Hi Dollies! 

After my last review, some of you requested I review some 'classic books' and I immediately thought, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen! Just this year, it was one of my school texts for my comparative study with Letters to Alice: On First Reading Jane Austen by Fay Weldon.

I’ll be honest, I knew there was a lot of hype about it so I was surprised when I wasn’t as gobsmacked as I’d expected myself to be after the first reading. The language was a little tricky to get used to and I found reading tedious. To be fair though, I was rushing with a short deadline and I had the pressure of school breathing down my neck.

During my second reading, things started to ‘click’ more. I grew accustomed to the characteristics of Regency England, and my classes pushed me to discover more. Patience is key. Satire was a word I heard constantly and I began to notice it myself as I continued to read and re-read. Jane Austen is special in the way she accurately recounts the trivial details of everyday life but also how she subtly comments on its flaws.

I also find it fascinating how Austen can make characters so authentic in the context, many so annoying and yet admittedly loveable at the same time (I’m looking at you Mrs. Bennet, possibly Mr. Collins too). Her writing is cleverly ambiguous and hard to decide with certainty what Austen is trying to express with this text. Great for discussions. I can’t even begin to describe how her unique work has impacted the world.

Stay on the lookout for my next review on Letters to Alice, and as always, I’m open to suggestions on what to review next!

Take care,

♡ Joanne