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PRIDE AND PREJUDICE

Summary rating: 4 stars (2 Ratings)
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words : 900 

Book Review by: yasho

Author : JANE AUSTEN.
Published: October 21, 2005
The Bennets live at Longbourn, a village in Victorian England. Mr.Bennet a studious gentleman, and his scatter-brained, social-climber wife have five daughters, who are " out together", meaning they are competitors in the marriage market. They are, the beautiful and good Jane, the charming and intelligent Elizabeth, the plain and studious Mary, the silly and fun-loving Kitty, and boisterous and flirtish Lydia. They have a courteous neighbour in Sir.Lucas at Lucas Lodge. His daughter Charlotte, is plain and sensible and a good friend to Elizabeth. Longbourn estate is entailed, due to the absence of a male heir, to Mr.Collins, a pompous and self-important clergyman cousin of Mr.Bennet. When single and wealthy Mr.Bingley comes to live at the neighbouring Netherfield, the neighbourhood expects wedding bells. Another gentleman of the militia Mr.Wickham enters their circle and is found to be very much in favour with the ladies but vice versa with the Netherfield party. Wickham befriends Elizabeth and tells her that Darcy had cheated him out of a living promised to him by the elder Darcy.

Jane and Bingley are soon in love, but his sister plots with Darcy, his haughty, extremely rich friend and manages to convince Bingley that Jane is not serious about him. Miss Bingley wants to be Mrs.Darcy and so wants her brother to marry Darcy's sister. The Netherfield party vacate the place abruptly. Jane tries writing to the sisters who were friendly to her, but gets a cold response. Meanwhile, Collins visits Longbourn with the intention of marrying one of his cousins, and decides on Elizabeth as his choice since Jane seems attached. Elizabeth refuses, and Collins finds success with Charlotte, the neighbour and marries her. Jane goes away with her uncle Gardiner and family to town and tries to renew her acquaintance with the Bingleys but the response is not warm at all. She gives up hope.
Elizabeth visits the Collins household at Hunsford along with the Lucases and finds that Darcy's aunt Lady Catherine is the patron of the Collinses and that Darcy is expected to marry her heiress daughter. She meets Darcy there again, who falls for her and proposes to her, but still haughty in manner. She refuses and confronts him with separating Jane and Bingley and cheating Wickham. Darcy leaves her but later tells her the truths behind her misunderstandings in a letter. Wickham was guilty of persuading Darcy’s very young, wealthy sister to elope with him, but the matter was found out in time and prevented. Darcy confesses to influencing Bingley but says he genuinely did not think them in real love but just attracted. Elizabeth returns home and tells Jane alone what she has learnt of Wickham. They keep the information to themselves.
Lydia goes off to stay with friends in town and Elizabeth accompanies the Gardiners on a visit to the Lake District. They visit Pemeberly the majestic home of the Darcys and meets him again. Darcy appears much altered and is very courteous to them, frequently playing host to them. Then bad news comes in the form of Lydia’s elopement with Wickham. Darcy is there when they receive the news. The Gardiners and Elizabeth break their tour and hurry home. The men of the family soon conclude the matter and Lydia marries Wickham, after Uncle Gardiner settles the financial issues. Lydia moves North with Wickham, away from the family.
Lydia lets drop the name of Darcy as involved in settling her wedding, though she was sworn to secrecy, and Elizabeth approaches her aunt for information. Mrs.Gardiner confesses the role played by Darcy is tracing Wickham, and forcing him to marry Lydia, which he had no intention of doing before. The finances were too settled by Darcy, which shows up his love for Elizabeth. Bingley now arrives back at Netherfield, with Darcy and starts courting Jane again, with happy results, bt Darcy keeps silent, much to the chagrin of Elizabeth. When they go away on business for a few days, Longbourn has a surprise visitor, Lady Catherine, who asks Elizabeth outright whether she was engaged to Darcy, and warns her gainst it. When Elizabeth refuses , she goes away fuming. Darcy now comes back and proposes to her again, encouraged by the answer Elizabeth gives to his aunt; Elizabeth accepts.
Mr. Bennet is now a contented man with two good sons-in-law, and a third one brought to enses. The younger daughters get the advantage of the matches made by the elders, and the story leaves us as well as the characters happy.

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