Summary
One of the most universally loved and admired English novels, Pride and Prejudice, was penned as a popular entertainment. But the consummate artistry of Jane Austin (1775-1817) transformed this effervescent tale of rural romance into a witty, shrewdly observed satire of English country life that is now regarded as one of the principal treasures of English literature. In a remote Hertfordshire village, far off the good coach roads of George III's England, a country squire of no great means must marry off his five vivacious daughters. At the heart of this all-consuming enterprise are his headstrong second daughter Elizabeth Bennet and her aristocratic suitor Fitzwilliam Darcy--two lovers whose pride must be humbled and prejudices dissolved before the novel can come to its splendid conclusion.
The Mind's Eye is a testament to the complexity of vision and the brain and to the power of creativity and adaptation. And it provides a whole new perspective on the power of language and communication, as we try to imagine what it is to see with another person's eyes, or another person's mind.
The Mind's Eye is a testament to the complexity of vision and the brain and to the power of creativity and adaptation. And it provides a whole new perspective on the power of language and communication, as we try to imagine what it is to see with another person's eyes, or another person's mind.
Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice (Dover Publications Inc, New York, 1995 ). 262 pages
Personal Opinion
Delightful narrative! I so very much enjoyed this classic, that reflecting now, I should've read many years ago. This is mainly the story of the Bennet household, a couple with five daughters and a mother whose single goal in life is to arrange marriages for their daughters with wealthy men to ensure their future. The characters, the language and the dialogues are simply alluring and make the novel entertaining and captivating, a total treasure.
The story includes an amazing collection of relatable characters that will keep you engaged while giving you a picture of the lives and tribulations of another time (18th century England), especially of women: the nice, the sassy, the ridiculous, the superficial, the generous, the authentic, the wicked, the privileged, and most importantly the proud and the prejudiced are part of this well-woven plot. Perhaps it can be viewed as a satire of the times and the excessive preoccupation with security (marriage of convenience) or it is simply a love story for all times enjoyed by those of us who yearn for romantic love. Oh, Mr. Darcy, where art thou? It is also the story of a woman (Elizabeth) ahead of her time, smart, confident, eloquent and assertive, but mostly a woman determined to stand her ground and live her life on her own terms and marry for love, that Mr. Darcy was immensely rich didn't hurt a bit. A must read.
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My score (1-5):
About the Author:
Jane Austin, (16 December 1775 – 18 July 1817) was an English novelist known primarily for her six major novels, which interpret, critique and comment upon the British landed gentry at the end of the 18th century. Austen's plots often explore the dependence of women on marriage in the pursuit of favorable social standing and economic security. Her works critique the novels of sensibility of the second half of the 18th century and are part of the transition to 19th-century literary realism.With the publications of Sense and Sensibility (1811), Pride and Prejudice (1813), Mansfield Park (1814) and Emma (1815), she achieved success as a published writer. She wrote two additional novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, both published posthumously in 1818, and began another, eventually titled Sanditon, but died before its completion. Her novels have rarely been out of print, although they were published anonymously and brought her little fame during her lifetime.
A significant transition in her posthumous reputation occurred in 1833, when her novels were republished in Richard Bentley's Standard Novels series, illustrated by Ferdinand Pickering, and sold as a set. They gradually gained wider acclaim and popular readership. In 1869, fifty-two years after her death, her nephew's publication of A Memoir of Jane Austen introduced a compelling version of her writing career and supposedly uneventful life to an eager audience.
Austen has inspired a large number of critical essays and literary anthologies. Her novels have inspired many films, from 1940's Pride and Prejudice to more recent productions like Sense and Sensibility (1995) and Love & Friendship (2016).
Jane Austen's use of biting irony, along with her realism and social commentary, has earned her great and historical importance to critics and scholars.
Source: Wikipedia
