Mr. wrote a nice review on why he likes Slaughterhouse-Five. So, I think it’s only fair that while he chugs through Pride and Prejudice, I return the favor.
Why do I like P&P?
Let’s see. My love affair with P&P started around age 11 or 12. The Carnegie Library in Oakland was one of my favorite places to go. I loved the floors and floors of books, the marble floors, the potential. Their children’s books section was much more expansive than the one at my own library and there I happened on P&P for the first time. I am not really sure what it was doing in the children’s book section but it seemed like my style as it had pictures that looked like it would be worth my time (ha ha). I checked it out and started to read. And I hated it. I stopped reading. I returned it. Why did I hate it? Looking back, I think I just didn’t get it. It uses words uncommon in the early 1990s like felicity for happiness. I didn’t know what she was talking about and I think it was a bit over my head. After that, I was like “Ew Jane Austen stinks” until probably around high school when I picked up another Jane Austen book. It could have been Emma. I tend to judge books by their cover and title so I think that was the first one I chose out of the six on the library shelf. I liked it and eventually decided to give P&P another try. With a more expansive vocab and a better understanding of literature in general, I was a much bigger fan the second time around. I mean who can’t laugh at Austen’s sarcasm and irony? Who doesn’t love the love story with all its twists and turns? And of course, I am sure you don’t need a spoiler alert, there is always the happy ending. Who doesn’t want one of those? As a second sister, I could have been Elizabeth Bennett (although I will never concede my older sister to be more attractive than me HA! I will concede that, like Jane, she is nicer.).
Now, I must confess that my love of P&P was greatly helped by the 1996 BBC miniseries starring Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth. Colin Firth is yum-o! in that movie (sorry Mr. you know he is) and they really brought the story to life. Getting those VHS tapes one year for Christmas was the best thing ever (thanks Dad!). I now own the DVDs (again, thanks Dad! And Mr.! who, unknowingly, both got me those DVDs for my b-day in 2008.). Mr. and I are as we speak watching them in tandem with his reading of the novel. Fun times at our house.
Anyways, I think it’s a great read. I was fortunate to be able to read the book for a class in college and it was probably my best paper in all of my four years of college. Even my teacher was surprised at how well it was written and said so (that was not my best class.). All in all, I highly recommend! It’s chick lit from 200 years ago. How could it be bad?
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