Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

A fun novel, albeit not my preferred genre. It was my first experience with this story, having never read it or seen any of the film adaptations. In some ways it feels far from my reality – how many of us are wealthy enough to spend all our time socializing? – but in others it’s quite relatable – who hasn’t made a hasty judgement of a new acquaintance only to have a drastic change of opinion after getting to know them better?

Elizabeth was a fun character. I especially enjoyed her witty, angry dialogs; so cutting and yet so proper. I also got a kick out of Mr. Collins’ insufferably loquacious brown-nosing and Mr. Bennet’s disregard for the social requirements of his day.

I didn’t find the themes of wealth and class particularly impactful. Sure, they continue to be relevant today, but when the characters range from rich to super rich, it just doesn’t do as much for me. Other themes – personal change, love, family – resonated more.

All in all, it was an enjoyable read. I always feel a bit more cultured after reading a classic – Austen’s characters would be proud of me.