Pride & Prejudice Read-Along-Week 1

I've been waiting for this Read-Along for a long time now! If you have read my blog you have seen several times in the past that Pride and Prejudice is my absolute favorite Jane Austen book. I have several copies of P&P and debated which one I would use for this read-along. I have opted for a Kindle version that I got for free a while back. I can't find the exact copy of it now, but I find it is easier on my eyes to read on my Kindle than to try and read the small print of one of my hard copies. I've read this book several times over the years since I was a teenager. I've had several different editions of it throughout the years as well. I hope you are joining in on the Read-Along and that you go over to Amber's blog SEASONS OF HUMILITY and check out her posts as we discuss the book. Here's this week's discussion questions and my observations:

Favorite Quote:

One of the most popular quotes of all time:

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife."

And sorry y'all, I can never pick just one quote, especially in this book!

"You take delight in vexing me, You have no compassion for my poor nerves." "You mistake me, my dear. I have a high respect for your nerves. They are my old friends. I have heard you mention them with consideration these last twenty years at least."

Oh my goodness I love that quote! Mr. Bennet has a sharp tongue all crouched in kindness and mildness and with perfectly gentleman-like manners!

General Impressions:

I love everything about this book! I love how it didn't take long for the entire assembly to realize that Mr. Darcy was a proud and arrogant man, but I loved Charlotte Lucas's assertion that he had every right to be proud and haughty.

"His pride, said Miss Lucas, does not offend ME so much as pride often does, because there is an excuse for it."

"This is very true, replied Elizabeth, and I could easily forgive HIS pride, if he had not mortified MINE."

I loved the fact that Mr. Bennet surprised the whole family by having gone over and introduced himself to Mr. Bingley before anyone else.

I'm having a hard time separating the movie version and the book version. So far in the book I am not seeing the obnoxiousness of Mrs. Bennet. She of course wants all of her girls to marry well just like the rest of the women in the area want. She does tend to get on Mr. Bennet's nerves it seems, but so far he seems like an indulgent father figure to her.

I'm ready for more!

Questions:

Amber has a set of 3 questions on her blog that you can either answer all 3 or pick and choose which you would like to answer.

 What do you think of the portrayals of marriage/courtship so far? Charlotte claims, "It is better to know as little as possible of the defects of the person with whom you are to pass your life." Do you agree or disagree?

I think that Mr. Bennet is kind of swamped with women in his life and he much prefers a good book in his library without disturbances of the household. I really think he is leaving the girls in the hands of an indulgent clueless mother and that will come back and bite him in the end. 

As for Charlotte's claim I would tend to disagree. I think you should go into marriage with your eyes wide open so that you aren't broadsided by some definite character flaw. If you can't learn to deal with the flaws in your intended before you are married they are just going to become more magnified through the years of your marriage. 


It's not to late to catch up on the reading and join us! This week we will be reading chapters 7-20.