I had a very surface level familiarity with the story of Pride & Prejudice going into this read. I have never seen any of the movie or TV adaptations, so I mostly was going in blind. I had some familiarity with Austen’s work as I read Sense & Sensibility last year, but that was all I had as far as expectations go.

Overall, I enjoyed this! I found Austen’s social commentary to be both funny and astute. Many of the behaviors and attitudes that she satirizes are still common and I knew exactly the kinds of people she was talking about. I found her observations of people to be relatable and witty. It’s clear that she looks down upon superficiality in relationships and I completely agree. Her observations on society and social relationships were thought-provoking and I only wish I could talk to her about it all!

As far as plot and characters go, this was a bit less enjoyable than Sense & Sensibility. The plot was dragged out a bit for me, especially in the middle section of the book. I also felt that the characters weren’t as intriguing and fleshed out as the characters in Sense & Sensibility.

Still, Austen’s prose is a delight to read and carried me through. I look forward to continuing to read her works!

The two first books in this series were both beautiful and very cute, something which is also the case here, but this third one really punched me in the guts. If your life didn't turn out the way you wanted it to, if you grieve a part of you that's lost forever, if you struggle to even just breathe through another day of what feels like endless sorrow - then this book might be for you.

It doesn't solve anything, but at least I felt seen.