So, the first time I read P&P, I loathed it. I tried Sense and Sensibility, and loathed it too.
My mom-in-law loved P&P, and after many conversations, I tried it again. Still lukewarm. A third read-through was better.
Finally, I listened to a brilliant audio book of it - and then liked it.
After that, I watched a few film versions - and definitely warmed to it more.
But... yes, it's an oddly written book and most of her books are like that.
My mom-in-law loved the humor in the book - Mrs. Bennet is supposed to be continuously humorous character, almost like a caricature of a fussy mother.
If you read her as offensive, well, yeah, she kind of is - like how everyone makes fun of the Karen caricature in modern times.
I sometimes get tired of the Karen stuff and I think it gets overdone, and then... I meet someone who seems to walk right into the caricature and live it fully, so I get where it comes from - I just tend to call women like that a more offensive nickname. We have three of them who drive their fancy cars to park on our country road so they can go running in the country - they shout at everyone who "gets in their way," dogs that bark at them, and anyone who attempts to wave at them, and then finish their run and drive back to whatever horrible place they live. I picture them as the witches that show up in some of Roald Dahl's books, but they probably live in a gated community given the lulu lemon workout clothes, perfectly coiffed and dyed hair, gym toned fitness level, and the expense of the cars they drive.
Anyway, didn't mean to ramble, but I get what you mean, and I always wish Lizzie and her sisters were more fully realized on the pages of P&P.
First of all : THANK YOU! I sincerely thought that I had some sort of malfunction in my reading abilities! The only other Austen book I've read is "Northanger Abbey" and I really enjoyed that one. It, too, took a somewhat circuitous route in the first half but it was easier to follow and Austen gave us a MUCH better fleshing out of all the characters. I expected P&P to be along those same lines. Boy, was I mistaken.
Oh, man. Mrs. Bennett. I simply CANNOT with her! LOL! She was waaaaaaay too much like someone I used to know and I found myself wanting to put some duct tape over her mouth and lock her in a closet a few times! She is most DEFINITELY a caricature and done very, very well.
Secondly : The Karen caricature is so spot on it's frightening. I hate that people settled on that name because I worked with a dear lady whose name is Karen and she's the anti-Karen in every way! I'm from the South so I am well acquainted with stereotypes and negativity but, as I learned while working at a tree removal company that took rent payments for the mobile home park next door (don't ask), "Stereotypes are there for a reason." I'd say a good solid 85% of people don't fit any stereotype but man, the ones that do are so very loud and so very proud that they gloss over the others in such a spectacular fashion you start to believe everyone who lives in the mobile home park are like "that". And lemme tell you : there was at least one amazing character who I had to interact with on many, many occasions who perpetuated the stereotype SO WELL he became a hilarious meme in the office.
I love the visual of the three Roald Dahl witches. That's hilarious! It's like the people who go stay in a cabin because they want to "get away" from it all and complain continually that there's no Internet, no TV and that the bugs are bigger than their lap dogs! I love it! There's definitely a short story there to be sure!
So, the first time I read P&P, I loathed it. I tried Sense and Sensibility, and loathed it too.
My mom-in-law loved P&P, and after many conversations, I tried it again. Still lukewarm. A third read-through was better.
Finally, I listened to a brilliant audio book of it - and then liked it.
After that, I watched a few film versions - and definitely warmed to it more.
But... yes, it's an oddly written book and most of her books are like that.
My mom-in-law loved the humor in the book - Mrs. Bennet is supposed to be continuously humorous character, almost like a caricature of a fussy mother.
If you read her as offensive, well, yeah, she kind of is - like how everyone makes fun of the Karen caricature in modern times.
I sometimes get tired of the Karen stuff and I think it gets overdone, and then... I meet someone who seems to walk right into the caricature and live it fully, so I get where it comes from - I just tend to call women like that a more offensive nickname. We have three of them who drive their fancy cars to park on our country road so they can go running in the country - they shout at everyone who "gets in their way," dogs that bark at them, and anyone who attempts to wave at them, and then finish their run and drive back to whatever horrible place they live. I picture them as the witches that show up in some of Roald Dahl's books, but they probably live in a gated community given the lulu lemon workout clothes, perfectly coiffed and dyed hair, gym toned fitness level, and the expense of the cars they drive.
Anyway, didn't mean to ramble, but I get what you mean, and I always wish Lizzie and her sisters were more fully realized on the pages of P&P.
First of all : THANK YOU! I sincerely thought that I had some sort of malfunction in my reading abilities! The only other Austen book I've read is "Northanger Abbey" and I really enjoyed that one. It, too, took a somewhat circuitous route in the first half but it was easier to follow and Austen gave us a MUCH better fleshing out of all the characters. I expected P&P to be along those same lines. Boy, was I mistaken.
Oh, man. Mrs. Bennett. I simply CANNOT with her! LOL! She was waaaaaaay too much like someone I used to know and I found myself wanting to put some duct tape over her mouth and lock her in a closet a few times! She is most DEFINITELY a caricature and done very, very well.
Secondly : The Karen caricature is so spot on it's frightening. I hate that people settled on that name because I worked with a dear lady whose name is Karen and she's the anti-Karen in every way! I'm from the South so I am well acquainted with stereotypes and negativity but, as I learned while working at a tree removal company that took rent payments for the mobile home park next door (don't ask), "Stereotypes are there for a reason." I'd say a good solid 85% of people don't fit any stereotype but man, the ones that do are so very loud and so very proud that they gloss over the others in such a spectacular fashion you start to believe everyone who lives in the mobile home park are like "that". And lemme tell you : there was at least one amazing character who I had to interact with on many, many occasions who perpetuated the stereotype SO WELL he became a hilarious meme in the office.
I love the visual of the three Roald Dahl witches. That's hilarious! It's like the people who go stay in a cabin because they want to "get away" from it all and complain continually that there's no Internet, no TV and that the bugs are bigger than their lap dogs! I love it! There's definitely a short story there to be sure!