Classic a Month | Reading Challenge

The new year started on a very high note, with many new books and of course with the first classic of the year – «Pride and Prejudice» by Jane Austen. I bought this beautiful (very classic) edition in Russian and absolutely devoured it!

It turned out to be way more interesting than I expected it to be, as I am not a fan of romances (and for some reason I associated it to be a pure romance) but it was so much more! It’s one of the best «character» novels that I’ve ever read.  

There are some great analysis in form of simple text or fun infographics out there for almost all Jane Austen novels, describing in details all the hidden messages of the book and analysing to the core our beloved characters. (Let me just say that whoever invented infographics is a genius! How fun is it to have one beside you while reading the novel? Or even bring with you to the class because besides its obvious usefulness, it also looks incredible!).

Considering all of the above, I am not going to dissect the book for you but rather just give my thought, feelings and opinions (because I am the Queen of this Universe!).

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” So begins Pride and Prejudice, Jane Austen’s witty comedy of manners—one of the most popular novels of all time—that features splendidly civilized sparring between the proud Mr. Darcy and the prejudiced Elizabeth Bennet as they play out their spirited courtship in a series of eighteenth-century drawing-room intrigues.

Renowned literary critic and historian George Saintsbury in 1894 declared it the “most perfect, the most characteristic, the most eminently quintessential of its author’s works,” and Eudora Welty in the twentieth century described it as “irresistible and as nearly flawless as any fiction could be.”

WHAT SURPRISED ME:

1 – As this was the first Jane Austen’s work I’ve ever read, I didn’t know what to expect going into it.

Of course the novel is so well known that names like Mr. Darcy and Ms. Bennet are recognized by absolutely anyone – book lover or not. We heard the story, we watched the movie, we read the quotes and worshiped Mr. Darcy without even reading the book.

What surprised me the most was the focus on the characters, the lines between different personalities, quoting the GoodReads blurb – proud Mr. Darcy and prejudiced Ms. Bennet. (besides all other Bennet family members, numerous friends and enemies) – they all had a very distinct predominate characteristic described phenomenally well.

2 – THE INTRIGUING ROMANCE. It was slightly subtle, very intriguing and absolutely in the spirit of 18th century. You know how I dislike YA romances, each sentence and each word make me cringe. But this one was beautiful!

3 – THE BENNET FAMILY AND DRAMA AROUND IT. Some of them I hated, some I loved and others I couldn’t manage any feeling but disrespect. Which made me more and more interested in the story – only truly great authors can make us strip off the indifference and feel real emotions towards fictional characters.

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The choice for my February classic was – «Book Thief» by Markus Zusak (that I’ve already started reading in early September and put it down, never got around picking it up again). Considering the shortness of the month and how busy my life had gotten to become, I thought that would be a perfect choice to stay on track of my challenge.

And what do you think? I haven’t picked it up yet! It’s the 22nd of February as I am writing this and I am way behind.

P.S. I have a habit of writing my posts and then never posting them. Send help to go through tons and tons of google doc files! Please? Anyone?

And also I failed the classic reading in February, but since I am only 1 and a half book behind, I think I can still catch up this month. Going to stay positive no matter what!

How are your reading challenges going so far? Let me know in the comments down below!

With love,

Alex

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