A review by atalanta_nins
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective relaxing slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

The narration of the story for me was a little bit confusing because I sometimes do not know who is actually talking (this might also contribute to how long I actually finished reading because I kept rereading some parts to digest every part of it) but other than that, I think the story is well executed and you get to see each characters. Although, most of their features were generalized and not specified (like how Mr. Darcy was described as tall and handsome but there were no definite description of the color of his hair and eyes, or how Elizabeth was described as plain looking but her eyes were beautiful in a way that draws you, not that it matter anyway), I liked that in a way, the readers get to imagine whatever they want to be Mr. Darcy or Elizabeth look like, but, in the end, it's their personality that matters. While reading it, I finally get it who is said to have the Pride and Prejudice in the title. To be honest though, I still think they both have Pride and Prejudice too. Mr. Darcy seemed to emanate Pride (because of his high social status and rich upbringing) but has a bit Prejudice (because of how he views Elizabeth, someone with a poor social standing and inferior family than his, although true). Elizabeth emanate Prejudice (as she choose to accept the criticisms and remarks made by Mr. Wickham without actually confiding with Mr. Darcy) and a little bit Pride as she rejected Mr. Darcy's proposal because of how he insulted her and her family (like Mr. Darcy, I sometimes cannot with you,). 

But when Elizabeth rejected Mr. Darcy's proposal, this is the part that got me excited and kept me on continuing reading the story. In this part, we can see that both the protagonists struggle with repressed and unexpressed feelings with one another that through this, I think, they had a clarity of who they actually are and accept their flaws and try their best to change, to be a better person for the other. Mr. Darcy realized his flawed pride and tried to humble it down, helping the Bennet's family during the elopement of Mr. Wickham and Lydia to add some redemption for Elizabeth and Elizabeth realizing that her prejudices against Mr. Darcy where exaggerated and were not true which helped her see Mr. Darcy in a better light. Because of this, I think Pride and Prejudice executed their character development well and deserved its reputation as one of the greatest romance classics of all time. 

To end this, might I add some quotes from the book to motivate you to read it: 

β€œIt has been coming on so gradually, that I hardly know when it began.-” 

β€œI cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun.”