Not every post is going to be a banger! But I took the time (a LOT of time) to read this book, so I’m going to memorialize it with a post.
Why Did I Read Pride & Prejudice?
Good question! A random podcast threw out Pride & Prejudice as a conventional classic and in that moment I decided I was going to read it knowing absolutely nothing about it. Could I have read another non-fiction book about Hitler or running or something? Sure, but I’m cultured. I try new things.
How Long Did I Take to Read It?
How long is too long to read a 400 page book?
AI says 2-3 weeks is normal and anything longer than that shows a “lack of engagement“. That’s how out of touch AI is.
It took me 3 months to read this book. Do you know why? Because this book is BORING. My poor attitude could also be me taking it personally that it took so long to read.
The Book Review
Plot – 4/10
The story is based in the early 1800s as a will-they-won’t-they between Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy. Simply put, it’s too slow. Maybe a guy in 2026 reading a book written in 1812 was always going to feel like that, but the side plots were just boring. Elizabeth and Darcy actually drew my attention, but they were so few and far between. For better or worse, this is no 50 Shades of Grey.
Vocabulary / Writing – 9/10
Spectacular. Certain words I vaguely understood but struggled on-the-spot to know what they meant – indignation, profusion, encumbrance. Then there were some words I’ve genuinely never heard of – obeisance, volubility, diminution – these are just… not normal words. I don’t know if this is Austen showing off or if people back then had a much larger vocabulary, but it makes for tough reading. I can’t imagine any high school kid enjoying this aspect of it. But it’s still impressive.
Side Characters – 1/10
Aside from Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, and Jane, most of the characters blended together (or I’m just not engaged). Wickham? Bingley? Frick? Frack?
To make it tougher, throw in things like Elizabeth’s cousin proposing to her and you say to yourself “I must have these characters mixed up“.
Then, add in Jane Austen’s vocabulary and it’s pretty much impossible to know what’s happening at any given point. I’d read entire paragraphs unsure if she was complimenting or insulting a character, then the chapter would end and I’d just move on without knowing what happened. I have to imagine the movie handles this better.
Themes & Life in 1810 – 8/10
For all of the material differences in life 200+ years ago, there are so many similarities which make this book worth reading, mostly in how humans interact with one another, societal pressure, cultural norms, etc. They shit-talked and secretly crushed the same way we do. They felt pressure to do certain things and hit certain life check-points just as we do. They let their egos get in the way (pride), and they have their unfounded judgements (prejudice) that they often find out are wrong.
So despite the world being totally different (which was interesting to see from someone who was simply living in the moment), it was equally interesting to see how similar relationship dynamics and daily thoughts, joys, frustrations, etc. are compared to today. Humans are still humans!
OVERALL – 5.5/10
I get why it was a big hit. I get that it still holds up. But save yourself the 3 months and just read this blog post instead.
Thanks, I’ll skip the book. I recommend the movie version with Keira Knightley; its well done and it only took 2 hours. I guess it took out all the boring details. That said, the last good fiction I finished was Radio Player One, which was so much better than the movie. In that one, its the details that make it interesting, but they were missing in the movie.