Prejudiced ..yes !
One of the most defining (I didn’t know that then) moment of my life was in 9th std when our English teacher took one look at all the Nancy Drews and Hardy boys we were still reading and decided that it was time she force feed us on ‘Classics’. So all of us were compelled to buy one classic and share with the class. “You can buy a copy of ‘Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen’, she thundered to me before walking towards her next victim.
‘Pride and Prrrr…ejudice?’. Sigh! I so envied by friends who were assigned ‘Moby Dick’ and ‘Robert Louis Stevenson’ books which seemed more exciting and action packed compared to a 17th century romantic classic whose title I couldn’t even pronounce forget understand what it meant.
Now thinking back, how could I have been so prejudiced? It has been the best thing that has happened in my growing years. My first true-blue romantic classic, whose pages are worn down with age and constant use. I became a loyal Austen fan; though none of her other novels have had the same effect.
Actually if you consider the story, its nothing but ‘The-girl-hates-boy–girl-loves-boy’ formula that has been rehashed and remixed innumerable times by Bollywood and Hollywood. Of course not be reminded about the disastrous attempts to make a movie out of book (I cringed when I watched Gurindher Chaddha’s horror version).
One of the many reasons I liked ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is the gradual flow from hate and dislike Elizabeth feels for Darcy. It gives away to guilt, respect, admiration and finally love.
The beauty of the book lies in the lighthearted way it captures the idiosyncrasies of the class-obsessed English society and how one perceives people through those mirrors. Darcy and Elizabeth – the main protagonists were far from perfect with their own insecurities and assumptions.
Having read the book hundreds of time, I almost knew all paragraphs by heart. Yet whenever, it comes to the penultimate pages, I feel the same impatience and frustrations that Elizabeth and Darcy go through.
I guess that’s what differentiates a good book from the rest.
‘Pride and Prrrr…ejudice?’. Sigh! I so envied by friends who were assigned ‘Moby Dick’ and ‘Robert Louis Stevenson’ books which seemed more exciting and action packed compared to a 17th century romantic classic whose title I couldn’t even pronounce forget understand what it meant.
Now thinking back, how could I have been so prejudiced? It has been the best thing that has happened in my growing years. My first true-blue romantic classic, whose pages are worn down with age and constant use. I became a loyal Austen fan; though none of her other novels have had the same effect.
Actually if you consider the story, its nothing but ‘The-girl-hates-boy–girl-loves-boy’ formula that has been rehashed and remixed innumerable times by Bollywood and Hollywood. Of course not be reminded about the disastrous attempts to make a movie out of book (I cringed when I watched Gurindher Chaddha’s horror version).
One of the many reasons I liked ‘Pride and Prejudice’ is the gradual flow from hate and dislike Elizabeth feels for Darcy. It gives away to guilt, respect, admiration and finally love.
The beauty of the book lies in the lighthearted way it captures the idiosyncrasies of the class-obsessed English society and how one perceives people through those mirrors. Darcy and Elizabeth – the main protagonists were far from perfect with their own insecurities and assumptions.
Having read the book hundreds of time, I almost knew all paragraphs by heart. Yet whenever, it comes to the penultimate pages, I feel the same impatience and frustrations that Elizabeth and Darcy go through.
I guess that’s what differentiates a good book from the rest.
PS: Oh yeah… got to admit, I am very prejudiced towards this book ;).
posted by Unanchored Sails @ 4:51 PM
4 comments
Subscribe !!
