It’s not hard to understand why Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen’s most popular work. The book is well paced, the characters are well developed, and the plot is well executed. It’s no wonder film makers can’t stop making version after version after version of this story.
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know by now I have a somewhat rocky relationship with Miss Austen’s novels. Sense and Sensibility was an acquired taste and Emma… well, let’s just say, from a literary stand point it was excellent, however from an entertainment stand point, Emma drove me out of my mind! So, when tuning in to Rosamund Pike reading Pride and Prejudice on Audible, I began with some skepticism. Regardless, it didn’t take long for me to become absorbed into the world of the Bennett sisters. Maybe this novel had the advantage of familiarity (I have seen a lot of film adaptations), but Pride and Prejudice is definitely my favorite Jane Austen novel so far.
That being said, there is still one thing I just can’t seem to understand. Mr. Darcy. I don’t get it: the obsession, the swooning, the idealization… Does he really deserve so many admiring fans? Or are all the ladies really just fans of Colin Firth and therefore fans of Mr. Darcy by association?
Don’t get me wrong, Mr. Darcy isn’t a bad guy. He’s just not a great one. He’s arrogant, rude, anti-social, judgmental, and let us not forget the worst proposal in the history of literature. If I had to compare it to a modern equivalent, the closest example I can come up with would be Chris O’Donnell’s proposal to Renee Zellwegger in the 1999 film The Bachelor. Nothing says, “Marry Me?” like a guy handing you a little black ring box and saying, “You Win!”
If I’m being honest, out of all the male characters in Pride and Prejudice, if I had to pick just one to put on a pedestal, the only qualified candidate would be Mr. Bingley. Think about it. He’s friendly, good-humored, kind, sweet, cheerful, and treats everyone respectfully no matter what their station.
I guess you could say Jane and Bingley are the perfect fairy-tale couple: all sweetness and goodness and innocence. She’s the beautiful princess and he’s the charming prince. They encounter obstacles along the way but in the end, they are destined to live happily ever after.
Elizabeth and Darcy, on the other hand, are the regency version of just about every rom-com couple throughout history. They start out hating each other, but over the course of time fall in love. They are both headstrong, independent, and seem totally wrong for each other in every way, yet we are all secretly hoping they get together.
I’m sad to say that the only historically realistic relationship in Miss Austen’s masterpiece is probably the marriage of Charlotte Lucas and Mr. Collins. Poor Miss Lucas is a slave to the societal pressure to marry because of age and lack of fortune. Her only chance of any future depends on the position of her husband. It doesn’t matter if she loves him, or even likes him, she simply needs him for his money. So, even when someone as awfully annoying as Mr. Collins proposes, she accepts.
When it comes down to it, Pride and Prejudice is a classic for a reason. Once again Miss Austen has written an insightful, compelling, funny, and simply brilliant novel poking fun at regency life while still expressing hope in the idea of true love and joy in marriage.
Until next time… Let’s Get Reading!