“It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of good fortune must be after a wife.”
Jane Austen is a great name in literature, his classics are world famous and acclaimed. Pride and Prejudice it is the second book released by the author, but because it is the most commented (and adapted), it is usually the work with which everyone starts their readings of this author.
This highlight that Pride and Prejudice have is no accident, it's by far the best classic I've read. Set in the 19th century, a time when families needed to maintain their status in society, Austen shows us the difficulties that women born outside of noble births suffered.
narrated by Elizabeth Bennet, we get to know his peculiar family better. His mother is an eccentric and even a little classless woman, his father a jokester who doesn't care much for society and his four sisters, just Jane, the eldest, knows how to behave properly in public.
The plot starts when Charles Bingley, a well-resourced knight from a good family, arrives in town. Bingley arrives to spend a season at his mansion, accompanied by his sisters and their friend, Mr. Darcy. All single women (and their mothers) keep an eye on the new single, but this one quickly takes an interest in Jane. At one of the balls, Lizzie meets the proud Mr.Darcy and shows us that the first impressions are the ones that remain in this work, starting to hate him because of a moment of rudeness on his part.
Austen uses the title to make up the characters' personalities. Elizabeth easily represents prejudice, while Mr. Darcy is, without a doubt, the representation of pride. But these traits quickly prove to be everywhere, the entire society is ruled by Pride and Prejudice. The evidence is even greater when Mr.Darcy begins to show interest in Elizabeth, even considering it wrong, since he is from a noble family and she is an ordinary young woman.
At first glance, it seems a bit of a cliché novel, but the depth of the plot quickly makes us change our minds. Darcy's arrogance makes Lizzie see a selfish and even cruel character in him, which prevents her from seeing his feelings for her. At the same time, we see some bad choices from the Bennets and some characters turning out not to be as good as they appear to be, further highlighting the difficulty of this relationship and Darcy's personality.
As we progress in reading, we fall more and more in love with the characters and it becomes more difficult to put the book down. The subtlety with which the protagonists' relationship changes, as they get to know each other better, completely grips us and we want to see the outcome of this story soon. At the same time, we ended up doing a little self-analysis, thinking about our own pride and prejudices.
I believe that Pride and Prejudice be one of those works that everyone should read, a classic that doesn't get outdated. For those who haven't read or seen any of the millions of adaptations, I advise you to read before watching so you don't spoil the experience. I also suggest that you give preference to watching the BBC series, from 1995, with JEnnifer Ehle and Colin Firth. For me, the best of all adapted works.