"Pride and Prejudice," Jane Austen

I have a confession to make: until now, I have never read "Pride and Prejudice." A few excuses in my defense! Quite possibly part of the problem was an excessive attachment to the miniseries version from 1995 - whenever I attempted the book, Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth would overwhelm my weak little reader's brain. Another part of the problem - Darcy, as a hero, well - he's a bit of a cold fish, isn't he? Of course he makes up for it, although there really should be an alternative ending:

Darcy: I've saved your sister's honor to prove my love to you, Elizabeth!

Wickham: Wait a minute, Elizabeth! I have built a time machine and gone back in time to stop myself from hooking up with your sister!

Elizabeth: And I'm using that time machine to go to the future where I will no longer have to be utterly financially dependent on men! See you on the flip side, suckers!

I like time machines.

No, but really, it's very obvious to say but this is a wonderful book, "light, and bright, and sparkling" as Austen herself said. It's also very pleasant to have a heroine who's allowed to be witty without it being shown as compensation for something else (lack of looks or money) or a trait that she'll lose after her marriage: "Georgiana had the highest opinion in the world of Elizabeth; though at first she often listened with an astonishment bordering on alarm at her lively, sportive, manner of talking to her brother. He, who had always inspired in herself a respect which almost overcame her affection, she now saw the object of open pleasantry." And I even do like Darcy, by the end - which is I suppose the reaction you're supposed to have to him, gradually coming round to his good points as Elizabeth does. As I said, weak reader's brain - perhaps I expected him to be "good" all the way through because he was handsome Colin Firth? Miss Austen is probably spinning in her grave at the silly readers she has nowadays.