Loving and loathing in Victorian England: Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice, Reviewed

Maria Jose Vargas, Y11 

I´ve always considered myself a hopeless romantic. Of course, I’ve never fallen in love, so where does this hopelessly romantic view of love come from? Well, mostly from the romantic novels filling my personal book collection, and a little of 1999-2000 rom-com. So finding Jane was an epiphany. She is known for her beautiful love stories, so I just impulsively ignored all my book titles written in my “to read list” and bought Pride and Prejudice, expecting tension-filled enemies to lovers action, and let me tell you it did not disappoint... in the enemies to lovers part.

In order to start this review, I have to be honest and make the most horrible confession a reader can make… I watched Pride and Prejudice first, and then read the book. Please don’t judge; I know I should be ashamed, and I am.  So we can say that before reading the book I had the idea of the story and the ending. My epiphany, then, was more about browsing Netflix and finding my future favorite movie, but even though it started this way, I knew there was no life of mine in which I would not read that book, and to be honest it was not what I was expecting.

I guess that by the way I ended that paragraph you may be thinking, “OMG, the movie is better than the book!” Well, you are wrong. The only movies better than the books are under the name of Nicholas Sparks, and that’s on period (if you like him don't take this personally). As I told you before I was expecting tension-filled enemies to lovers, but when I opened that beautiful book the tension was completely replaced by butterflies.

The book starts kind of slow. We are introduced to the Bennets, and the main character, the iconic feminist and strong woman: Elizabeth Bennet. Later in the book, we are introduced to the handsome future love interest: Mr. Darcy. In the beginning, Austen shows her beautiful writing when she makes the reader feel the loathing Elizabeth felt for the arrogant, proud Mr. Darcy.

Austen slowly shows the feelings of the different characters and their stories, such as that of Jane, Elizabeth’s sister, (very clever how the most beautiful Bennet had the author´s name; I see you Jane Austen) and Mr. Bingley, whose complicated and almost impossible love story connects to Elizabeth and Darcy´s. 

The best part of the book starts with the most savage interaction between Darcy and Elizabeth: The moment when Darcy proposes to Elizabeth, and she just straight up tells him she hates him.  From that point, the book is filled with hate, regret, and moments of truth. Plot twists arise, the best of which is how Elizabeth’s feelings change. Spoiler Alert! Elizabeth and Darcy get married! 

When I decided to read this book I had very high expectations, and Austen did not disappoint. She always had this emotional way of telling the different stories that ended up all connected, and together created a web that forms the essence of Pride and Prejudice.

While reading the last sentence of this book I knew it was one of the most beautifully written love stories to ever be in my book collection. The way this book is still relevant after two centuries of its publication just proves how amazing a writer Jane was. Many people could think of her as overrated, but I truly think she will always live up to her reputation.