Pride and Prejudice

Short review: I have not previously read anything by Jane Austen. It is hard to not know the basic story line given that there are several movie versions and this is one of the most popular novels in history. But I was surprised how much I enjoyed it. I have been trying to read through a number of classics over the past 18 months or so and I think I have disliked as many or more than I have liked. But this is one I liked.

My full review is on my blog at http://bookwi.se/pride-prejudice-jane-austen/

[Listened to the audiobook narrated by Kate Beckinsale.]

Wow. Oh wow. I did not expect to love this as much as I did.

Late last year, I read Pride by Ibi Zoboi. Prior to reading it, I stated that if I didn't enjoy it I would read the actual Pride & Prejudice for comparison. (Spoiler Alert: I didn't enjoy it.)

This was my first ever audiobook that I was able to listen to in full, which I think helped me to understand Austen's very formal writing. I loved Elizabeth and Darcy (aka the original enemies-to-lovers blueprint), the Bennet sisters, the drama and the unexpected humor. This was a great read, and I will definitely be checking out Austen's other works!

Edit: I'm raising this from four stars to five stars because I've had many revelations about this novel over the past few days and also Mr. Darcy is autistic because I (an autistic person) said so.

I just can't continue with this. I thought I could finish it, but then I realised I had almost another 30 chapters to go and that thought wasn't a pleasant one. Another 30 more chapters of nothingness. No thank you. At this point I knew it was time to stop. Austen just really isn't for me, that much is clear. The only other book I've read by her is [b:Emma 6969 Emma Jane Austen https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1373627931s/6969.jpg 3360164], which not only bored me to tears but I also found infuriating. So I guess Pride and Prejudice was a slight improvement over that, as I'd only describe it as dull, nothing more. I know others find Austen's characters entertaining, endearing etc. but as I hadn't felt any of that so far in the book it seemed very unlikely that I ever would. Well at least this audiobook fulfilled it's purpose as a distraction on an extremely long journey, but since then I've had no desire to listen further.On a side note, if you are an Austen fan, I'd highly recommend this free libravox audiobook, because the narrator was fantastic and very clear. Despite my indifference to the story, her voice was very easy to listen to.