Tag Archives: Jane Austen

Review: Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice
By Jane Austen
Penguin Classics, 9780143105428, 2009, 352pp.

The Short of It:

This beloved classic has finally been read by me. Any surprises? No, but I am glad to finally mark this one off my list.

The Rest of It:

If you’ve read the book or seen the movie, then you know that the Bennet sisters, all five of them are in some stage of being married off to suitable gentleman. Well, Mrs. Bennet HOPES for them to find suitable matches, men who will provide for them and allow them to live a respectable, if not wealthy life. Men of means.

I think perhaps this aspect of the story is what’s kept me from the book all these years. I’ve tried to read it a  handful of times and always put it down a few chapters in. It seemed too frivolous and a tad too pleasant. All this “finding a  man” business. However, this made for a VERY enjoyable story to read during a pandemic.

Plus, Mr. Darcy. The disagreeable Mr. Darcy if you ask Elizabeth Bennet. Anyone reading the book knows within two mentions of his name that he won’t be disagreeable for long. What made this book even more fun is that my daughter and I watched the movie as soon as I finished the book. I did not have access to the miniseries with Colin Firth so we opted for the Kiera Knightly movie which we both enjoyed quite a bit.

There are no surprises with the story. It’s pretty much what I imagined but timing is everything and reading it now was so much more enjoyable than all my previous attempts. I dare say, that I may attempt another Austen. If so, which?

Source: Purchased
Disclosure: This post contains Indiebound affiliate links.

Confessions of a Jane Austen Addict, by Laurie Viera Rigler

I was lucky enough to win a copy of this book from Jennifer over at Book Club Girl and I can’t tell you how much I loved it! I tossed it into my beach bag, sat on the beach and read it from cover to cover. Thank you Jennifer! She is also hosting a radio blog show with the author on June 25th, at 7pm EST. For more info on the book, or the blog show, please click here.

Now here’s a little bit about the book..

Courtney, who also happens to be a big fan of Jane Austen, wakes up one morning and finds herself inside the bedroom of a woman in England, circa 1800’s. Coming from Los Angeles, Courtney is forced to live the life of this woman, which is very similar to that of all the Jane Austen novels she has ever read, while trying to figure out how to return to her own life.

Can you imagine leaving your modern, everyday life for one in the 1800’s? There are some very funny moments involving chamber pots, healing waters, and the like, as Courtney attempts to live her life as Jane. I thoroughly enjoyed her interaction with Jane’s friends and suitors and the references to novels written by Jane Austen. Toss this one into your beach bag and you won’t be sorry!