Pride and Prejudice

by Jane Austen

Recommended Age: YA (14+ years and above)

Lexile: 1190L

Content Warning(s): Classism, misogyny

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Book Summary

"When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Bingley and her sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever."

My Thoughts

I’ve been wanting to read this for so long, it’s crazy. After all, it’s the Jane Austen novel, the one people call the greatest romance novel of all time. Pride and Prejudice’s reputation truly precedes it. And honestly? I’d say the hype is real.

After hearing so much about this book, I knew it had to be worth something. I first attempted to read this in August 2023. I had it all planned out: it was supposed to be my first book of ninth grade. What an intellectual I thought I was at fourteen! Obviously, that didn’t work out. I don’t know if my 14-year-old brain’s vocabulary just wasn’t that good but I couldn’t actually get through the first 60 pages or so. The lengthy, run-on sentences and flowery prose were a barrier in itself. After about a month of pure struggle, I decided that this was not for me right now. Maybe I’d get to it sometime in the future but definitely not right now.

Here’s a snippet from the review I wrote back in 2023—even though I hadn’t actually finished the book yet. I guess this was my way of “manifesting” a future read:

“...Immersing myself in 1800s England alongside the Bennet sisters and following them on their adventures took time and effort. The writing style or pacing of the story didn't help either, but it was a new experience and certainly expanded my vocabulary. 

I couldn't fully immerse myself into the Regency era, so I decided to abandon it with the hopes of returning to it someday. So it wasn't quite my first book of the school year. After ninth grade had finished, I picked it up from my bookshelf, where it had sat untouched since August, wanting to read it with a more open mind because, with Jane Austen being one of the most famous writers of English literature, I knew there had to be something to Pride and Prejudice that I hadn't discovered yet.

Thankfully, although slowly, the novel became more interesting because as you get used to Austen's writing style and the vocabulary she uses, you can focus on the story more.”

So, flashforward two years later, I don’t know what made me pick it up. The book had sat in my bedside table collecting dust ever since I banished it. But one day, out of nowhere, I was like, “I think I can do this!” And what a difference those two years made! Yes, it took some time to get re-immersed into the Austenesque world, but for the first time, I could actually comprehend what the characters were saying!

Now, after having read it properly, I finally get the hype. The slow-paced life, Lizzie’s stubbornness, and Darcy’s unrelenting awkwardness had this certain charm to it that you just don't read about in books set in the twentieth century. I felt like one of the Bennet sisters, watching from the sidelines and cheering them on.

The best part was I could see the nuances I hadn’t caught initially, which made a world of a difference. I caught onto those tiny mentions of Darcy’s little crush—things I would have completely missed at fourteen and probably would have taken as a sign of his annoyance with Lizzie.

So, if Pride and Prejudice feels too complicated or slow right now, that’s totally fine. Put it down, give it a break. But the only thing I’d say is, don’t write it off forever. Some books are best read when you’re ready for them.