In PBS.org’s “list of America’s 100 most loved books” the
novel Pride and Prejudice by Jane
Austen comes in as number four. That means out of every book ever written,
voters in the poll have chosen Pride and
Prejudice as the fourth most popular. For a book written in 1813, this is
an impressive feat. It is a novel that, despite its age, has remained in
popularity among all sorts of people and seemingly finds an audience anywhere (and anytime). In fact, in an op-ed
for USA Today entitled “Why are we
still so passionate about 'Pride & Prejudice'?”, author Deirdre Donahue
writes that it is “the ultimate ‘happy ever after’ tale”. This seemingly
verifies the idea that, to many, this book is still entertaining and relevant,
despite the change in the times. Why then, is a book so celebrated by
the general populous seemingly admonished by our little young adult fiction
class?
An
overarching theme in the discussions in our class is our collective lack of
interest Pride and Prejudice. It is
not the only opinion, of course, but it is one that seems to come up every time
the book is discussed. A possible answer is one that has been suggested in
class; it is a problem with our generation. It could be possible that the
language in which Pride and Prejudice is
written could be pushing younger readers away. For example, when speaking to
Elizabeth Bennett within the novel, the character Darcy says, “There is, I
believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural
defect, which not even the best education can overcome.” (Austen 60). People in
the age range of those in our classes would expect the same thing to be said more
along the lines of: Everyone possesses evil qualities that no amount of
education can change. The writing this way is easier to understand and takes a
bit less thought processing. This difference of language can cause members of our
generation, known for our fast consumption of easy to understand entertainment,
to quickly lose interest.
It is
important to note how differently Pride
and Prejudice lands in Goodreads list of high school books versus where it
was in PBS’ ranking. On Goodreads the book is 25th, over twenty
placements lower than where it landed in in the ranking not dependent on age.
This shows definitively that, while still somewhat popular, the novel has nowhere
near the appeal among readers under the age of twenty versus those older.
The idea
that Pride and Prejudice does not
have the appeal to Generation Z as it does to other generations is something
that seems ever-present, both online and in class. I can not be positive if the
real reason is actually because of the difference and language but it is a very
likely possibility. I wonder if the novel will begin to appeal to us more as we
grow older or if the 200-year-old book is truly starting to lose its
universality.
Works Cited
Donahue, Deirdre. “Why Are We Still so Passionate about
'Pride & Prejudice'?” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 28 Jan. 2013, www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2013/01/27/pride-and-prejudice-200th-anniversary-jane- austen/1859183/.
“Popular High School Books.” Goodreads, Goodreads, www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/high-school.
“Read the 100 List.” PBS, Public Broadcasting
Service, 20 Apr. 2018, www.pbs.org/the-great-american-read/books/#/.
I agree with the fact that our current generation may not be able to relate to the book as strongly compared to past generations. It has been brought up numerous times that the language used in the novel is difficult to understand and decipher, making it a tough read. As a general statement, I would say that the majority of students enjoy a fast read- something that they can pick up and quickly understand and speed read through the book. I think this is why many of the students in this class enjoyed The Lizzie Bennet Diaries. This blog-style reenactment of the novel is much easier to comprehend; after I read the novel, I had to go back to watch the corresponding episodes to clarify that what I was gaining from the novel was correct. This may be from a lack of deep reading, however, I think that it is more realistic to analyze the novel in terms of young adults in a modern sense. The novels that most people our age tend to grow up reading (for pleasure) include books based more in utopian/dystopian societies; a stark contrast to classic times exemplified in this novel. I think the shift in setting and genre of these classic novels in comparison to more modern works makes it more and more difficult for modern adults to understand and comprehend. From this, it is understandable why Pride and Prejudice’s popularity over the years has somewhat decreased (according to the Goodreads article you referenced).
ReplyDeleteI also agree that the difference in language affects the class’s perception and rating of the Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, but I also think that, overall, the novel has much of the same drama, romance, and comedy that many of the forms of media we enjoy today have. For example, some members of the class expressed that they like the Harry Potter series more due to its faster pace and more complex plot. While Harry Potter is a fantasy series, and it does have an overarching plot that includes fighting and magic, much of the series deals with the everyday drama of being a child in a school with other children. The drama that Harry and his friends face is still drama, and I would argue that the series would be boring and much less enjoyable without those moments. Granted, Pride and Prejudice does not have magic, but it does have the drama of the Bennet family and the families around them.
ReplyDeleteThe marriages and sly comments that make Austen’s novel so compelling may be missed and not appreciated by younger readers, including most of our class, but these elements are still present. From the backhanded complements and gossip to the mystery and drama surrounding marriages, this novel does possess many of the elements we enjoy in other books. The language difference is a barrier that we, myself included, need to push past in order to better enjoy and appreciate Austen’s work.
I think this is an interesting point to bring up, as many people do find Austen’s writing difficult or boring. However, Austen’s work has become so popular that there are endless ways to be exposed to it aside from the original novel. There have been several movies made about Pride in Prejudice, some even trying to give the story some sort of new or modern twist. These versions of the story may appeal to a younger audience, even if the original novel does not. Also, exposure to these versions of the story may help the book find a new audience or allow that audience to appreciate the novel more. I know for me, I did not become interested in Austen’s work until after I had seen the BBC version of Pride in Prejudice. After seeing that version of Pride and Prejudice I became interested in reading that novel, as well as Austen’s other works.
ReplyDeleteI think Austen’s works have lessons in them that are still important in today’s society. I think that is part of the reason they are still so popular, and hopefully why they will continue to be relevant in the future. Seeing how wrong Elizabeth’s first impressions about Darcy and Mr. Wickham are in the beginning of the novel can make you think about how quickly we tend to judge people. It allows you to see the value of getting to know people better, and I think that’s a lesson that is important for every new generation to learn.
Your response really resonated with me. I have definitely been vocal in class about my relative dislike concerning Pride and Prejudice when compared to the other novels we’ve read this semester. However, I think I’m changing my mind. After finishing the book, I cannot help but agree with the point you cited that Pride and Prejudice is the ultimate happy-ever-after-tale. Yes, the language is hard to navigate at times- after all, one doesn’t often speak in 19th century dialogue or hear it spoken around. Despite all of this, however, I think the message conveyed reaches out through the thicket of difficult-to-navigate language in a way that touches the reader regardless of their experience with Austenian prose.
ReplyDeleteWhen Elizabeth starts to think “that to be the mistress of Pemberley might be something,” the reader isn’t lost within the meanings or implications of being an estate’s mistress, an antiquated concept- the reader’s focus lies in Elizabeth beginning to thaw towards Darcy, a happy fairytale ending in sight (Austen 169). Darcy’s assurance to Elizabeth that his “affections are unchanged” doesn’t prevent the reader from sensing that a concrete favorable resolution is becoming more and more possible, regardless of the way in which Darcy phrases his feelings (256). Most of the portion of our class that disliked the novel hadn’t read it before, and therefore weren’t aware of the ending, myself included. I was not a part of the Pride and Prejudice Fanclub, but the ending made me change my tune. Happy endings are universal, regardless of the era of the language in which they are presented, something that Baby Boomers to Generation Z-ers relate to and seek out.
I am glad you brought this up; I love Pride and Prejudice, but I have also spent a significant amount of time contemplating what its appeal is to me over more contemporary novels. While I do think the language creates a barrier of accessibility to modern readers, I personally think it is ultimately the universality and timelessness of human nature that Austen portrays that keeps Pride and Prejudice relevant.
ReplyDeleteThroughout the novel, Austen’s renderings of each character are easy to personify; I have always been able to place a real person whom I have met with a character in the book, including the more ridiculous personalities (i.e. Mr. Collins, Mrs. Bennet, etc.). Elizabeth describes Jane, for example, as “too apt…to like people in general. [She] never see[s] a fault in anybody. All the world are good and agreeable in [her] eyes” (18). I think most people know at least one person whom they view in a similar way; willing to see the good in others, striving to be kind, excusing poor behavior. It is with such mastery and skill that Austen tackles characterization that she is able to create such real characters that speak to the nature of humanity and personality. Her novel, though stylistically different than modern language, is timeless in this sense. I think it is rare to find characters so real in literature, particularly older literature (i.e. Ragged Dick).
Austen, Jane. Pride and Prejudice. Penguin Classics, 1996. Print.