Pride And Prejudice

When I started reading this book I was a little skeptic whether I would like it or not. My view of classic books has been somewhat tainted ever since I was young, where in school we were made to read these books which we then discussed in class. I always loved reading, so you would think I wouldn't have had a problem with this, but I did. The fact that I didn't have a choice in reading them and had a limited amount of time to do so interfered with me enjoying the book I was reading. I have lately been hearing a lot about Pride And Prejudice and other books by Jane Austen, and since I never picked up this one before I thought I would give it a try, but of course not without any skepticism. I was very surprised when just a few pages in the book I was enjoying it and as I continued to read I was even more caught up in the story. Set in the 19th century, it was common then that a woman like Mrs. Bennett would be distressed that none of her five daughters were married yet, and it seems that the whole purpose of her life is to see each of them settled with a nice man that has an agreeable income. When Mr. Bingley comes into the picture and shows his interest in Jane, the eldest of the sisters, she is quite convinced that they will get married soon and this will open up new opportunities for her other daughters. However this was not to be and all of a sudden Mr. Bingley and his party move away without any word. During this time, Elizabeth, the second eldest of the sisters has her views on the situation which are quite surprising for a woman at that time. Elizabeth is a feminist and is determined not to compromise her happiness by marrying the first man that requests her hand and is not afraid to reject a proposal if she doesn't see it fit for her. The book is aptly named as pride and prejudice causes ill judgment of each other, where Mr. Darcy is perceived by everyone to be a proud man that only speaks to people of his own kind, and the prejudice between the characters hinders their true feelings and actions from being understood. Austen has intelligently constructed each character and situation that it makes you feel like you're part of it all. After reading this book I can understand better why it is called a classic, and it has definitely set the path for me to read other books by Jane Austen as well as other classic books with an open mind.