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    Pride and Prejudice
    Pride and Prejudice
    Pride and Prejudice
    Audiobook (abridged)2 hours

    Pride and Prejudice

    Written by Jane Austen

    Narrated by Jane Lapotaire

    4.5/5

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    About this audiobook

    Jane Lapotaire reads one of the greatest of all English novels, a finely etched satire about the scatterbrained Mrs. Bennett whose aim in life is to see her five daughters married. Meet Jane Austen's rich and varied characters: the proud Mr. Darcy; the pompous parson; Mr. Collins, who seeks the most advantageous match for himself; good-humored Mr. Bingley; and, of course the two eldest Bennett daughters, Jane and Elizabeth.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherAudio Holdings
    Release dateJan 1, 2009
    ISBN9781601360199
    Author

    Jane Austen

    Jane Austen (1775–1817) was an English novelist whose work centred on social commentary and realism. Her works of romantic fiction are set among the landed gentry, and she is one of the most widely read writers in English literature.

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    Reviews for Pride and Prejudice

    4.5/5

    20,418 ratings629 reviews

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    • 3/5
      it is a good story
    • 5/5
      This story is wonderful. It focuses on Elizabeth Bennett, the second oldest of 5 girls, who has a mother that is absolutely focused on getting her daughters married. As Jane, Elizabeth's eldest sister, is being courted by a new man in town, Elizabeth meets his friend, Mr. Darcy. He is a seemingly rude, proud, and condescending man. Everyone immediately dislikes Darcy and writes him off as being unworthy of attention.As the story progresses, heartbreaks follow. Jane's courtship falls through and their youngest sister, Lydia, runs off to a marry a militia man who has a good reputation, but is found out to be quite shady. Through all of this, Elizabeth learns more and more about Mr. Darcy and discovers that he isn't so proud, but actually shy and a little bit socially awkward.This is a very simplistic explanation of a very complicated story, but it is wonderful to read how Elizabeth processes new information and her seemingly steadfast view of an individual changes over time. In addition, Elizabeth herself is already such a strong character and speaks up for herself and those around her at the risk of being "unladylike." Wonderful book and such a wonderful character!
    • 5/5
      This one's become a bit of a chestnut, so no further comment required from me.
    • 4/5
      I enjoyed this book more than I had expected I would, honestly, when I started it. The dialogue is witty, and I found that I really cared about the main characters by the end.
    • 5/5
      The first time I read it.Was positivly surprised by the humour in the dialog and the irony with which she described her characters.Written in a beautiful style, it was a joy to read.
    • 5/5
      I doubt I'm saying anything here that someone somewhere hasn't already said... but, here it goes! In my own opinion...Perhaps one of the best books ever written, Austen takes us into 19th century rural England, where a woman's primary duty was to marry and marry well, since inheritance was out of the question. This novel tells the classic story of the rich, eligible bachelor, Fitzwilliam Darcy, who could have anyone he wanted, and young, but outspoken and bold Elizabeth Bennet, the second eldest of five girls who's family lives fairly well but ranks rather low on the social class spectrum. Hence, it's expected that she would marry should she be offered a reasonable and comfortable home, regardless of how she feels.Elizabeth Bennet may be one of literature's best heroines. Her complex and genuine character, her honesty and courage to remain true to herself regardless of the situation, makes her a lovable heroine, and one that can be related to regardless of time period. And let's admit, she is just downright witty. Darcy, while mistakenly perceived as proud and arrogant, turns out to be one the most gentlemanly and courteous men, a kind soul and romantic heart once he lets down his guard and exposes his true self. His qualities are ones women still crave to find in men today.The realistic and well-rounded characters, the accurate portrayal of 19th century British social life and setting, and Austen's superb writing creates a masterpiece full of romance, pride, social status, family values, and prejudice. This timeless romantic tale is one of the best love stories of all time, a true classic! I absolutely adored this book!
    • 5/5
      Brilliant writing, her best and a must read!
    • 5/5
      The older I get, the better this story gets. Of course, the tale does not change. The fact that it seems to have magically gained new content hopefully means that I have grown in understanding since my last reading. I truly enjoyed my most recent visit with Elizabeth, Mr. Darcy, and their friends and family. But I hope that I will be capable of knowing them even better when we meet again.
    • 5/5
      First time!! I started it for my book group and thought - I can't even pay attention long enough to figure out what they are saying hahahahah... but I got it- and then I couldn't put it down. I'm glad I was "forced" to read it.
    • 5/5
      Who doesn't like Pride and Prejudice? (Other than quite a few men, but I think Jane Austen is perhaps unfairly gender-segregated). A good book, although I think Sense and Sensibility may be her best. And the BBC miniseries of this one is also very good.
    • 4/5
      This is only the second Jane Austen book I've read so far and I loved it. I could never really get into Sense and Sensibility, the only other one I've read so far. It was a little difficult to read being my first Austen.

      Pride and Prejudice was so much better. I've always loved the movie and TV programme, so I was looking forward to reading this. It turned out that I love the book even more. I like that we get to see and hear more of Mr Darcy and how he feels the whole way through. He's more of a character in the book, and a lot more stern in the films.

      I'm planning to read the rest of Austen, but for now, this will be my favourite.
    • 2/5
      I just could not enjoy this book. I don't know if I still have residual PTSD from all the Victorian literature I read in high school or if it's something else. Granted, I tried to keep in mind that this was very novel for its time and I agree that Austen should be given credit for her feminist contributions. But other than a few stray clever remarks, my eyes rolled more often than not.

      Thus, the two stars are for Austen's rebellious attitude toward gender disparity, but I just find P&P too outdated and out-of-touch with someone like me.
    • 5/5
      Pride and Prejudice is a Classic. Of that there is no doubt, as it has stood the test of time for nearly 200 years, and been commented on and reviewed a multitude of times. I seriously doubt that there is little that I can say that is unique, original, or even all that helpful to anyone. I certainly won’t write the type of review that one of my friend’s on here wrote. I shall try, nonetheless. The story is a truly intriguing love story. Two young, intelligent, yet naïve girls, Elizabeth Bennett and her sister Jane meet their potential suitors, Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy. Mr. Bingley and Jane hit it off right away, but Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth do not. At all. She is angered by his arrogance, which he has in ample supply; whilst he is disgusted by her tolerance and enabling of her horridly rude family, whom she certainly does tolerate and enable very much for the first half of the novel. About midway through the novel, Elizabeth and Darcy have a confrontation, in which he professes his love to her, and she adamantly refuses to have anything to do with him. It was he who helped break up his friend Bingley and her sister Jane. He, who treated her, her sister, a friend of hers, Mr. Wickham, and people in general, so horridly, now wanted her hand? It disgusted her. He responded in a letter to her that her family warranted the ill manner in part. He also told her how Wickham betrayed his late father’s trust, and nearly ruined his teenage sister while trying to seduce her. Much more happens during the novel, but that is not important to me for the purposes of this review. What is important is the lesson contained within the story, the lesson of compromise and changing one’s ways. Both Darcy and Elizabeth are right. Both need to change and both do change. Afterward, they fall in love. Jane and Bingley do get back together, and it seems so story book, but not so fast. In the last chapter, which acts as an epilogue of sorts, we learn how not everything is happy go-lucky. Yes, the two couples are happy, but not everything is peaceful as they have to suffer the discord of their extended relations, just as so many real-life couples do. This is so refreshing in our day of simplistic love stories, where everything is happily ever after, and there is little true conflict. In the end, perhaps that is why the novel is still so popular. It is realistic, it tells a good story, it has characters, and it teaches a good moral tale, not to believe everything you hear until all of the facts are in, because you might make a serious misjudgment. And even if one is right, one can still have bad traits, and must be willing to change. This realism and moral teaching are what have made this book one of my favorite novels. I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone. Let me take a moment to also recommend a brilliant movie adaptation of this seminal work. It is the 1995 BBC version starring Colin Firth and Jennifer Ehle. It is a truly marvelous work that is faithful to the source material in a way few movies that I have ever seen have been. The movie has all of the elements of the book, sometimes in excruciating detail where you have a desire to magically reach into the screen and throttle some of the annoying characters. You can see the conflict, compromise, love, and happy yet realistic ending of the couple. No, you don’t get the epilogue to explain everything as they have it in the book, but it is hinted at enough. You get the sense that these two couples are happy, but part of a very dysfunctional family. The acting is superb, the music incredible, and the characterization and pacing are almost exactly like those in the book. A brilliant movie that I also highly recommend.
    • 1/5
      Flowery, pretentious writing does not a good story make. Austen created stiff, one-dimensional characters, brought them to life (as much as she could) in a boring plot, and had two of them fall in love somewhere, I guess. No one writes romance colder than Austen did.

      If you want to read a classic romance with true heat and a plot that's actually interesting, read Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre instead. Bronte is far and away a better storyteller than Austen.
    • 4/5
      I must admit that I have avoided reading this great classic for many years. I am glad that I finally read it and I enjoyed it tremendously. It has everything romance, a happy ending, humor and a good background of the social customs of the 19th Century.The matriarch of the Bennett family, makes it her life's mission to see that all five of her daughters are "suitably" married to the "proper gentlemen". She is looking out for their future as well as her own. Elizabeth, the second oldest of the Bennett family, meets Mr. Darcy, dismisses him as an arrogant snob. You just know they are destined to fall in love.Now that I have taken the plunge, I will be reading more of Ms. Austen.
    • 5/5
      More than just a romance novel. A good historic look into the foundationsof modern society.
    • 3/5
      The Bennett's have five unmarried daughters—from oldest to youngest, Jane, Elizabeth, Mary, Kitty, and Lydia—and Mrs. Bennett is desperate to see them all married. When the news that a wealthy bachelor Charles Bingley has rented the manor of Netherfield Park, Mrs. Bennett begins scheming to marry one of her daughters to him. At a ball that the Mr. Bingley and the Bennett girls attend we are introduced to Mr. Bingley’s friend Mr. Darcy. Mr. Bingley is quite taken with Jane, and Mr. Darcy is quite untaken with Elizabeth. Over the weeks as he interacts more with Elizabeth this begins to change. There is a mysterious fiancé and hurt feelings, but in the end Jane and Mr. Darcy reconcile and marry. This is classic Austin, I know that she has many fans and I know that when she was writing she lived in a different era for women, but I am just not able to reconcile the facts with me feelings. Being a on a constant husband hunt bores me, and yes Jane does assert some independence, but she is still a husband hunter who fears being a spinster school teacher. At least she isn’t willing to settle for the first bloke that asks or she would have been unhappily married to Mr. Collins, so there were some indicators of a strong woman. I think this is one of the reasons I can’t classic literature, I always want the heroine to say the hell with it and decide not to succumb to society and run off and become a successful businesswoman who never marries, even though I know it will never happen. Overall, though once my irrational suffrage rights feelings are set aside, it wasn’t a bad book. Little long winded in some spots, but that is the genre. Austen is a classic because she is a good writer and she tells a good tale. Overall I would say it was a 3 star read.
    • 5/5
      Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice was published in 1813 in three volumes, the customary presentation of a novel in the early 19th Century. Penguin Press has provided Kindle owners with a wonderful enhanced version of the novel preserving the three volume format without attempting to standardize or modernize the text. The Penguin book is presented by Juliette Wells, Enhanced E-book Features Editor. It is edited with an introduction and informative notes by Vivien Jones. The result is a very readable yet scholarly treatment of the novel, with a biography of Jane Austen, 19th Century reviews of the book, descriptions of how to make tea and Jane Austen's eating habits, and much more. The last time I read Pride and Prejudice was in 1966 in an English literature class in college. I challenged the professor's choice of reading material as completely irrelevant given the Vietnam War and the Civil Rights movement and protests on my college campus, San Francisco State. It was a pleasure to reread the book with the wisdom of age supplemented by the excellent notes throughout the three volumes. Kindle owners can, with a spin of the wheel and a click, read explanations of the semantics of the vocabulary used by Austen, consider content interpretations, view illustrations of fashion, learn historical dance steps, and see period architecture. The focus of the production, of course, is the novel with its themes of first impressions, pride, vanity, seduction, feminism, prejudice, sexism, fatal attraction, society, intellectual domination, morality, etiquette, marriage, heritability, class structure, the family as a purposeful unit, and personal happiness. I highlighted many passages and notes to read again and enjoy. One example is from Volume 1 when Darcy says to Elizabeth, "There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome." Another example of my highlights is from Volume 2 when Elizabeth states, "The more I see of the world, the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of either merit or sense." And here is an example of an explanatory note I highlighted from Volume 3, "e3. Elizabeth's determination here matches her effort throughout the novel to pursue what she considers to be her own happiness; compare her response to Mr. Collin's proposal of marriage in chapter 19." The novel, notes, and other features allow the reader to experience the historical context of the first edition. Before reading Pride and Prejudice, I reread James Joyce's Ulysses on my Kindle with Don Gifford's Ulysses Annotated paperback book as a guide. It would have been a better reading experience to have this excellent source integrated with the novel. Penguin's enhanced e-books with built in reference features will be excellent for new publications of classic novels. I learned a great deal more about Austen's novel in the convenient Kindle format than I did 42 years ago in college. Hopefully, I'll be able to add many enhanced Penguin classics to my Kindle Library.
    • 5/5
      Though I admire Persuasion best for it's plot, Pride & Prejudice is my favorite book of Jane Austen's to read. The humor represented and the witty banter are pure enjoyment; I never get tired of reading it ,and I have read it about twice a years since 1990, when I got a copy of it for my birthday. The scene between Lady Catherine and Elizabeth is the most fun and intelligent in the entire book. In the middle of several sentances one is tempted to stand up and yell out "You tell her!" I found that in a library, however, that this is rather frown upon. I wish folks still spoke that way; I think that brain power and grey cells would be far more developed if we had to come up with similar speeches on a moment's notice and fathom speeches spoken to us just as quickly. Not to mention every vocabulary would be far more broad. Elizabeth is respectable, if not a bit prideful of her own intelligence. She learns from her mistakes, however which is, in my opinion, the best part of the story. In my own life, I have learned that humility is a bitter pill to swallow but it enhances your health and lifts your spirirt once the lesson is learned. It arms you against future mistakes, like a highly shined sheild that grows in width over the years. Jane Austen inspired me to write; my husband encourgaed me and we both saw that one can indeed write an elegant, tasteful romance... and so with a measure of intelligence. (or several)]
    • 4/5
      This is a true timeless british classic romance. It's wonderful to read from one of the best known authors in british classic literature.
    • 4/5
      I was not expecting myself to enjoy this as much as I did. Austen's writing is crystal clear, with many witty and sometimes provocative asides (e.g. "Is not general incivility the very essence of love?"). I found it also quite humorous, most evidently in the father's character and comments, though Austen shows the hurtful side of that, too. For a story that's a whole lot of talking, it pulls one along. Unfortunately started a whole string of "Ihatehim Ihatehim Ihatehim...Ilovehim" plots in books, movies, TV, Austen should not be held responsible for the cheap versions that followed in her wake. Not sure if her characters are deep, exactly, the relationships are certainly captured in a captivating way.
    • 5/5
      I love this book. It is a classic. Mr. Darcy has ruined all us women. I feel this is Jane Austen's most readable novel. I love Elizabeth and Darcy. Watching them as they overcome pride, prejudice, and society is fun. This is timeless and worth re-reading whenever the opportunity arises.
    • 5/5
      Jane Austen’s Pride & Prejudice is so ubiquitous that I thought it would be familiar and unsurprising. After all, my sisters tortured me through one junior-high summer with repeated viewings of the BBC miniseries, and I saw the 2005 Keira Knightley film in the theater. But after reading the actual text I can repeat that trite dictum: the book was better.Because you’ve probably already been acquainted with P&P, there’s no need to dilly dally by summing up the plot. (If you don’t know who Lizzy and Mr. Darcy are, you’re either a sisterless guy or a romanti-phobic gal, and you should check out Wikipedia.) Instead, I want to focus on Austen’s writing: deft and witty. Her prose is tight and her dialogue is engaging. As one might expect, she uses cadences and words that are a touch foreign to the modern ear, but the words and descriptions are so clear that the foreign “accent” becomes familiar.A few samples from the book—Mr. Darcy explaining his views on character defects to Lizzy:“There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil—a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.”“And your defect is to hate every body.”“And yours,” he replied with a smile, “is willfully to misunderstand them.”“”Mr. Bennet discussing the sniveling Mr. Collins’ marriage proposal with Lizzy and his wife:“I understand that Mr. Collins has made you an offer of marriage. Is it true?” Elizabeth replied that it was. “Very well—and this offer of marriage you have refused?”“I have, sir.”“Very well. We now come to the point. Your mother insists upon your accepting it. Is it not so, Mrs. Bennet?”“Yes, or I will never see her again.”“An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day, you must be a stranger to one of your parents. Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do.”“”And, of course, the famous opening line:It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife.“”Which reminds me: one must be careful reading Austen. A modern reader might be tempted pass on her, perhaps considering her an outmoded traditionalist. But that famous opening line is imbued with the trenchant, cutting cultural criticism that fills the novel. Austen evaluates her characters honestly, and so she skewers many them in a way that prefigures 20th-century criticism of “traditional” family roles. Lizzy’s sisters do not simply want to be married, they are marriage hungry. Her father is a well-meaning but reclusive and neglectful man, one who is very nearly emotionally absent toward his family. And the upper class are not always afforded the dignity that they think they deserve.I was surprised and thrilled by how much I enjoyed Pride & Prejudice, and by how familiar it was, though set in the early 19th century.
    • 5/5
      I always forget how accessible and enjoyable I find Austen.
    • 2/5
      Two stars is my rating from when I read this on my own in high school. I liked it more the second time through when we read it for class, and I started to understand the humor in it. I even wrote my AP English literary criticism/research paper on this book, which helped me appreciate it more than when I read it independently.
    • 5/5
      This was my second book by Jane Austen, the first being Sense and Sensibility. When I read Sense and Sensibility, I found that I liked it but wasn’t blown away by it. And given the fact that I now remember absolutely nothing about it, it didn’t leave much of an impression on me. Going into Pride and Prejudice, I didn’t know if it was going to be like that too, so I didn’t have very high expectations. Additionally, I did read an adapted version of Pride and Prejudice for kids when I was little, and I remember enjoying that but that was a watered down version written in very plain English.Fortunately, I enjoyed Pride and Prejudice a lot more than Sense and Sensibility. I loved the storyline and plot. Initially, I feared that I might get bored, but I was throughly engaged throughout the novel. There was always something of interest happening. The short chapters also helped because it made the book go by very quickly. I’m actually impressed that I finished this in less than a week because I for sure thought it would take me a least one week. I also loved the characters, the Bennet family especially. The mother was hilarious and so over the top. Elizabeth and Jane’s sisterly bond was very strong and that was so nice to see. Mr. and Mrs. Gardiner were also pretty awesome.As for Mr. Darcy, I have to admit I did find him to be pretty swoon-worthy. I didn’t want to fall for him because everyone loves him, but it was hard not to. Lastly, I found the book to be just a tad bit too short. I wanted more, but I guess that’s just the sign of a good book. Overall, Pride and Prejudice exceeded my expectations and I am glad that I finally read this much beloved and talked about classic.
    • 5/5
      Austen's best-known book stands up well to a second readin.. The story of five sisters in search of husbands, accompanied by plenty of social criticism, satire, and fun is enjoyable for anyone who doesn't need a rapid-fire page-turner. Most people know the main plot, about the proud young man and the young woman who conceives of a prejudice against him, so I'll not retell it here. What's made this book popular for two hundred years is, I think, the humor, the gentle skewering of social attitudes, and the constant misperceptions of the motives of others. It's sort of classic lit. lite, easily accessible to almost all readers. Highly recommended.
    • 2/5
      I've tried Austen several ways, one of which is [Pride and Prejudice.] I've tried to like her, everyone insists I should. I like the story, however the boring, monotonous speed at which it is told is worse than death for me. Sorry Jane! I've NEVER said this before, but the movie is far better than the book!
    • 3/5
      I thought I might not like this book. I can never seem to get into these kinds of books – the classic life stories. But I ended up not not liking it. Even if I didn’t necessarily like it either, if that makes sense. I suppose I’m a bit indifferent about it. It was neither bad nor something I particularly enjoyed. I did appreciate the way Elizabeth was not like what the general populace of women was in those times. And I appreciated Darcy’s attitude, as well as the language used. It was readable but still used a deal of formal language. But I couldn’t get into the story. I’m a fantasy and action fan through and through. And yet I’m glad I read this book finally. It’s just one of those books you ought to know something about and not simply because you watched the movie.
    • 4/5
      I tried to read Pride and Prejudice once before, but stalled out on it. I was determined to read it this summer, though -- we're often told at my university that to really join in the 'conversation' that is the study of English Literature, we've got to be familiar with Jane Austen. I'll have to look up what the other requirements are, but I'm steadily plodding onward with Jane! This time, I actually enjoyed Pride and Prejudice rather more -- to the point where my mother, who has no affection for Austen, wondered if I was sick. I read it in ebook format, three or four pages at a time, and got it finished very quickly.

      I'm still not sure it's so utterly vital, or the pinnacle of wit or writing talent, but I do confess to enjoying it. Given how famous and influential it is, if you are in the position I adopted before, do give it a try. I don't blame you if you don't find it interesting. I obviously eventually got into it. The characters were really what got me, with their little quirks and flaws. Even Mrs Bennet, who is irritatingly hysterical, is kind of endearing -- heck, even Lydia and Wickham are kind of endearing in their lack of repentence and their silliness. I know a lot of girls swoon over Darcy, and maybe this is the fact that I haven't seen any tv/movie adaptation, but I didn't at all: I was rather of Lizzy's opinion to begin with. Still, he became more likable later on, and I enjoyed that. Lizzy herself -- well, she jumps to conclusions, but she has a mind of her own and isn't afraid to snub and refuse a man. I imagine that would have taken some guts, in that period.

      I have to say, I still found the plot fairly boring. If I didn't kind of want to see how the characters reacted and eventually got together, I probably wouldn't have stuck with it. It's not that the pacing is bad or anything, not when you consider the novel in context, but I'm just not really one for books in which the main object is everyone getting together at the end. Especially when the supposed love and affection between the characters falls relatively flat for me.

      I swear I'm not a pod person. And I still defend people's right to utterly loathe and detest Austen.