It's the same old story heard a million times. Boy and girl meet, they hate each other upon first sight then miraculously and against their own better judgement, they fall in love. But it is how they get from point A to point B and finally come together in the end that is the fun part. Jane Austen makes it endearingly fun, witty and charming as only she can in her masterpiece "Pride And Prejudice".
The opening line sets the tone for the entire story. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife." With that we are swiftly thrown into the world and home life of Elizabeth Bennet and her family consisting of five daughters, an ineffectual yet affectionate father and a foolish, silly air-head of a mother whose only object is procuring rich husbands for her daughters.
This is exactly what is upper most on her mind from the novel's start and varies very little throughout. She, Mrs. Bennet, beleaguers her husband to make friends with the newest member of the neighborhood, a Mr. Bingley with enough money to set her feathers flying in joy. Surely, he will marry one of her daughters and thus save their entire family from ruin.
Why would one of her daughters marrying a rich man save the family? As it turns out some English estates of the time were only to be handed down to male heirs, very unjust but those were the times before Women's lib. With five daughters and no sons the Bennets would all be homeless once Mr. Bennet kicks the bucket unless of course, one of them is married to a wealthy man who would take care of them all. And so we see why the frenzy for a rich man to hook up with a Bennet girl.
They are all introduced at a public ball and Mrs. Bennet starts her campaign to win a husband of her favorite and oldest daughter Jane, a great beauty, though unlike her handsome mother she has a brain. Mr. Bingley comes in with his two sisters, the husband of one of them and a dear friend who he trusts beyond all others, Mr. Darcy. While Mr. Bingley has a grand old time meeting everyone and enjoying being the center of attention, Mr. Darcy, a haughty, arrogant, taciturn sort makes an enemy of the entire town. He is overheard by Elizabeth when he tells Bingley that Jane alone is the only girl worthy to look at in the entire assemblage.
Bingley points out Elizabeth as a very pretty girl but Darcy turns his nose up and says she would never tempt him. Elizabeth's pride is wounded and when she tells everyone of the offence in her usual gleeful manner, the whole town is prejudiced against Mr. Darcy forever. And so begins their mutual hate.
Then comes the invitation for Jane to visit the Bingley sisters who took a liking to her. But their scheming mother can't just let nature take its course. No, she has to devise a way for Jane to have to stay overnight. She won't allow her the carriage which would convey her safely. On horseback she goes during a rainstorm and guess who gets very ill? A masterful plan to be sure for Jane is not allowed to return home and remains at Netherfield, the Bingley's estate, until Bingley deem her well enough to leave. He couldn't be happier, the man is quite infatuated with Jane. So far so good in Mrs. Bennet's estimation but Elizabeth is horrified to think of her favorite sister ill among strangers and goes to her to tend to her herself.
Elizabeth arrives wet, muddy, disheveled and not at all caring what any of them think of her. She is there for her sister and not their approval. Bingley finds her devotion to her sister charming and insists she stay with them as well. The others merely sneer. Darcy says nothing but while Elizabeth is with them she "grows on him". She is vivacious, charming and they have rather lively conversations. She mostly doesn't give him the respect he is so used to. Well, you have to know that's going to turn him on, that and her very pretty, lively eyes.
Miss Bingley, who fawns on Darcy shamelessly, finds this sudden admiration not at all to her liking. This new, dreadful circumstance she needs to banish. She considers herself the prime suspect to capture Darcy's heart and she's not about to let a pair of pretty eyes get in her way. She takes every opportunity, therefore, to bash Elizabeth not knowing that this is not working in her favor.
Darcy does however, realize he might be showing some preference towards Elizabeth which he cannot allow. He would never even consider getting involved with people so beneath himself. His pride would not allow this. The Bennets are poor by his standards with no good connections and of questionable class. Their behavior as a whole does not recommend them. Elizabeth and Jane are the only ones in the family with any sense of decorum. The family as a whole embarrass them at every turn, their mother speaks openly of her dislike of Darcy and her certainty that Bingley and Jane are quite in love and will marry. Their father's chilling wit is just a tad less embarrassing and their two younger sisters, Kitty and Lydia, ridiculous, silly, boy-crazy air-heads, very much like their mother who indulges their every whim are the worst of all. And this is why when Darcy sees how smitten his friend is with Jane, he tries to separate them for Bingley's own good. He wouldn't want his best friend associated with such low-class people. Can't blame him. Who wants in-laws like that?
Meanwhile, there is a great development in town. The military come to stay for the whole winter giving them all a chance for more fun than usual what with dances and dinner parties at every turn with handsome officers in fiery red coats. Kitty and Lydia are mad with joy and run rampant flirting with any and all officers. They meet a particularly handsome and charming man named Wickham who happens to know Darcy. He promptly tells Elizabeth a sad story of how Darcy did him wrong. This information further discredits Darcy in Elizabeth's eyes. She is bound and determined to hate him forever. How could anyone do this wonderful young man ill? Darcy must be a conceited, arrogant, proud beast.
In another twist, Mr. Bennet's cousin, the male heir to which their home will go upon his death comes for a visit with the expressed purpose of choosing among his lovely cousins a bride. He is a supercilious, pompous man with little to recommend him but Mrs. Bennet seeing an opportunity to stay in her home indefinitely with the successful joining of their families in marriage, urges him to ask Elizabeth not Jane. She informs him Jane is on the verge of becoming engaged. Elizabeth will have none of this and instantly says an emphatic No! Mr. Collin, determined to have a bride to take back home to his parish, selects the old maid best friend of Elizabeth, Charlotte who sees this as her last chance at some sort of happiness in her own home. Aghast at this new development Elizabeth questions her friends sanity to marry such a hideous man and simply feels she must never be as close a friend to her.
When Bingley leaves the country to go to London Jane is devastated. She thought he liked her as much as she liked him. But she is reserved and quiet and pretends it doesn't bother her. Only Elizabeth sees the truth. Her sister is quite in love and she is equally certain Bingley loves her but suspects his devious sisters of separating them for their own gain. To brighten Jane's spirits and to possibly get her to see Bingley in London Elizabeth urges her to go with their aunt and uncle for a long visit.
Wickham and Elizabeth become quite chummy but as she has no fortune his like for her is overshadowed by a need to find a suitable, meaning wealthy, wife. While she likes him she is not in love and doesn't let this lessen their friendship. She knows the practicality of marriage. Her friend Charlotte and Mr. Collins marry and she begs Elizabeth to come visit her. She agrees and off she goes somewhat reluctantly for she really does detest her cousin who spends more than half of every waking moment praising his patroness a Lady Catherine who just so happens to be Darcy's Aunt. Yes, this is where it gets really good!
Elizabeth is introduced to Lady Catherine with much pomp and circumstance and finds a dictatorial, pushy woman of little sense but too much pride. The woman is unbearable and yet Elizabeth prevails. Lady Catherine's daughter who is quite sickly and disagreeable, is intended to marry Darcy. This Elizabeth finds perfect. She imagines Darcy being utterly miserable with her. She couldn't wish better for either of them.
While Elizabeth is with the Collins' of course Darcy shows up with a cousin a Fitzwilliam who promptly takes a great liking to Elizabeth. She finds soon enough that he likes her enough to marry her had it not been for her lack of money. This doesn't bother her, however, for she has no thoughts on matrimony. Meanwhile Darcy proceeds to act very strangely in Elizabeth's eyes. He is constantly staring at her, shows up in her favorite, solitary garden walks to converse with her on utterly bewildering subjects and seems ill at ease whenever she is around him. She doesn't understand it at all. Charlotte, however, suspects he is in love with her but Elizabeth scoffs at this. He hates her as she hates him, she is certain. Anything other is plainly ridiculous.
Through letters Jane tells her she never saw Bingley in London but did see his sister who wasn't at all pleased to see her in town. She tells Jane her brother is very smitten with Darcy's little sister and Jane thinks now he never did like her. She is also convinced Elizabeth had been right of his sisters' disregard for her. Elizabeth feels horrible for her sister who she can tell even through her letters that she is miserable. She blames this parting of her sister from her beloved Bingley on Darcy.
Fiztwilliam lets something slip about Darcy doing a friend the great service of making certain he didn't marry the wrong girl whose family was questionable. Elizabeth knows he speaks of Bingley and Jane and hates Darcy all the more. She feels so indisposed to see him or be in company at all that she claims a headache and stays behind from a dinner at Rosings, Lady Catherine's majestic home.
She is not alone for very long however for Darcy shows up quite agitated that she is taken ill and within minutes professes his love for her and proposes marriage with the air of someone who knows he will not be refused. Man, does that annoy Elizabeth! And she lets him have it good, telling him what an ill-mannered creep he is for proposing with such arrogance, for ruining her sister's chance at happiness and for Wickham's misfortune. He is, she tells him with out mincing words, the last man she would ever be prevailed upon to marry. He is shocked and goes away to write a long letter of explanation to her. He cannot bare to have her think so ill of him.
He reveals that Wickham has lied about the circumstances. Darcy didn't steal money that was due him and as revenge Wickham tried to take his sister, Georgiana, to elope with him. Wickham is ruined in her eyes for doing such a despicable thing but Darcy was still to blame for separating Jane and her beloved. He doesn't deny this is true. He tells Elizabeth her family is to blame and she, though hating him, realizes the truth of his words. It was her mother, her father and sisters and their bad behavior that had ruined Jane's marriage prospect and her own as it turns out.
She starts to see Darcy in a new, more favorable light, not least of all that he proclaimed such a passion for her that he could not overcome it even at the dissatisfaction of his Aunt who desperately wants him to marry her daughter and with the prospect of her family as a horrible connection. She unwittingly starts to forgive him and -dare we believe it?- like him. He is after all an honorable man who does well by his own family and friends. How can you fault someone for that?
Finally she goes home and soon sees Jane again her only confidante but she doesn't tell her about Darcy's involvement in keeping them apart. It would be too hurtful and Elizabeth is not too keen on Bingley for giving up on Jane so easily. What kind of man allows his friends and family to have such influence on him? A weak man, that's what! Such a man would not be worthy of Jane, who she considered perfect in every way.
Elizabeth's Aunt and Uncle take her on a trip up north where her aunt spent her childhood and amazingly enough close to where Darcy's impressive manor home rests within glorious grounds of which her aunt is quite keen on seeing. Off they go upon knowing the Family is not in the country. Elizabeth does not want to see Darcy. It would be too embarrassing but she is curious as to all she swiftly gave up in refusing to marry Darcy. It seems she is softening towards him.
The housekeeper is quite willing to show this group the house and tells them what a great man Darcy is, generous to a fault, indulgent of his sister's every pleasure and kind. This doesn't sound like the Darcy any of them know. Elizabeth marvels as she wanders about the house at the lovely yet sedate opulence of his home and almost regrets not ever being its mistress. As they are leaving they see none other than Darcy who has come a day earlier than expected. They are both quite flustered by suddenly being thrown together but after recovering a bit he asks to be introduced to her friends and proceeds to invite them to fish in his stream and dinner and to meet his sister. Elizabeth is overwhelmed by his drastic change from a surly, taciturn man to a charming solicitous one. She can only think he still might like her somewhat.
She does meet Georgiana and finds her to be a very sweet yet painfully shy creature. Not all like the description she got from Wickham, the most evil deceiver. Her hate for Darcy is quickly and thoroughly turned on Wickham who gives them all cause for it when she receives a letter from Jane urging their swift and immediate return. It turns out foolish Lydia ran off with Wickham and in those days you don't do that and come out smelling like a rose. It is a ruination of all if they are not married. But first they have to find them to make certain.
Elizabeth blames herself for not telling everyone of Wickham's true character but she was trying to protect Georgiana's character too. It is quite a mess and she is in a dreadful state when Darcy appears to learn what has happened. He stays with her until her aunt and uncle return and he swiftly leaves giving Elizabeth the impression that nothing beyond a miracle could make him like her enough to ask her again to marry, not with the disgrace of Lydia's behavior bringing utter shame to the whole family.
They return home to fine Mrs, Bennet on her death bed, or so you would think by her tragic whoa-is-me attitude. Their father is searching in London for the lost lovers to no avail and the task is taken over by Elizabeth's uncle a man much more used to activity and much more likely to accomplish something. Within a week they receive news that Lydia and Wickham are found living together but not married. They are urged to do so but with no money to tempt Wickham all seems bleak. Miraculously, some sort of settlement is achieved and they will marry. This hardly seems any better than the alternative. To have Lydia married to such a man who leaves debts wherever he goes, who lies at every turn and who treats women like tissues? Elizabeth can only fret they will have to tolerate Wickham forever now, hideous as that sounds.
Upon the return of Lydia and Wickham Mrs. Bennet is thrilled to have a married daughter. All previous thoughts of scandal quickly vanish and all is fine in her stupid eyes. Only Mr. Bennet, Jane and Elizabeth know the truth. Wickham must have been bribed with a good deal of money to be induced to marry such a worthless girl as Lydia and they know it has to be her uncle who did it. Lydia however, lets it slip that Darcy had been to the wedding and Elizabeth can only imagine he must have had something to do with it all, as incredible as that would be. She has the tiniest bit of hope he did it for her sake but with no proof she can't say for certain. She writes to her aunt and begs to be informed of everything, every tiny bit of action taken by Darcy. In fact she wants total proof that Darcy is indeed more than worthy of her love. How it started she didn't even know but now she knew she was indeed in love with the man she swore to hate forever. Such is life.
She is told in a letter from her aunt that Darcy did indeed bring it all about with the proviso it never be told of his assistance but as her aunt suspected Darcy and her dear niece Elizabeth to be deeply in love she didn't think it wrong to tell her of it. A miracle happens and Bingley returns into the country with Darcy and heads straight to the Bennets. Jane though flustered can't help but wonder at this sudden show. Did he like her or not?
Elizabeth also utterly embarrassed to have Darcy so close yet so far, for neither spoke a word to each other, didn't know what to think. She can only imagine he came to see for himself if Jane truly loved his friend. He must have approved because Bingley proposes to Jane and is swiftly told yes, as we all know would happen. But what of Elizabeth and Darcy?
As it turns out he goes away and leaves Elizabeth thinking he is gone forever until they get a most unexpected visitor, Lady Catherine. Elizabeth is more astonished than even her family to receive such an auspicious person into their home. What in the world could she possibly want?
It doesn't take long for Lady Catherine to get to the point. She wants to be assured that the rumors she heard are not true and that Elizabeth is not to marry her nephew. Flabbergasted, Elizabeth denies it. But this is not enough for Lady Catherine. She wants the reassurance that Elizabeth will never seek to marry Darcy. This she refuses to do even though she knows it very unlikely that he would ever ask her, not a second time after all she said to him and after all that happened with Lydia to make the connection to her family even less desirable.
To say that Lady Catherine is miffed upon leaving Elizabeth would be like saying the Grand Canyon is a tiny dent in the earth's surface. It isn't until Darcy returns that Elizabeth wonders again if there is a shot. When the engaged couple Jane and Bingley go for a stroll the other two do as well on the insistence of Mrs. Bennet who tells Elizabeth she has to endure that hideous man so Jane can be alone with Bingley. Elizabeth merely smiles at this perfect opportunity to be alone with Darcy and finally see what is what. She goes off with Darcy and promptly thanks him for his service to her family. He is annoyed that she knows this but takes it as a chance to tell Elizabeth of his unchanging feelings towards her and prompted by a conversation with his aunt he chose to see for himself if there was the remotest chance Elizabeth's feelings towards him had changed. Well, we know they have so, what else is there to say?
Darcy goes to Mr. Bennet to ask permission to marry her. Mr. Bennet urges her not to do this. He knows she hates the odious man and no marriage no matter how much money there is to keep it tolerable can make up for an unhappy marriage. She assures him she does indeed love Darcy and they are, of course, married. The two sisters live within an easy distance of each other with only the occasional visit from Mr. Bennet who rarely leaves his study but does this time because he so misses his favorite daughter Elizabeth.
Pride and Prejudice is the best novel of its kind, full of whimsy, wit, romance and fun with plenty of twists and turns and many charming, ridiculous, annoying and funny characters to keep you on your toes. Do yourself a favor and read it, re-read it and then re-re-read it. Once is just never enough with Jane Austen.