Dad Reviews Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a silly man in possession of a mediocre opinion must be in want of an audience.

Book Cover

Before I get to the review, I want to say a few things about misogyny in the American education system. None of my thoughts on the connection between Pride and Prejudice and this topic are original. My authority on this subject is less than that most people reading this review; however, I feel publishing a review for this book without addressing this topic would be dishonest, disrespectful, irresponsible, and careless.

As I expected, Pride and Prejudice is one of the best books I have ever read. While reading it, I kept thinking about the absurdity of Jane Austen not being a U.S. high school English literature curriculum staple like Shakespeare, Dickens, Golding, Orwell, Bradbury, and Steinbeck. Only an idiot would think any of their writing is more approachable to a modern-day teenager than Pride and Prejudice. (1) Jane Austen's jokes are still funny, (2) her story is about things high schoolers can relate to, and (3) her social commentary still matters.1 She belongs at the top of the list if we want high schoolers to read books that are 60+ years old.2

As I read Pride and Prejudice, I reflected on how the only book I was assigned in high school written by a woman was Frankenstein.3 Why did Pride and Prejudice never make the cut? Was it because we believe the boys will reject it and girls will choose to read it on their own? Was it because Romance is a lesser genre and somebody was making sure our education focused on less frivolous things like...reading a romantic drama that ends with a double suicide? I could keep listing reasons4 and they would all probably be true in one way or another, but the simple answer is sexism.

A consequence of this instance of sexism is that I did not discover my love for romance novels until my late 20s.5 Would reading Jane Austen in 11th grade English have changed that? We will never know. It is abhorrent that we cannot move past this concept of books written by women being for women and books written by men being for everybody. We never will get past it if we only assign books written by men in high schools.

One thing was abundantly clear to me upon finishing Pride and Prejudice. If we assigned high school literary based solely on merit Pride and Prejudice would be assigned in every school.

Medium Used: 95% Hardcover Barnes & Noble Classics Edition6 5% ebook via Hoopla

Ratings out of 5

Overall Rating: 💜💜💜💜💜

Sweetness Level: 🍫🍫🍫🍫🍫

Steam Heat Level: 🔥🔥7

FMC Likability: 💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻💃🏻

MMC Likability: 📜📜📜📜📜

Plot Engagement: 🐎🐎🐎

At least 1 bad dad (pass/fail): 0️⃣8

Spoiler Free Review

Pride and Prejudice is a Romance Novel set in early 19th century England. It is primarily about the Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest of the five Bennet sisters and how her two youngest sisters and mother are a bunch of twat swatting fools holding her and her older sister back from eternal bliss.9 It rocks and basically and is the foundation of 70% of what we now know as the major “tropes” of the Romance genre. These tropes include: enemies to lovers, groveling, mega rich MMC, second change love, force proximity, nice guy is actually “nice guy”, and many more.

I saw the 2000s Pride and Prejudice in college. My then girlfriend, now wife, wished for me to watch it with her and I happily obliged. I liked it well enough. The book is better. I am glad it had been years since the last time we watched the movie because I remembered the beginning and the end and nothing else. It boggles my mind that 2 centuries ago Jane Austen showed the world how to have eloquent and poetic dialogue, which is also funny but nothing I have read in my life can match it.

What I liked about this book

What I did not like about this book

Spoilers Review

What I liked Spoilers

Click to reveal spoilers

  • “Nothing is more deceitful,” said Darcy “than the appearance of humility. It is often only carelessness of opinion, and sometimes an indirect boast.”
  • “The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense.” Woof, Jane Austen. It was like this back then too huh?
  • “I have had the pleasure of your acquittance long enough to know that you find great enjoyment in occasionally professing opinions which in fact are not your own.”
  • Mr. Collins aka “Nice Guy”. God he sucks so amazingly. I cannot believe that men have always been as shit as we are now. Every time he opens his mouth I could not decide if I wanted to laugh or cry.
  • Lizzy's rejection of Darcy's proposal is the second greatest moment in any Romance book ever written.
  • Darcy's apology letter to Lizzy is the greatest moment in any Romance Book ever written.

What I didn't like Spoilers

Click to reveal spoilers

  • Mr. Collins, he sucks.
  • We really get 0 balls after Act 1?^10
  • Miss Darcy felt underdeveloped, and it really stands out in a story with such strong characters overall.


This Book Reminded Me of

Who should read this book?

Anyone fluent in English that likes joy.

Get the book

1 I do not think any of the listed authors can claim 3/3.

2 I am aware that (a) there has been a shift towards assigning contemporary fiction (yay this is good); and (b) now more than ever kids just are not reading no matter what is assigned (boo that is bad).

3 Mary Shelley is great, but of course what we go with is the science fiction thriller with a male protagonist.

4 Was it because the curriculum historically (and presently if we are being honest) has been controlled by men, men who were more unlikely to have been offered/recommended Pride and Prejudice in their lives so they have never read it and just were not thinking of it when putting the state curriculum together? Was it because the same men just hated stories about smart, competent, and confident woman that do not end the story dead or destitute?

5 I fully recognize that sexism is has likely been a net benefit for me and that this consequence is insignificant to the daily consequences for half the world's population &c &c...

6 Comes complete with select quotes underlined and hearted by my wife when she was in high school.

7 The Sass and groveling is good enough for 2 flames. Part of Spice is tension. Fight me.

8 I have mixed feelings about Mr. Bennet. He's flawed but hardly the antagonist.

9 “Everyday somebody is born that has not seen the Flintstones” The Bennet's are gentry but not like super rich gentry. Since the Bennet's children are all daughters their father's land is entailed to a distant relative so basically in 1800s England this met you had to marry parallel or up if they wanted to keep the fancy pants lifestyle dream alive. They are also rich but like poor rich. Mr. Bingley moves to town and he is regular rich. He seems to like Jane the eldest Bennet sister and Jane seems to like him. Lizzy is pleased by this because Jane is pretty great and deserves a nice man with deep pockets. Unfortunately, he has this friend, Mr. Darcy, that follows him everywhere he goes. Mr. Darcy is a jagoff who more or less calls Lizzy ugly. He is super rich but because he is snobby every Bennet but Jane decides he is a knob.

10 Blueballed?