Pride and Prejudice: A tribute

I got interested in Jane Austen and her books when I was in college and had more time to read classic English literature. I was immediately captivated by both the author and her books. I thought I must pay a tribute to my favourite book as it is 200 years since the "Pride and Prejudice" was published.

I was introduced to " Pride and Prejudice" in my late teens when I was interested in all things romantic and sentimental. What surprised me was the wit and intelligence displayed in the book, which was so lacking in the typical romantic novels of my generation. I have revisited the book several times after that and I have taken something new from it each time I read it.

At the outset it is a great story with a fantastic climax that would appeal to women. Elizabeth Bennet is one of the most interesting heroines that I have come across in my life. The best part is that she is not the usual romantic pretty young lass. She is described as being bold and intelligent, stubborn and independent.

As the story progresses, you get caught in the crossfire of words between Darcy and Lizzie. I think Darcy was the original strong silent hero of romantic fiction. And the heroine gets the chance to display all the chinks in his armour. The reason I think Pride and Prejudice is different is because of the importance given to the characters in the book. Each character is described in detail and given a lot of attention. I especially liked Mr Bennet and loved the description of the father-daughter relationship. I also liked the description of each of the Bennet sisters. Inspite of being siblings each one is so different from the other. The story moves around all the characters and does not just focus on Darcy and Elizabeth all the time.

As a teenager it was so good to finally find one heroine (even if she was a fictional character) who was more interested in books than her looks. While everyone raved about Scarlett O Hara of Gone With The Wind, my favourite was Elizabeth Bennet. I could relate to Elizabeth's frustration with the society's obsession with marriage (just like the Indian society) and settling down.

As a grew older, I was more fascinated with Jane Austen and her style of writing. I was no longer fascinated as much by Darcy as I was in my teens. It is amazing to know that Jane Austen actually led a very restricted life and spent most of her time at her hometown. She wrote amidst the dull dreariness of  her dining room parlour. I still remain a faithful Jane Austen fan.