Would you recommend this novel to another reader? Consider the lessons it has to offer, its overall readability, its ability to capture one's attention, and its representation as a novel of the Victorian era.
Personally, I would not recommend this book to anyone who has a pulse. I know this is a little harsh, but honestly this book is boring. Yes, I think the story underneath all the access pages is an amazing story. However, in comparing the book with the movie it is clear to say that instead of wasting time reading the whole entire book, you could watch the one and a half hour movie instead. The movie is basically the same thing, but condensed and much more interesting. Its overall readability is easy, but tedious. There are long unnecessary descriptions and conversations that just take away for the novel’s main theme. Even though I was able to finish the novel, it was really hard to read the book without wanting to just fall asleep. Yes, it is a good representation as a novel of the Victorian era, but personally I think all the books I have read about that era are boring. Yes, it does show an important message that it is important to remain true to yourself and never settle for anything less than what you hope to achieve. However, I am a much more visual person, and to me, Kira Knightly is much more captivating in the movie playing Elizabeth then the Elizabeth Jane Austen creates in this novel.
Personally, I'm not a big reader, so I of course would never recommend a book if I knew someone wouldn't like it. With that said, I think it takes a certain personality to enjoy this novel...one that I don't have unfortunately. Like Sara said, I would much rather have just watched the exciting movie instead of reading. I know I should appreciate literature and my ability to read a lot more than I do, but i'm just not sure if i'd recommend this novel to everyone. It was a great representation as a novel of the Victorian Era, well except for Elizabeth's personality, that one wasn't too Victorian.(she was rather independent) I would however, definitely recommend this novel to someone like my mother. Someone who enjoys a good love story with a few twists and turns mixed in. All in all, Yes, I would recommend the novel as a nice read, but certainly not to everyone I know...(I would quickly run out of friends)
I think I would recommend this book to someone who only has short bursts of time to read.
Personally, I liked it, but it is hard to read for long periods of time. The chapters are short, but sometimes the actions slow and it gets hard to shift through all the descriptions and unnecessary conversations.
Then again, someone who only has short time periods in which to read would probably find themselves sort of confused when they pick it back up again. Sometimes, the novel just gets so muddled up in itself that it loses it message. In fact it seems like it's sending so many themes and messages that you're not sure what to take away once you've finished reading. There's the values of not being too prideful, of not relying simply on your first impression, of not judging people on their financial situations. Sometimes it gets to be too much of an ethics lesson.
In general though, it did for the most part capture my opinion. It was very easy to read, which is good because you don't want a challenge when you have so many other projects due. I found most of the characters pretty likeable and interesting. With so many pages, it's hard not to feel as though Jane Austen fully developed them all. I am not usually a fan of happy endings because I find them predictable, but because of Austen's characterization of Elizabeth and Darcy, I found myself cheering for them to end up together at the end.
I'm going to admit that I'm not really sure how to answer the last question (is it a good representation of Victorian novels) because this is the only Victorian novel I've read and it going to be my comparison tool for here on out, so I sure hope it is. Otherwise, I'm going to look like an idiot in future English Lit classes.
If someone were to approach me and say, "Molly, should I read Pride and Prejudice?" I would most likely tell them not to.
I agree fully with Sara's comment, although I haven't watched the movie. At times during the novel, I felt as though it was just dragging on and on and on and on. I was tempted to skip ahead a few pages, certain that I most likely wouldn't miss anything... but I didn't. Ha.
The overall message and theme of the novel was great, but it could have been condensed.. but wait. I guess that's true about EVERY novel. BUT STILL.
Personally, I'm more fond of contemporary works.. Books where words aren't written like they are in the Victorian era. I mean no offense.. I know they understood it back in the day.. but sometimes I just got really confused!!
So in that context, it represents the Victorian era perfectly. It exemplifies the values of society in that day in age.. and if the person said that they were looking for a book that was of that manner, I would definitely recommend it.
But if their tastes were similar to mine, no way jose. Sorry, Ms. Austen!
It took me awhile to get into the book, but once I did I really enjoyed it. I think the part that caught my attention is when Elizabeth realizes that she has been deceived by Wickham and prejudice against Darcy. She says,"Vanity, not love, has been my folly. Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away" (202). I think the book teaches a lesson that is important not to judge one another, for first impressions are not always correct, such as in Wickham and Darcy's case. It also teaches us to not let our own pride get in the way of our relationships with others. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a happy ending while learning moral lessons along the way.
I believe that there is a great story lurking under the 385 pages that I read. However, I probably would not recommend this to anyone was looking for something highly entertaining or an easy read. Personally, this was a difficult read for me, because as Emily said, it was easy to finish 10 chapters a night, but if I took a few days off - I'd be completely lost. I felt that there were also very long descriptions of conversations where not very much happened and it was hard for me to stay focused on something that wasn't necessarily integral to the plot of the novel. I think that the story underneath it all is a good one, but it's been told before - in much more interesting ways...Save the Last Dance anyone? I do think that it did a good job representing Victorian society at the time, where women were seen as prizes to be won and not highly valued in society and also the importance of the social hierarchy that was in place at the time.
THis novel was good, but the only way I would recommend it to someone is if they had a lot of time on their hands and they really enjoyed reading. This novel is very easy to get lost in when you haven't read it for awhile. You have to read back so you can figure out where you left off. Also while reading the novel it is really easy to get off track and be reading, and then forget what you have been reading. THe story line was very good, but I do think that if it were shorter I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
I would recommend future seniors to read this book for their 2nd semester project. And actually, I think it is a good book to read to just be on the bandwagon for great classic books. But I wouldn't recommend it to a person who doesn't like to read and thinks the olden days are boooring. It is very readable, if you ask me. I like how the chapters are short so you can read a little bit each night, but still feel like you read a lot because you got through like 7 chapters in only like 15 pages. Just kidding. Sort of. It caught my attention with all the love triangles, there wasn't just one love story going on, their were multiple ones. And these days, nobody has a 'one track' mind, we have to have the TV on while we type on our laptop and listen to music. So I like the different, yet similar story lines going on. And lastly, the representation of the Victorian era is captured perfectly. But the reason it is slightly boring, is because not a lot went on back then as compared to now. Their lifetime is soo different then ours, it's not even funny.
Ok, and now lastly, I like that romantic, love-finds-a-way message the novel left us with. Because thats a lesson I hope everyone learns, we need more love in the world. :)
I would not recommend this book to others. I read the book first and then watched the movie because people say that the book is always better than the movie. But I would have to disagree with this one. The book was a little bit too detailed for me. I sometimes would have to re-read chapters because I had forgotten what had happened. I often would catch myself drifting off, thinking of others things. Though I had a hard time getting through the novel (like Jane Eyre) I enjoyed the ending. The overall theme is a great life lesson. It teaches us that our pride and prejudice can keep us from entering into new relationships and new adventures. It does represent the Victorian era well because of its description of social status and the importance of being married. At the same time the novel contrasts the Victorian era with Elizabeth and her independent and opinionated ways.
Although this book does teach a good lesson, I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone else either. It's a book that really drags you along, and there were times where I felt like I would just rather eat the book then actually read it. HA...of course. Anyway...the movie is a lot better. I would, however, recommend that to someone. It's a very cute love story, and it does teach a good lesson, but it's just better kept in Hollywood than on paper. The movie doesn't go on and on and on like the book does, and it doesn't make you want to pull out your hair sometimes. Hollywood brings out the best descriptions of the characters, especially Elizabeth. They make her even more vivid and vivacious than Jane Austen, and it just makes the story a whole lot more interesting. I guess watching the movie first just kind of put my expectations high, but instead I set myself up for disappointment.
I love love love reading. I think nearly every book is way better than the movie. I never saw this movie so I don’t know which I would like better but I probably wouldn’t recommend this because I thought it was sort of dull, and slow but I think I also would because its one of those books EVERYONE has to read at least once. If you never have read this book.. you haven’t completed…. Like.. highschool?? And like Sam said.. a good lesson is that first impressions are not always true.. or maybe people can change?? Idk that’s iffy.
I would only recommend this book if that person had a lot of tolerance for these kinds of books. On the other hand I do think that this is a book that everyone should at least read once in their lives or else no one would learn about the classics. I think that it is an age old romantic novel. Something about it captures you but in the kind of way that makes you want to read like 2-3 pages a week. I feel that way about Little Women too. Everyone has to read it but you can take as long as you like because the way it's written is predictable. On that note I will leave with a very funny quote I found at the back of my book by Ralph Waldo Emerson "I am at a loss to understand why people hold Miss Austen's novels at so high a rate, which seem to me vulgar in tone, sterile in artistic invention, imprisoned in their wretched conventions of English society, without genius, wit, or knowledge of the world. Never was life so pinched and narrow....Suicide is more respectable." -from his Journal (1861)
For someone with my reading taste, I honestly wouldn't recommend this book. I felt that it took me a long time to actually start to enjoy the novel. It started out really slow, which made me want to read it less and less. I'll admit that once the plot thickened I began to like it a lot more. It taught a lot of valuable life lessons. However, I really didn't like the way they were taught. It seemed too old fashioned for me. Which answers the question of whether or not it's a good representation of the Victorian era - it most definitely is. It talks alot about the marriage situations and customs from that era. I also felt that Jane Austen went way too far in depth with scenes that really didn't matter. It could've been condensed a lot more to make it an easier read. Overall it was a cute, romantic read that taught a valuable lesson. But personally it was hard for me to read with my short attention span - so I wouldn't recommend it.
13 comments:
Personally, I would not recommend this book to anyone who has a pulse. I know this is a little harsh, but honestly this book is boring. Yes, I think the story underneath all the access pages is an amazing story. However, in comparing the book with the movie it is clear to say that instead of wasting time reading the whole entire book, you could watch the one and a half hour movie instead. The movie is basically the same thing, but condensed and much more interesting. Its overall readability is easy, but tedious. There are long unnecessary descriptions and conversations that just take away for the novel’s main theme. Even though I was able to finish the novel, it was really hard to read the book without wanting to just fall asleep. Yes, it is a good representation as a novel of the Victorian era, but personally I think all the books I have read about that era are boring. Yes, it does show an important message that it is important to remain true to yourself and never settle for anything less than what you hope to achieve. However, I am a much more visual person, and to me, Kira Knightly is much more captivating in the movie playing Elizabeth then the Elizabeth Jane Austen creates in this novel.
Mmmm....
Personally, I'm not a big reader, so I of course would never recommend a book if I knew someone wouldn't like it. With that said, I think it takes a certain personality to enjoy this novel...one that I don't have unfortunately. Like Sara said, I would much rather have just watched the exciting movie instead of reading. I know I should appreciate literature and my ability to read a lot more than I do, but i'm just not sure if i'd recommend this novel to everyone. It was a great representation as a novel of the Victorian Era, well except for Elizabeth's personality, that one wasn't too Victorian.(she was rather independent) I would however, definitely recommend this novel to someone like my mother. Someone who enjoys a good love story with a few twists and turns mixed in. All in all, Yes, I would recommend the novel as a nice read, but certainly not to everyone I know...(I would quickly run out of friends)
I think I would recommend this book to someone who only has short bursts of time to read.
Personally, I liked it, but it is hard to read for long periods of time. The chapters are short, but sometimes the actions slow and it gets hard to shift through all the descriptions and unnecessary conversations.
Then again, someone who only has short time periods in which to read would probably find themselves sort of confused when they pick it back up again. Sometimes, the novel just gets so muddled up in itself that it loses it message. In fact it seems like it's sending so many themes and messages that you're not sure what to take away once you've finished reading. There's the values of not being too prideful, of not relying simply on your first impression, of not judging people on their financial situations. Sometimes it gets to be too much of an ethics lesson.
In general though, it did for the most part capture my opinion. It was very easy to read, which is good because you don't want a challenge when you have so many other projects due. I found most of the characters pretty likeable and interesting. With so many pages, it's hard not to feel as though Jane Austen fully developed them all. I am not usually a fan of happy endings because I find them predictable, but because of Austen's characterization of Elizabeth and Darcy, I found myself cheering for them to end up together at the end.
I'm going to admit that I'm not really sure how to answer the last question (is it a good representation of Victorian novels) because this is the only Victorian novel I've read and it going to be my comparison tool for here on out, so I sure hope it is. Otherwise, I'm going to look like an idiot in future English Lit classes.
If someone were to approach me and say, "Molly, should I read Pride and Prejudice?" I would most likely tell them not to.
I agree fully with Sara's comment, although I haven't watched the movie. At times during the novel, I felt as though it was just dragging on and on and on and on. I was tempted to skip ahead a few pages, certain that I most likely wouldn't miss anything... but I didn't. Ha.
The overall message and theme of the novel was great, but it could have been condensed.. but wait. I guess that's true about EVERY novel. BUT STILL.
Personally, I'm more fond of contemporary works.. Books where words aren't written like they are in the Victorian era. I mean no offense.. I know they understood it back in the day.. but sometimes I just got really confused!!
So in that context, it represents the Victorian era perfectly. It exemplifies the values of society in that day in age.. and if the person said that they were looking for a book that was of that manner, I would definitely recommend it.
But if their tastes were similar to mine, no way jose. Sorry, Ms. Austen!
It took me awhile to get into the book, but once I did I really enjoyed it. I think the part that caught my attention is when Elizabeth realizes that she has been deceived by Wickham and prejudice against Darcy. She says,"Vanity, not love, has been my folly. Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away" (202). I think the book teaches a lesson that is important not to judge one another, for first impressions are not always correct, such as in Wickham and Darcy's case. It also teaches us to not let our own pride get in the way of our relationships with others. I recommend this book to anyone who likes a happy ending while learning moral lessons along the way.
I believe that there is a great story lurking under the 385 pages that I read. However, I probably would not recommend this to anyone was looking for something highly entertaining or an easy read. Personally, this was a difficult read for me, because as Emily said, it was easy to finish 10 chapters a night, but if I took a few days off - I'd be completely lost. I felt that there were also very long descriptions of conversations where not very much happened and it was hard for me to stay focused on something that wasn't necessarily integral to the plot of the novel. I think that the story underneath it all is a good one, but it's been told before - in much more interesting ways...Save the Last Dance anyone? I do think that it did a good job representing Victorian society at the time, where women were seen as prizes to be won and not highly valued in society and also the importance of the social hierarchy that was in place at the time.
THis novel was good, but the only way I would recommend it to someone is if they had a lot of time on their hands and they really enjoyed reading. This novel is very easy to get lost in when you haven't read it for awhile. You have to read back so you can figure out where you left off. Also while reading the novel it is really easy to get off track and be reading, and then forget what you have been reading. THe story line was very good, but I do think that if it were shorter I would have enjoyed it a lot more.
I would recommend future seniors to read this book for their 2nd semester project. And actually, I think it is a good book to read to just be on the bandwagon for great classic books. But I wouldn't recommend it to a person who doesn't like to read and thinks the olden days are boooring. It is very readable, if you ask me. I like how the chapters are short so you can read a little bit each night, but still feel like you read a lot because you got through like 7 chapters in only like 15 pages. Just kidding. Sort of. It caught my attention with all the love triangles, there wasn't just one love story going on, their were multiple ones. And these days, nobody has a 'one track' mind, we have to have the TV on while we type on our laptop and listen to music. So I like the different, yet similar story lines going on. And lastly, the representation of the Victorian era is captured perfectly. But the reason it is slightly boring, is because not a lot went on back then as compared to now. Their lifetime is soo different then ours, it's not even funny.
Ok, and now lastly, I like that romantic, love-finds-a-way message the novel left us with. Because thats a lesson I hope everyone learns, we need more love in the world. :)
I would not recommend this book to others. I read the book first and then watched the movie because people say that the book is always better than the movie. But I would have to disagree with this one. The book was a little bit too detailed for me. I sometimes would have to re-read chapters because I had forgotten what had happened. I often would catch myself drifting off, thinking of others things. Though I had a hard time getting through the novel (like Jane Eyre) I enjoyed the ending. The overall theme is a great life lesson. It teaches us that our pride and prejudice can keep us from entering into new relationships and new adventures. It does represent the Victorian era well because of its description of social status and the importance of being married. At the same time the novel contrasts the Victorian era with Elizabeth and her independent and opinionated ways.
Although this book does teach a good lesson, I probably wouldn't recommend it to anyone else either. It's a book that really drags you along, and there were times where I felt like I would just rather eat the book then actually read it. HA...of course. Anyway...the movie is a lot better. I would, however, recommend that to someone. It's a very cute love story, and it does teach a good lesson, but it's just better kept in Hollywood than on paper. The movie doesn't go on and on and on like the book does, and it doesn't make you want to pull out your hair sometimes. Hollywood brings out the best descriptions of the characters, especially Elizabeth. They make her even more vivid and vivacious than Jane Austen, and it just makes the story a whole lot more interesting. I guess watching the movie first just kind of put my expectations high, but instead I set myself up for disappointment.
I love love love reading. I think nearly every book is way better than the movie. I never saw this movie so I don’t know which I would like better but I probably wouldn’t recommend this because I thought it was sort of dull, and slow but I think I also would because its one of those books EVERYONE has to read at least once. If you never have read this book.. you haven’t completed…. Like.. highschool?? And like Sam said.. a good lesson is that first impressions are not always true.. or maybe people can change?? Idk that’s iffy.
I would only recommend this book if that person had a lot of tolerance for these kinds of books. On the other hand I do think that this is a book that everyone should at least read once in their lives or else no one would learn about the classics. I think that it is an age old romantic novel. Something about it captures you but in the kind of way that makes you want to read like 2-3 pages a week. I feel that way about Little Women too. Everyone has to read it but you can take as long as you like because the way it's written is predictable. On that note I will leave with a very funny quote I found at the back of my book by Ralph Waldo Emerson "I am at a loss to understand why people hold Miss Austen's novels at so high a rate, which seem to me vulgar in tone, sterile in artistic invention, imprisoned in their wretched conventions of English society, without genius, wit, or knowledge of the world. Never was life so pinched and narrow....Suicide is more respectable." -from his Journal (1861)
For someone with my reading taste, I honestly wouldn't recommend this book. I felt that it took me a long time to actually start to enjoy the novel. It started out really slow, which made me want to read it less and less. I'll admit that once the plot thickened I began to like it a lot more. It taught a lot of valuable life lessons. However, I really didn't like the way they were taught. It seemed too old fashioned for me. Which answers the question of whether or not it's a good representation of the Victorian era - it most definitely is. It talks alot about the marriage situations and customs from that era. I also felt that Jane Austen went way too far in depth with scenes that really didn't matter. It could've been condensed a lot more to make it an easier read. Overall it was a cute, romantic read that taught a valuable lesson. But personally it was hard for me to read with my short attention span - so I wouldn't recommend it.
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