This was the first time I had read one of Jane Austen's novels, and I am so enthralled with the story-telling and characters I am now looking to read every single thing she has written. The writing is filled with so many different layers; not only do I find bits of humor in a re-read that I missed the first time around, but the characters themselves are so different and have so much depth that you could easily imagine these people exist (or have existed) in real life.
The dialogue is where this novel shines, which is good since the novel is mostly dialogue. Austen is able to convey the personality of a character simply through the way the character speaks, so that even though there are not a lot of descriptions of the characters, you have a clear idea of who each character is almost as soon as they open their mouth. Perhaps one of my favorite aspects of the writing style is the sandpaper-dry wit of Austen, which, when you understand it, can be very, very funny.
Note that it may not be for everyone: since this book was written in the early 1800s, some of the turns of phrases are outdated, and may be difficult for a modern reader to understand. Another stumbling block is that while the writing itself is elegant and beautiful, the sheer density of words might make it hard for some people to read. For the former, my recommendation is to read as closely as possible, and re-read passages you didn't quite get the first time around; this will have the added benefit that you may be able to catch wisps of Austen's dry humor you might have missed the first time (I know I did). For the latter, it's a matter of preference. Personally, I love how poetic and elegant the writing is, and finding the hidden tidbits of humor as well as the ever-present underlying issues of the time was always rewarding to me; but if you find after the first chapter or two that you just can't get through the density of the writing, this may not be a good read for you.
Since I downloaded the Kindle version, here's a review of the e-book format specifically: I did not notice any typos (yay!); it had a list of chapters near the beginning of the book, right after the cover, but does not contain an actual "table of contents" function. (i.e., if you click on "Go to..." the "table of contents" button will be grayed out.) Page numbers are included and total at 253; and for those who care, there are ten "Popular Highlights" at this time of writing, half of which are grouped around pages 12-15.
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Reviews with images
seemed tedious. Also
The story line was objective in that it showed the limited range of conversation and interests of the central characters. This probably reflected the true nature of the social experience of the late 1770's. The language was difficult in that the overly long sentences, by modern standards, seemed tedious. Also, the choice of wording seemed cumbersome by modern standards. If this is an example of the true way people spoke the English language in the time frame, it was almost clumsy by modern standards. "Pride and Prejudice" was an interesting glimpse of history.
Top reviews from other countries
Fair_shopper
Likely one of the very best books I have ever read
Reviewed in Canada on October 26, 2023christine l.
Lecture facilitée par la technique
Reviewed in France on October 25, 2023
