Pride and Prejudice Soapbox: Chapters 6-15

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This past reading of Pride and Prejudice has been pretty entertaining!

Loves

The one thing that strikes me as I move forward is how practical Pride and Prejudice is. I can see why Jane Austen is known as the observer of life. Her casting of characters are timeless, and the fact that women of all ages are still talking of the same things says something. I find that every characters' 'extremes' in this novel are so quirky that they feels realistic. 

I think what I'm loving most, at the moment, is the crackling (hilarious) tension between Lizzy and Darcy. I mean, it's brilliant. Darcy seems a study in being unable to resist someone on the fact that they perplex you. He's experiencing love for the first time, I gather, and seems to have no bearing on how to deal with person to person contact. The way he analyzes every move, his own and Lizzy's, I wanted to jump in his face and say, 'Dude, please chill out. If you like Lizzy, have a normal conversation, and stop being so cocktastic (my version of egotistical) to her!' I also couldn't help but be drawn into his preoccupation with Lizzy, and 'the pleasure which a pair of fine eyes in the face of a pretty woman can bestow.' Who knew you had it in you Dars'! Now if you would just express this to Lizzy, you might have a chance. Shruggs.

Lizzie and Jane
The Lizzie Bennet Diaries

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Lizzy, on the other hand, is a woman after my own heart. This novel's so ravenously popular that she must be a person after everyone's heart! She's relaxed, and yet very strong willed. What with Darcy's pretentious attitude, I couldn't help but root her along whenever they came in contact with each other. When she rejects his invitation to dance, CLASSIC (In your face, 'Mr. Smiles affect my mood!'). Especially when she mocks him right in front of his face...that's courage! And the way she stands her ground against Miss Bingley, and others as they seeks to break her...beautiful. Lizzie and Jane's relationship warmed my heart!!!

Mr. Bennet is also a favorite of mine. It's almost as if he's there, but not there mentally. Surrounded by a host  of crazed females, Jane and Lizzy aside, he retreats to his novels and his study. He's constantly undermining them to their faces, its pretty funny. It's almost as if he's shaking his head at them as we are.

Jane and Bingley...what can be said for them save that they are adorable? I gather they must be the most pleasant relationship in the novel!

Thoroughly Disdained

Dear Mrs. Bennet, it is quite okay to be an adroit saleswoman, just not when it comes to your darling daughters! The way she is with Collins, and really any man who seeks to take her daughters' hand, it's like please calm down, Miss. RELAX! You don't run a brothel!

Miss Bingley was humorously unbearable. Her desire for Darcy is all but written all over her face, and instead of dealing with it with dignity, she jumps into every conversation, tries to manipulate people, thinks she's seriously over everyones radar, when I'm sure everyone can see her deal. This is the only instance when I felt sorry for Darcy...especially as he's trying to read his book, and she keeps interrupting...I'm like girl, do you really think you're doing anything now excepting making him frustrated with you? And when she realizes that Darcy is just a bit too fascinated by the unfit, Lizzy...look out.

Mid Range

Collins. He's the one person I'm not very sure about. After seeing so many ridiculous portrayals of him in films, I just knew he would end up Thoroughly Disdained. But instead, I just find him a bit 'doofy', if I may. He's seems as if he's trying too hard in everything. A bit boring, but nothing to think him a bad person about. The only thing that pricked my nerves about him was his motive in trying to make things right with the Bennet family masking his true desire for a wife. Come clean, sir. We all can see it! Oh, and the fact that he's so fickle. How is it so easy for him to jump from one sister in his affections, to the next? You really just want a woman, is that it, Mr. Collins? (Let me stop, before he becomes Thoroughly Disdained)

Lydia. She's crazy. She's needs to be reigned in, but with this in mind I can't hate her! Plus, I think no matter what happens I'll always look at her the way I look at the portrayal of her in The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. Adore!

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That's been my Pride and Prejudice Soap Box! Stay tuned next week for chapters 16-25. If you haven't already, catch the start of my Soapboxes. Looking forward to it!

Pride and Prejudice Soapbox: Chapters 1 through 5

Pride and Prejudice Soapbox is a feature on Novel Days where I chronicle my experiences as I read it through for the first time. 

There may be spoilers.

 

NOTE: I actually posted this at my inspiration blog, Forelsket, around 2 years ago, believing myself to be the only English Major who had yet to read Pride and Prejudice. Last week, I stumbled upon The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, a modern recreation of Pride and Prejudice created by the awesome Hank Green (John Green's brother and fellow Nerdfighter), in the form of weekly Youtube Vlogs. They are FANTASTIC, clever, and hilarious. Ladies and Gent's, please subscribe. Anyway, I digress...this wonderful recreation made me want to delve back into Lizzie's world once more, and finally finish one of the most highly regarded novels in existence.

This one's been a long time coming! I think I must be the only English Major, and Austen fan, who has never read Pride and Prejudice. It's sad, but it has been hailed so many times that it has lessened my desire to read it all the way through. Everyone fawns over the infamous Mr. Darcy, as if he truly is God's gift to male protagonists. I shake my head, and hope to feel the same way by the time I'm through.

I bought the Vintage Classics edition! When I first noticed the absence of an introduction or preface by a scholar, I was a bit taken a back, but then that's the beauty of this edition. Being an English major, my whole library is filled with books that have note upon note by scholars that tell you how to read, and that's fine...sometimes. Other times, its best to read a novel as it was read in the time of publication, unswayed by 'scholarly' opinion.

Loves:

-Language: One thing we can all agree on is Jane's awesome usage of language. I often read classic works aloud just to capture a sense of the art behind the words. Can you imagine calling every one you know Mr. and Mrs. (Miss)...? Or referring to insensitive jerks as 'a most disagreeable, horrid man, not at all worth pleasing. So high and so conceited that there was no enduring him!'? We think we're insulting people by cursing them out. I think not. Further more, there's something quite elegant, romantic, and kind of fun in speaking properly. What would the world be like if we returned to this manner?

- Sisters, Mothers, and Girlfriends: In most Jane Austen novels, you get a great sense of how she valued the relationships she had with her sister, her mother, and friends. I love reading about how they stuck together, and relied on each other. It seems they had a better picture of how to appreciate one another, instead of tearing each other down (in most cases). I will say, though that on first read, Mrs. Bennet is quite meddlesome, and irritating. I find I get on more with Mr. Bennet, who seems very settled, very chill.

- Balls/Parties: Who doesn't like a good ball? I think every woman, whether she's read the novels or not, loves the movies, just to gaze in awe at the costumes, the flowing gowns, ribbons, and romance of it all. Lets not forget the line dancing!

- Bingley: He seems adorable. Fun, embracing of life, curious. He seems like the type of guy to fall in love, and you know he'll be faithful. It's lovely that he has his eyes set on dear Jane! I'm waiting for Darcy to try and ruin it!

Thoroughly disdained:

-DARCY. I'm sure he's only this way in the beginning. I'm sure you'll have 101 reasons why I should reconsider, but he's sooooo awful right now. Cocky, rude, the whole bit. How does a person get invited to an event by a friend, and look his nose down at everyone? A person of such 'high breed' should know better. How does one say, 'No one here is good enough to know?' That sucks! This line did it for me: "Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much.' How is this even possible? I think you really have to be full of yourself to note smiling as a deal breaker.

-Mrs. Bennet: I just think that she needs to relax a little.

So far, so good, with my first five chapters! Stay tuned next week for my Soapbox covering chapters 6 through 15.

Source: Quotations: Pride and Prejudice | We Heart It

Oh and before you go, here is the first episode of The Lizzie Bennet Diaries, just for reading through my soapbox! Enjoy!