Criticism and Appreciation

When reading the novel, the first thing that I noticed to be different from what I had read before, was its language. Written in a very old-fashioned language, the books vocabulary and style were not exactly what I had been used to from previous literature. The manner of talking and writing at that time when the novel was written was a very indirect one, which doesnt immediately appeal to our zeitgeist. But still, after the first few pages, one gets used to this manner of writing, and even starts to appreciate it: Subtle and ironic remarks that are hidden behind a flowery language become even more ingenious. It is this subtlety that makes the book highly enjoyable, although one cant really imagine how it must have been to live in a society which was so strictly based on rules and behaviour patterns. It is obvious, that social prestige was a very important value at the time when the story is set, which is at some point during the Napoleonic Wars (1797-1815), and the reader gets a fascinating insight into a way of behaving and living that is so much ruled by conventions. Being a very critical observer, Jane Austen, too, is well aware of those negative aspects, and has found a way to show them through characters like clergyman Mr. Collins or his patroness Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Interestingly, Austen, as the omniscient narrator, never judges them, but would always let them unmask themselves by self-exposure. We can generally say that Miss Austen has created characters with an eye for details. They are believable, with all of them having different traits of character and ideals, but seldom predictable. What also argues in favour reading Pride and Prejudice is the fact that the problems the characters have to face havent quite changed over the centuries. Love and friendship, misunderstanding and intrigues, dream men and villains: These are the everlasting immortal topics that one is always willing to read about. For this reason, the book will never get boring, although there isnt a lot of action in it: No explosions, fights, deaths or anything of that kind interrupt the calmness of the story, which is mainly set in Longbourn in rural England. Therefore, it is even more astonishing, that Austen succeeds in keeping the readers attention and anxiety over whether Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy will finally find together or not. So if one is interested in stories where things are happening without a big ballyhoo, I can highly recommend this amusing and fascinating book.