short time to secure a future for herself seems very alien!

I don't think a book has caused so many different emotions in me for a long, long time. After feelings of total indifference I simply grew to love this book.

10/10

PS - Ann - I tried Emma last year but couldn't get past the first 40 pages and put it in a charity shop. I will look out for it again. :)

[ii]

Janet, you could also try Persuasion. I found that after loving Pride and Prejudice, and being able to identify with Lizzy and her reluctance to be only what the society wanted her to be (see Charlotte), it was weird that I loved Anne in Persuasion so much, as she's very different (and very unlike me). But I did! It's maybe, in my mind, the most beautiful of Austen's books.

[Janet]

Thanks for the recommendation. I will definitely be looking for more of her stuff in future. :)

[ii]

What I really enjoyed about Persuasion, was that the onset is so different. Anne had her chance of happiness, but she blew it, and now she's facing the aftermath, in a way. So it's a very different setting to start, and I remember being very curious as to where the story would go. (Well, it is Austen, so no brainer there, but still...) Besides, Captain Wentworth is still my absolute favourite Austen hero, simply because of the letter! (those who have read it know what I'm talking about, I'm sure.) Actually, now that I think about it, I'll take that with me tomorrow, I need something to entertain me on the plane.

[Kell]

Well, Persuasion is the next book on the list (the thread will open in September :D ). It'll be fun discussing that one too... :readingtwo:

[ii]

I know! How lucky am I?! Okay, off I go now... I need to pack...

[frankie]

Ooooh, Persuasion in September? It's a date! Now I will have to hunt down an English copy of the book, what a nice excuse to buy it :D

[Kylie]

I'm so, so glad you enjoyed P&P, Janet! I definitely recommend watching Colin Firth in the BBC production. It's brilliant :D

I'm really looking forward to reading Persuasion as well.

[supergran71]

:D I bow to your superior knowledge!

I have quite a few 'favourite bits', but I think the one that stands out for me was where Jane stood up to Lady Catherine when she came to dissuade Elizabeth from having a relationship with Darcy - this bit showed just how strong the character of Lizzy really was.
. :)

I loved that scene too Janet, but my favourite is Lizzy turning Darcy down. Those 2 scenes jump out of the pages into real life for me. Do try and see the BBC video of this with Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. They are absolutely perfect as Darcy and Lizzy. No other version can touch them. My stepson bought it for me for Christmas last year.

[Janet]

I got two discs of it free with the Daily Mail recently. I'm pretty certain it's a complete and unabridged version. I was going to start watching today but have been too busy. I might start it on Sunday when my hubby and son are at cricket. My daughter will possibly watch with me!