The review has taken quite a some time coming probably because I shy away from writing reviews of all time best sellers or historically most popular novels as this one was. As there is already so much written, studied and review by so many number of people that I don't feel like it to repeat the same things. But there are some books whom rating only do not suggest how good or bad they were because everybody makes ratings according to his/her interpretations. I personally do not like the GoodReads rating system. In such cases you are obliged to write a review about it and this book is one of them. If I had just left it rating it 4 or 5 or whatever stars I wanted to give it would have been quite unfair as the ratings just doesn't express my feelings towards the book. The GR rating system says 4 star means very much liked it, but thats just not all the case with this book for me.The book started with possibly one of the best starting lines ever. It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. As soon as I read this I knew this book I going to love this book. The line and the book on a whole prove exactly why I am such a huge fan of classic literature. Its the simplicity of the language, simplicity of the characters, simplicity of the words exchanged and simplicity.... of everything there's in the book that I absolutely love. Its written in such a way that even the most violent of things sounds beautiful and pleasing to the mind. Its nothing like most of the modern day novels; erotic, extravagant, extreme, wild, uncharacteristic, ugly and aggressive, all these things which I absolutely detest. Today we live in a world where we do not have time even for ourselves and our family. In a world where we just care about worldly possessions such as success and wealth. This book made me feel go to the past, in the days when there were no trains or plains or buses or any motor vehicles but just carriages and time enough for walking short distances. In the days when there was no internet, no phone but time enough for exchanging letters. In the days when you could just relax of your work any time and go for a long holiday. In the days when stress was not how much you earn but what your neighbours thought about youIn the days when there was time enough to do everything in the world. It also took you to the ride in the days when you really cared for your siblings and not being jealous for them. To the days when friendship didn't just mean partying or going to the movies together, but actually helping your friend in need, sharing with them every right and wrong thing in your lives and seeking their true and honest opinion. When love was not just sex but understanding each other without expressing one's thoughts and keeping one another happy.Words are not enough to describe the beauty and wonder of classic literature and this book was one of the best of them all.First when I read this book I didn't thought it was that extra-ordinary. But the more I think about it the more I find that it was almost a flawless book. Yes I've tried hard to find a fault in this but I just couldn't. Its been almost a month since I've read this but its still fresh in my memory as if I've just read it yesterday night. It still pushes me to that timeless world which I know is not possible. I've not changed my rating from 4 stars despite of this because I very soon want to read this again and then I will think of giving it 5. I think its one of those books the more you read the more you will like it.Finally I want to say that nothing can be perfect in this world. So while writing this review I've actually stumbled upon a fault or you could say a thing which could have been better. That particular thing is the very title of the book. As some of you might know this book was first named 'First Impressions', I seriously think that title would have been better than Pride and Prejudice. Yes Elizabeth personified Prejudice and Darcy personified Pride but especially in Elizabeth's case it was Prejudice towards just one or two persons (Darcy & Wickman), the rest I found her character to be quite correct so I feel that it was her First Impression about Darcy & Wickman the way she thought of them and not her Prejudice.Still as William Shakespeare says "Whats there in a name" I would say the title didn't have much bearing on the legacy of the book.
1