My family - we're lake people. We love to boat, camp, cook and eat outside, etc. This summer I spent in the mountains of Mexico, missing out on all the lake weekends...so naturally I was really excited for Labor Day Weekend with the fam at Milford (the largest lake in Kansas). I had two goals for the weekend, 1. Relax and 2. read Pride and Prejuidice by Jane Austen.
I discovered the classics in middle school, and to this day, David Copperfield and Wuthering Heights are two of my favorite books. I tried reading P&P two or three times, and could never get into it. My sophomore English told us never to force ourselves to read a book (unless, of course, it's for a class assignment) because there are two many good books in the world to fight yourself reading one you'd don't like.
I took that advice to heart, and dropped P&P like a hot rock. Until, that is, I saw the movie.
Even as I write that sentence, it sounds confusing. Like most book lovers, I'm a strong advocate for reading the book before watching the movie. Hollywood just can't adequately portray the same thoughts and ideas that literature can. I've often had my own imagination-born visual images ruined by cinematic representations of some director. Pride and Prejuidice the movie, on the other hand, actually inspired me to trudge through the first 20 pages and get to the meat of the book, which was very rewarding.
P&P is a textbook example of Romantic-Era British Literature. The narrative voice and dialog are extremely formal, the characterization is supurb (from the proud, aloof Mr. Darcy to the stupid, silly Lydia) and the plot line is soap-opera-esque, but it works. It's also a great example of what life was like for women in that time period...I can't say that I envy them!
This definitely is not everyone's favorite book, but if you enjoy the classics, it's a must-read.
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