Jane Austen Boxed Set and 2005 Pride and Prejudice Review

For an early New Years gift (we don’t celebrate Christmas), my Dad bought me all the Jane Austen novels in a beautiful boxed set.  Since I don’t own any actual Jane Austen novels (didn’t own! :)) I was really excited and happy to have them all now.  The only problem we had was that Mansfield Park‘s pages were badly crushed but we were able to exchange it for and almost identical copy.  All the novels have blue spines (except M.P. which has a black one), and are paperbacks.

Review of Pride and Prejudice 2005

I recently watched this great movie so of course I wanted to do a review of it.

For starters, the Kiera Knightley and Matthew Macfayden are THE Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy.  I really like Colin Firth’s and Jennifer Ehle’s performance too, but K.K. and M.M. are the best.

The music, the scenery, and the costumes are all wonderful.  Elizabeth does have her hair down more than once (a Regency no-no), and George Wickham looks so creepy that it’s a wonder Elizabeth could believe his story.

But there are several factors that make this my favorite P and P adaption.  For one, Caroline Bingley is better (in my opinion) than the 1995 version.  She’s so venomous and I think she really brings out the worst in her character.  For instance…

Elizabeth Bennet to Mr. Darcy: I dearly love a laugh.

Caroline Bingley (with scorn): A family trait I should think.

The story, even though it is condensed into two hours, follows the book very well.  Lady Catherine (though a bit old for her role) looks a lot more imposing in this version than the Lady Catherine in the 1995 version.  

Again, the music, scenery, everything was wonderful.  The characters were well cast and the plot is interesting and moves swiftly and interestingly.  That is my opinion of the 2005 P and P…and now despise me if you dare.

Thanks for taking time to read this post, and please come again soon.

Pride and Prejudice 1995 Review

Wonderful.  Masterful.  Brilliant.  Well done.  Spectacular.  Awesome.  Stupendous.  I could go on but you get the picture.  I really, really enjoyed it.  (Not as much as the 2005 version, but never mind.)  For one thing, I loved it’s completeness.  It goes through the whole book without fail, and the actors and actresses often quote straight out of the book.  One thing I did notice that was taken out was Caroline Bingley’s flattering Mr. Darcy on the evenness of his handwriting.  But since this is a small point it doesn’t matter too much.

My next point is the music.  I love, love, love the music!  It is just sounds so wonderful.  Of course, I can’t explain it, but you know what it’s like if you’ve seen it and I’m sure everyone agrees with me.  The costumes and the sets are very, very well-done.  I like all the clothes that Lizzy wears especially the navy blue coat with the plaid scarf.  And of course the scenery is beautiful.

There is of course, high humor in Jane Austen’s novels and the movie follows through bringing us the pompous Mr. Collins, the domineering Lady Catherine and of course William Lucas.  Mr. Bennet and Mrs. Bennet are very well portrayed as are Kitty, Mary and Lydia.

This movie is very well done and I would advise you to watch it if you haven’t already.  It is a true Austen classic.