How can I tell how much I love this novel! First I wanted to try Jane Austen's works because my favorite author JK.Rowling once said in an interview "Jane Austen is the pinnacle to which all other authors aspire" and yes she is right ..Jane is too good an author that I enjoy reading every page and every line..Never I felt it boring.
Unlike the last novel ,Life of PI in which the story was told using 2 characters - Pi and Richard Parker(the tiger),this novel is full of varied characters from Mrs.Bennet ,a foolish woman who is obsessed of getting her daughters married in most remarkable way irrespective of how agreeable it is.Her favorite daughter Lydia as silly as her mother who elopes with imprudent Wichkam and the self-conceited Collins whose role attributes to comedy in many parts of the story. Elizabeth ,the heroine darling of the story who impresses the readers through her quick wits ,expressiveness and liveliness and not to leave Darcy who hates being officious , formal and poor in socializing thereby perceived as proud and satirical by the society.
"Darcy, who never looks at any woman but to see a blemish," says Elizabeth's father once.
The novel starts as "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife "
(which made me shrug :) ) and this implied that this is going to be a funny story about some distasteful logic of "getting-married" . It ended telling that marriages are not to be decided in haste with false impressions and prejudices.
The story contains the matching story of 4 couples.
1.Wedding between Lydia and Wickham -about how not to be married .Both of them prejudice each other because of their youth,glamor and vivacity and getting married.
2.Wedding between Jane and Bingley -Both soft-natured ,too good to think ill of others, fall in love .Binlgey ,easily influenced by his friend Darcy and their love is not strong enough to stand against the external influences(Darcy and Bingley's sisters) .Yet they both understand each other in the end and get married.
3.Wedding between Elizabeth and Darcy - This is the best match where they stand in extremes for their prejudices in the beginning.and Darcy getting attracted to the liveliness of Elizabeth and they both take time to understand each other to get rid off their false impressions and then fall in love
and the fourth one between Collins and Charlotte which is done for financial security and just for the sake of that matrimonial status rather than love or affection.
Interesting parts of the story are Collin's proposal to Elizabeth lol..and the reasons he explains why Elizabeth cant refuse him are really hilarious when we feel how Lizzy would have got irritated.
`You must give me leave to flatter myself, my dear cousin, that your refusal of my addresses is merely words of course. My reasons for believing it are briefly these: -- It does not appear to me that my hand is unworthy your acceptance, or that the establishment I can offer would be any other than highly desirable. My situation in life, my connections with the family of De Bourgh, and my relationship to your own, are circumstances highly in its favor; and you should take it into farther consideration that in spite of your manifold attractions, it is by no means certain that another offer of marriage may ever be made you. Your portion is unhappily so small that it will in all likelihood undo the effects of your loveliness and amiable qualifications"
And the next Darcy's ,(the real romantically-challenged)..proposal to Elizabeth..
`In vain have I struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.''
How could he expect Elizabeth to accept such a proposal !!
Elizabeth - "why with so evident a desire of offending and insulting me, you chose to tell me that you liked me against your will, against your reason, and even against your character? "
Oh..how would I say that it reminded me of "the letter" which had bullet points that why he should not love me and ended with, despite that he loved me.There can not be more insult.
This rejection do quite a change in Darcy's temper and pride which in turn changes Elizabeth's feelings and hatred for him later.
"How despicably have I acted!' she (Elizabeth) cried. - 'I, who have prided myself on my discernment! - I, who have valued myself on my abilities!." .
I liked the next proposal of Darcy in the end.I can really imagine how much it would have taken for a man like Darcy to ask again.
"If your feelings are still what they were last April, tell me so at once.My affections and wishes are unchanged, but one word from you will silence me on this subject for ever."
The best thing about this novel is that though it had a requirement to tell the emotions and feelings of everyone, it is not narrated directly but told under the surface through the characters.Overall this 18th century literature is a good read ,a happy end and feels good at heart and the crush on Elizabeth will surely last for few more days :)
About Jane Austen , I agree with Pangali's saying once "Most British Authors have that flair of writing in witty style and have a good caustic humor and sarcastic narration "
