PRIDE AND PREJUDICE by Jane Austen

I have a confession to make: My name is Kass, I am 45 years old and this is the first time I have read a book by Jane Austen.

I have a confession to make:

My name is Kass, I am 45 years old and this is the first time I have read a book by Jane Austen.

Indeed, I have not even seen the BBC series nor the Keira Knightley film of Pride and Prejudice, which I feel makes it possibly fraudulent to consider myself reasonably well read. It was in this spirit that I decided it was high time I saw what all the fuss was about.

First published in 1813, there is a reason that 210 years later, Pride and Prejudice is still considered a classic. Yes, the language is of its time. Yes, the relationships between men and women, particularly in the romance department, differ from those of modern day.

And yet, Pride and Prejudice has a charm that even I could not resist.

Elizabeth Bennet is, for my money, a legend. A feminist long before feminism had a name, Lizzy is a wonderful example of a young woman of her time who understands that true love often derives from relationships between equals - whether that be intellectual or political. In 1813, there is no chance we could say that Lizzy is the equal of a man politically, but she is intelligent and brave and has the adoration of her father for her mind - no small thing in the early 19th century.

It would be difficult to see a novel such as this working in 2023, in the modern world. Strong, intelligent women are abundant, and proud, over confident men aplenty. I doubt, however, a woman would interact with possible suitors today the way the women of nineteenth century Britain would - there would need to be significant modification to the story to make it work (and as we see often in modern adaptations of these types of books, they lose a little of their charm, even when they’re great!).

I anticipated I might enjoy this novel but I did not expect to love it quite as much as I did.

Pride and Prejudice was a winner for me and wont be the last Austen I’ll read.