Mmmm Mr Darcy! (revised) (Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen)

Name: donnaford

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Product:	Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
Date:	20/05/01 (455 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Romantic, Witty

Disadvantages: None

Pride and Prejudice is 299 pages long, contained in 61 chapters.

I found Pride and Prejudice a bit slow to begin with. It is not until Austen reveals and develops the characters more that I became engrossed in the book.

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Characters

Mr Bennet:
The most sensible of the Bennet parents, which is illustrated in his love of reading and his preferment of Elizabeth, for her quickness, over his foolish & vain daughters. However, Mr Bennet is exposed as a bad husband and father for being too lenient on his silly wife and flirty younger daughters.

Mrs Bennet:
Mrs Bennet is outspoken, foolish and a hypochondriac. She feigns illness whenever someone upsets her. She values Lydia; her worst behaved daughter, and Jane, the most beautiful, over sensible and witty Elizabeth. She is an embarrassment to her family, especially Elizabeth.

Jane Bennet:
Jane is beautiful, kind and sweet. She never thinks badly of anyone, even when they deserve it.

Elizabeth Bennet:
We view the book through the eyes of Elizabeth, and tend to agree with her viewpoint. She is attractive, especially her stunning eyes which captivate Mr Darcy, she has a lively personality and can see people’s faults as well as their virtues. However, Elizabeth Bennet is guilty of prejudice when it comes to Mr Darcy. Offended by his early comments, she cannot bring herself to see any good in him.

Mary Bennet:
Reads a lot, and studies hard. She likes to sing, although she is not a great singer, and is very vain in this regard. However, she is not foolish and flirtatious like her two youngest sisters, saved by good morals that she learns from reading.

Catherine (Kitty) Bennet:
Not a bad person, however she is influenced by Lydia who is two years her junior. She is preoccupied with gossip and admiring the officers.
However, when Lydia goes away and the temptation of the officers is removed, she is much improved in character.

Lydia Bennet:
Lydia is a tall and lively young lady, much admired by her mother. Like Kitty, she loves to gossip and admire the officers. Lydia brings shame to her family with her flirtatious behaviour and eventual elopement.

Mr Darcy:
Mr Darcy is guilty of pride, yet reveals a gentler side to his personality in his relationships with Georgiana, his younger sister, and Elizabeth. His shy aloofness is often mistaken for arrogance and vanity. Early in the book Mr Darcy’s only redeeming feature is his friendship with Mr Bingley. However he is generous, fair and forgiving to those he loves. I challenge anyone who reads this book (ok heterosexual men are exempt) not to fall in love with the idea of Mr Darcy.

Miss Georgiana Darcy:
She is by no means a major character, however she is central to revealing Mr Darcy’s better side. She is shy and gentle, unlike her reputation and described by Mr Wickham.

Mr Bingley:
Mr Bingley, owner of Netherfield, is handsome kind and friendly. His only fault is that he can be easily influenced by his sisters and Mr Darcy.

Miss Caroline Bingley:
Caroline is a two-faced bitch! Her initial affection for Jane leads to disgust at her entire family. She does not think Jane is good enough to marry her brother. However, we gain amusement at her failed attempts to win Mr Darcy’s affection.

Charlotte Lucas:
Charlotte Lucas is 27 years old – quite an old maid in those times. She decides to marry for property and security rather than love. She is Elizabeth’s best friend and a good person, but her marriage to Mr Collins brings her down in Elizabeth’s estimation.

Mr Collins:
Mr Collins is the nephew of Mr Bennet, and a very dull man. He is full of manners and lacking in personality. He decides to acquire a wife, more f
or status than out of love. It seems almost any wife will do him! He considers Jane, proposes to Elizabeth and then moves on to Charlotte Lucas, who readily agrees.

The Gardiners:
Mrs Bennet’s brother and his wife, who live in London. Mr Bennet is sensible and kind. He steps in to help when Lydia elopes. Mrs Gardiner has a good friendship with the eldest two Bennet daughters. She is younger than her husband and elegant. These are the only family members that Elizabeth is not embarrassed of.

Mr Wickham:
Wickham is a deceitful, cunning man. His good looks and amiable personality hide his secret past. He only courts women for their money. Wickham sullies Mr Darcy’s name in order to make the village dislikes and distrust Darcy. However, he is eventually exposed and punished for his actions.

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Storyline:

At the beginning the main theme of marriage is established. We are taken back to the days when a young woman’s “career” was marriage. Whether for love or property, a young woman had to meet a suitable match. To be single and independent was simply unheard of.

Will beautiful Jane ever marry handsome Mr Bingley and live at Netherfield? Will Elizabeth ever find a deserving match? Is it possible to tame wild Lydia?

Funny in parts, sad in places and wonderfully romantic, Pride and Prejudice is a marvellous book and very modern in ways. Austen created a timeless masterpiece that you can read over and over.

Summary: