Pride and Prejudice is my absolute favourite classic! By now I have lost count on the number of times I have read the book and seen it on screen although I have heard it as an audiobook only once (the Librivox production). So when this new audiobook production by Saga Egmont came up for request on NetGalley of course I grabbed at the chance to listen to it and was completely certain I would enjoy it.

Unfortunately, not so.

This audiobook is narrated by Adjoa Andoh who has starred in the Bridgerton series and I just felt she was a wrong choice to narrate the book. Her normal narration voice was very pleasing to listen to but the issue arose when she modulated her voice/pitch and accent for the different characters. Mrs. Bennet, Lydia, Caroline Bingley, Catherine d'Bourgh came off sounding very shrill and it felt they were screeching most of the time while Elizabeth, Mr. Bennet and Darcy sounded too harsh. The book is full of wit and banter between characters but listening to this audiobook it seemed that they were all fighting verbally instead. The overall effect was quite jarring to the ears. At this point, I still prefer the Librivox version narrated by Karen Savage.

My thanks to NetGalley and the audiobook publisher Saga Egmont for the audio ARC.

Rating: ⭐⭐✨

elizabeth and darcy invented enemies to lovers. they literally went from this

n  n    “There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome."
"And your defect is a propensity to hate everybody."
"And yours," he replied with a smile, "is wilfully to misunderstand them.”n  n

to this

n  n    "You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you."n  n

the shift from all that tension, banter and retorts in the first quote to the absolute raw emotion in the second one. 210 years have passed and no one’s managed to top their enemies-to-lovers game.

akjshdjksddsnklasdmlaksn i have severe lizzy-darcy brainrot.

Well, I finally finished this classic novel, by Jane Austen, set in the 18th century, and I have to say it was worth all the time I took to read it. I absolutely loved the main characters, the humor, and most of all the romance. I watched the movie and loved it also, but the book is much more detailed and descriptive.
Definitely a favorite! I highly recommend it to everyone. You won't regret reading this one.

Published in 1813, and dare I say still utterly relevant and compelling today in 2020. I live in a world where almost everything is built on first contact, on first impressions - social media imagery, brash headlines. political soundbites, even book covers! Austin delivers one of the most delightfully appealing and self-aware narrators in Elizabeth Bennett - she of the prejudice, with her often acerbic relationship with - him with the wealth and the good bearing, Fitzwilliam, AKA, Mr Darcy, he of the pride.

A story of first impressions, and in particular first impressions influenced by others and the environment we live in (sound familiar?) What could at first glance be deemed to be a cutting satire of the upper classes merry-go-round of marriage seeking, balls and gossip, is much much more in the hands of Austen. From critical looks at gender inequality, through to the fragility of the male ego (told you it was still relevant) Austen holds court.

But is it a great story? It is indeed, I found my self squealing in glee when good things happened and completely swept up in this drama in a bubble, going on, supposedly whilst Napoleon was tearing Europe apart.

A wonderful, if not the best, example of Austen's trademark mix of realism and humour with dollops of biting irony and social commentary, on top of a compelling and engulfing story, which on paper shouldn't take us away, but does. 9.5 out of 12

Special shout-out to all those that stand by the BBC Pride and Prejudice drama in the GIFs above :)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pride_a...

I can't believe my professor read this 25 times. I am dead inside.

The most overated book in history of literature. The "plot" borders between meaningless and trivial.

I was forced to read the book in 9th grade English class. This was perhaps the most tedious school assignment I've received to date. For several pages a lady remarks to a man about what wonderful handwriting he has. Not exactly gripping material. The entire book seemed to be about hormone-driven marriageable-age creatures trying to outwit each other in word and on the dance floor.

The book itself is bad enough, but to complicate matters, women pledge allegiance not only to the book but also to the gazillion-hour movie.

“

I don't know what to say about Pride and Prejudice, because I've read so many reviews by readers who adore it. I can't match them in any way.

I can only contribute that the book is deceptively complex, the themes of pride, prejudice, class, family, and marriage playing a big role in shaping this story.

Please excuse my lack of ideas. This novel is the work of a person with such a strong mental fortitude that my words of praise ring hollow to me. Jane Austen humbled me with her perception. She is such a fantastic writer.

This is what happens when you write not to please everybody. Disney take note, you bastard. My first 5 star book of the year.

What's that? Mr. Darcy doesn't want to dance at the dance?

Welcome to almost any 8th grade dance. You will find most of the boys playing basketball in the gym while the girls are waiting in the cafeteria for someone with whom to dance.

I was rooting for Mr. Bingley to get away. Maybe he just isn't that into Jane?

The scenes bounce from one scene to another so quickly that it makes my head spin, and I couldn't connect with any of the characters.

Elizabeth spends most of the novel, sitting around complaining about Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley while doing absolutely nothing to better her situation. At least Jay Gatsby did something about his love.....

2025 Reading Schedule
JantA Town Like Alice
FebtBirdsong
MartCaptain Corelli's Mandolin - Louis De Berniere
AprtWar and Peace
MaytThe Woman in White
JuntAtonement
JultThe Shadow of the Wind
AugtJude the Obscure
SeptUlysses
OcttVanity Fair
NovtA Fine Balance
DectGerminal

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2.5

So the other day Elizabeth and I are in the book store and she saw this book, and said she really wanted me to read it. In horror at the thought of reading what I thought was a 'chick book', i immediately countered that she would then have to read one of my favorites: Dune. She agreed!

So I read it, and I have to admit, it was good - damn good. Even though there was a serious lack of any gratuitous violence, I tore through it in several days. Austen is an amazing writer, and has a particular talent for explaining her characters deep motivations (or prejudices) in a few defining sentences.

I think my favorite part of it is the unwinding of Elizabeths' prejudices against Mr Darcy. It is done so slowly and artfully and believably that the reader is completely pulled into the story.

It is a definite period piece - here are a few funny observations:
- Nobody in the book had a job - they all earned income from their estates
- Since nobody had jobs they spent all day gossiping
- People were judged not by what they did for a living but what family they were from and how they behaved in society. Completely different from today!
- Dating was much tougher back then. You needed at least 10 dates to get anywhere, and you probably had to marry in order to go all the way.

Jokes aside, this is a classic, and I highly recommend it for any guy or girl.

Second time around and still a timeless classic!