Plateresca's Reviews > Pride and Prejudice

John Mullan says of Jane Austen: '... interconnectedness is the reason why, when you re-read her novels, you have the experience of suddenly noticing some crucial detail that you have never noticed before, and realising how demanding she is of your attention. One of the special delights of reading Jane Austen is becoming as clever and discerning as the author herself, at least for as long as one is reading...'

So, whenever I get a friendship request here at GR, I hit 'compare books', and if 'Pride and Prejudice' is among the person's books, it's the first review I read. If somebody finds this boring - which is shocking, but I've seen this - I'm certain our bookish friendship cannot be mutually beneficial.

And yes, every time I re-read it, I find something new. Really, I think there are so many little hints, little insider jokes here and there it's next to impossible to gather all of them at the first reading.

This time I was thinking about how there is irony in practically every sentence, and yet so many insightful observations.

Some of the things I've noticed this time are...
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I was looking at the Lucas family and saw how they're so very much on the same wave with Mr Collins from the start.

I love Mr Bennet's humour, but I've realized his social manners are little better than his wife's.
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Honestly, I don't see anything unlikeable about this book.

P. S. Love the little McMillan Collector's Library editions with gilded edges! The best present ever, for sure.

'... she found, what has been sometimes found before, that an event to which she had looked forward with impatient desire, did not in taking place, bring all the satisfaction she had promised herself.'

So true! Only not true of re-reading Austen: I had anticipated a lot of pleasure, and did enjoy it greatly :)