The Annotated Pride and Prejudice

The Annotated Pride & Prejudice by Jane Austen My rating: 4 of 5 stars This is my first Jane Austen novel. I decided to cut my Austen teeth on her most famous novel, and to read the Annotated version (as recommended by my daughter, Michelle.) In the text there were footnote numbers that directed you to the page opposite. It made for a very easy look up that explained culture, Jane Austen’s personal views, references to other of Austen’s novels as well as others of that period, and, of course gave definitions of words and phrases peculiar to the setting. It made it so much more enjoyable to understand all of that. In way of review, what can I possibly say that hasn’t been said in thousands of other reviews of this classic novel? I honestly couldn’t believe how minutely it was analyzed in the annotations and how well Miss Austen’s writing stood up to that kind of scrutiny. There is no denying she is a fabulous author with remarkable writing talent. Her characterization and ability to carry the story forward with dialogue is quite amazing. I feel like I know each of the characters and could point out Mr. Collins or Elizabeth or Jane or Mrs. Bennett or, heaven forbid, Lydia on the street. I also know and understand their culture and social structure way better than I want to! I find her ability to scrutinize her own culture and really laugh at it through her story amazing. I guess my criticism of the book is that it seems like much ado about nothing. What? This from the girl that loves Ramona Quimby, Age 8 and the Ladies Detective Agency Series and the Mitford Series??? I know, I know. It just seems that the characters every day lives were so shallow and void of service or of anything of much importance that I find it hard to relate. What WILL Mrs. Bennett do once she gets all of her girls married off? Really, it seems the sum of her existence. But, I guess the fact that I’m asking what a fictional character is going to do proves the quality of the writing. So, do I give it five stars or four? I just can’t decide. (Maybe this dilemma is much ado about nothing, too.) Can I go with four-and a half? View all my reviews