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My first time reading this classic, and I throughly enjoyed it. Much more than just a romance, but there are some great observations on both pride and prejudice in the social networking and relationships of people of the time, and of people today. How tiny a tidbit of info we build a whole narrative around without really knowing anyone. #LitsyAtoZ #LetterP #MountTBR #LitsyRC22

DyAnne ❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤ 7y

JanuarieTimewalker13 Oh, glad to hear that! I own it and it must be read this year! 7y

Gezemice I liked it too, missed your review! Although I thought there was not really much to it but fluff, it was fancy fluff. 7y

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Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice There is that, but also lots of social commentary about how wealth, title, name etc are used and abused. The frivolity of the upper classes...how the family name and title/entitlement were more important than common sense...etc. I enjoyed it, but Persuasion remains my favorite....I think all those themes are even better/clearer and I like the unrequited but deserving lovers even more in that tale...plus better ending for me. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice If you don't want to read it, the movie version is very good and takes less time too... 7y

Gezemice @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I have read it and did not like it, sorry! I guess we cannot always agree. I did notice those issues in P&P but it just came across as trite for me to be so concerned with appearances and marriage. There was no thought other than marriage in it. Really, we did not even learn what they ate, or what were the topics of the day, other than gossip. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice Just think what a horrible world that would have been to live in and grow up as a woman, where your only purpose was to sing, play music, entertain well and marry well. I find it interesting considering that Jane Austen was a woman living in those times, making some social comment about those practices...and her books (a woman's books) were considered fluff at the time... but now have survived longer & show some idea of what the world... 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ...was like for women, long after many of the men's books published at the time passed into obscurity. Without her books, what would we really know of the droll and tedious life women of her class lived in...not much is my guess, the men certainly didn't take them seriously enough to write much about them. I also find the fact that both Anne & Elizabeth, despite the social position & servants of their rank, still had many of the same societal... 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ...responsibilities women still discuss in the battle of the sexes...being the main family caregiver, both childcare, and taking care of elderly oddball parents/siblings, sacrificing personal pleasure for family members wants & wishes etc. To me the fact that J.A. sees that, writes about it, and the characters point out the unfairness of a lot of that in their dialogue is some early feminist stuff for a women to be writhing about at that time. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa And can you imagine the boredom @Gezemice some books and nothing else to entertain you but talk, gossip, needlepoint, and the occasionally talented daughter playing pinafore or singing. So glad I wasn't born in that time period, but also glad I can get a peak into the lives of women of that time from one who wrote about it. And also VERY glad I can be a single lady in this time and not have to devote all my time to that marriagable necessities. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ..but yes, we can't all enjoy the same things. It would be a very boring world if we did.😉 7y

Gezemice Very interesting points! It is great to hear what you think. I do see that. Yet there could have been more substance. Jane Eyre had plenty of substance and the heroine was mostly concerned about making her own life, and the romance was just cherry on the top. We learned about her daily pursuits. There is not a single scene in PP that is not about marriage or status somehow. And for me that is an issue. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice see and I didn't like Jane Eyre! For all of that, background about her life, independence, etc. Her guy tricked her a few times, lied to her outright, played her a bit and still he gets the girl at the end. At least in Persuasion & P&P they were both respectful with each other's thoughts and feelings. They didn't trick each other for love, but were lied to and tricked by others, finally coming together when they sorted through it all.... 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ...even after having his hopes crushed (first proposal) Darcy writes her explaining it all and leaves her to decide what she thinks on her own terms. There was no demanding that she love him despite the lies of a secret/betrayal of trust hidden upstairs. 7y

Gezemice Interesting! I loved Jane Eyre because it was about her making her own choices, being independent, finding life in an era where women were dependent. I thought THAT was very feminist. She did not wait for marriage. When she decided to do it, it was on her terms. I did not read it as a romance book at all. But I did think Mr Rochester was a flirt - their banter is kinda hot. In P&P they dont even talk much. And the romance is the focus! (edited) 7y

Gezemice Btw I am enjoying our discussion on these two books a lot. 😀 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice Me too! I wish I knew someone who studied the authors to join in because I'm sure there's even more we missed. LOL. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice for me Jane Eyre had a very interesting life, but then a guy in the 'nobility' took and interest in her, lied to her, pursued her until she basically had to flee. Yet in the end, he lost almost everything, and was rewarded by her returning to him, marrying him, and basically becoming his permanent caregiver for the rest of his life. I'm not sure he deserved that much love and devotion with some of the things he pulled. But I do get.. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ...that she loved him, and despite it all I can see why for a girl who never really knew any love in her life before. But to me, her sad early life lead her to accept the only person who showed her real interest disputed his huge flaws. Hidden wives, adultery, lying about it all are pretty big red flags in a new romance! So I always felt like he made out well, and she settled a bit. For P&P, and Persuasion by the end...they both had to be.... 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ...pretty independent with steel spines to throw off social conventions and go for the one they wanted. Every dictate of society said Elizabeth should have married Collins (for the family) and bowed to the Duchesses wishes, but she did neither. She also should have accepted Darcy immediately the first time based on his name & title alone, but again she refused based on her opinion of him. Persuasion was based on the idea that she did now to... 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ...all the dictates of society and suffered for it, regretted it...and was punished for that loyalty to family by being unappreciated while also having to care for and manage the crazy lot of them. It was until she stood up for herself, and ignored what her family thought was right that she was able to be happy. To me Jane Eyre, started out independent but caved to society expectations by the end...by both running away from the love & returning 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ..only once society said it was ok. And they both suffered because of it. So bittersweet, they should have both been stronger characters. Elizabeth never cared a fig what others wanted and always kept her own council, and Jane bowed to everyone else's wishes forever and learned that the no good navy man was as the honest one, the great entitled Elliot was the real sleaze...and finally broke from them by the end,plus she got rewarded by sailing 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ...off with him in the Navy and leaving them all to fend for themselves. When Lady Russel so wanted her to step into her mothers shoes and manage the whole family for them, while they insulted & completely unappreciated her. She really broke free for what she wanted by the end...so more of a redemptive freedom seeking ending to me. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa So I guess I consider both Elizabeth and Jane both independent and making their own choices too...Elizabeth all along, and Jane by the end...despite family and societies pressures and expectations for women at that time. Where I see Jane Eyre starting out that way, and then losing that independence a bit by the end. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Plus if it was just about marrying and marrying well....Elizabeth should have accepted Collins and Darcy (the first time), and Jane should have accepted Charles (he asked her before Mary)...saying no was a pretty rebellious move in that time. While Jane Eyre had to be married to stay, if she couldn't legally marry him she wouldn't have him at all, not even as a friend. She was a bit more constraints by society's norms than the other two for me 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa Sorry for the long rambling posts...I apparently type as I think it out. You're so concise in this limited character format. 7y

Gezemice @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Lol, I try. It is fine, your view is interesting. I must admit I don't care for romance novels and I see Jane Austen's novels as pure romance - there is nothing else in the plot, no other discussions. I see her heroines as dependent on marriage. They have no way of supporting themselves otherwise, they have no other topics but gossip. I just don't care for it. 7y

Gezemice That said I am a romantic at heart - but I value real attraction, fate, if you will, and not its trappings like marriage or scheming. For me Jane and Rochester's attraction is based on common interests and tastes. They clearly enjoy each other's company. Their problems are more grown-up, too - well, he is already married... yuck. Get past that! I actually liked that she forgave him after all, realizing he is the one. She did not have to marry... 7y

Gezemice ...like Elizabeth. At that point she was an independent heiress, could have had her pick or stayed single. But she was happy with him, that came through. That speaks to me, I would have picked him, too, he was a flirty, sexy, intelligent bastard. Darcy on the other hand left me cold. Dude does not even talk. The only thing they ever talk about is their relationship... yawn. BORING! Lol. (edited) 7y

Gezemice So, here, I can ramble too! :) Wish we could grab coffee sometime. I don't think we live nearby... I am in Illinois, where are you? 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice Pennsylvania, unfortunately a bit to far from Illinois to just drop by....darn! 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice I found all the side plots and scheming interesting....LOL. Like everyone plotting against them, but they managed to overcome it all. Rochester I always felt was the stereotypical romance novel 'bad boy'. He married foolishly & too fast, regretted it pretty soon thereafter, then decided to hide his wife and flirt with the 'help', realized he really wanted her too, and what she doesn't know won't hurt her, plus what's a little bigamy 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ...when compared to true love. She runs away, his wife dies, and she forgives all because after all she really loves him, he never meant any harm, all his badness was him trying to do the right thing with a bad situation. It just all magically works out in the end like most romance novels. I can definitely see the attraction....I love a good romance novel as much as the next girl, but that didn't make it special to me. Darcy who also went... (edited) 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ...against his families wishes for Elizabeth as much as she did for him, I liked a bit better, but it too has the tidy Romance finale...she gets the rich entitled one everyone wanted, shocking ending, LOL. Jane I like more, she wanted him when he was unpopular to everyone, but learns to tell them to get lost, and gets to be happy.... plus she gets the intel on Elliot from her friend who no one visits but her because she's actually a good friend. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa ... maybe we can both agree on Wuthering Heights...my least favorite of the group?

Wuthering Heights

Gezemice @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Lol, I detest Wuthering Heights. World's worst characters... (edited) 7y

Gezemice @Riveted_Reader_Melissa Yeah, Pennsylvania is not driving distance... too bad 🙁 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice I agree, it is too bad. Litsy really has been a godsend to the readers who live in rural areas, at least we get to have some of these conversations online. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice I hated it too! LOL. Read in HS and really disliked just about everyone in that story. But after our discussion on the other two, I guess it's just the last option...she does cave to the social expectations of her time, she's unhappy, he's very unhappy....and spends the rest of his life making the entirety of that society miserable with him, punishing them for their strict arbitrary rules that kept them apart & made them miserable. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice In that light, they are all really about the strict and sometimes stupid social conventions of their time. Where social customs were more important that basic common sense and decency. About the wasting away of the titled classes that were growing more frivolous, less intelligent, and all of these stories are about the few that pushed back against that...with varying results. 7y

Gezemice @Riveted_Reader_Melissa I don't know if there was that much societal pressure in Wuthering Heights - I distinctly got the impression that Catherine could have married Heathcliff if she wanted to, but decided not to, because their relationship was all about torturing each other... Love, what love? Two fucked up characters miserable together. The characters just made no sense. They followed no known psychological profile, normal or abnormal... 7y

Gezemice ... they were just mean for no reason. You can explain Heathcliff with seeking revenge, but even revenge obsessed people are decent some of the time, not perpetually mean, even psychopaths are occasionally charming. The characterization made so little sense that I honestly did not notice much else. I gave it two stars for the writing, but I found no romance or anything else of value that others seem to love about it. (edited) 7y

Gezemice Well we seem to agree on that one :) I saw our ratings were similar on most books. 7y

Riveted_Reader_Melissa @Gezemice Yep... I found that one very tough all the way around! 😝 7y

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