Pride and Prejudice

   Oh yeah. Zombie movies to Jane Austen, that's just how I roll. I cannot wait to see the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies movie when it comes out! But right now I'm talking about the best adaptation of Pride And Prejudice there is. Two words to convince you: Colin Firth. Pride and Prejudice is as close to the novel you can get.

Elizabeth Bennet wants nothing more then for her family to be happy. She wants to see her sisters happily married, and well settled. With her family's estate entailed to her only male cousin the Bennet sisters must marry or they will be out on the street when their father passes. So when Mr. Bingley and his party arrive in the neighborhood it seems heaven-sent. The first meeting does not go too well for Elizabeth, she overhears Bingley's proud friend Mr. Darcy say some uncomplimentary things about her. So when Mr. Wickham arrives in town with stories of Darcy's bad dealings, she is inclined to believe them. Bingley and Jane become closer, and everyone in the Bennet household hopes for their marriage. Darcy hears some of these rumors himself and he's very put off by them. His friend could do far better then a little country girl. He tells Bingley that Jane doesn't truly love him, she simply enjoys his company but has no feelings beyond that for him. Bingley takes his friends advice, believing Darcy is far more adept at reading people. It's not long after that Bingley finds  reason to back to London.  As time passes Darcy sees more and more in Elizabeth and he finds that he's drawn to her despite himself. When he finally declares himself to her, it goes very badly. He tells her that he loves her in spite of her family and her low connections, that it goes against every instinct inside of him but he loves her nonetheless. (He's a real romantic, isn't he?) She tells him where he can stick his marriage proposal, that she wouldn't marry him if he was the last man on Earth. He is completely astonished. She tells him she knows all about his unfair treatment of Mr. Wickham and  how he broke up Bingley and Jane and ruined her sister's only chance at happiness.

Darcy cannot leave these charges unanswered, he does what any gentleman would do. He writes her a letter. He tells her everything. That the senior Mr. Darcy had planned for Wickham to join the church but he had no inclination to do so, instead wanted money. So Darcy gave him the amount it would've cost to send him to the seminary, and told him he wished to have no more to do with him. But that unfortunately was not the last time they would have to face each other. Wickham tried to seduce and elope with Darcy's little sister as a way to exact a sort of revenge on Darcy and get to her inheritance. Luckily he found Wickham out before he could get away with it. As for Jane and Bingley he did think it the best thing. He watched Jane closely when he determined Bingley cared for her, but couldn't see any real affection there. Elizabeth doesn't know what to believe anymore. To take her mind off of everything she goes with her Aunt and Uncle on a tour of the lakes and accidentally finds herself at Darcy's home. His estate was on the route and his Aunt wanted to see it. When he comes home early, he's down right pleasant. Strangely so. He's even nice to her family, the very family that he looked down on before. Elizabeth begins to see him in another light. It's then she gets a letter from her family back home, it seems Mr. Wickham has eloped with Lydia (Elizabeth's youngest sister)! That cad! That bounder! That lech! She's only 15!

Mr. Darcy takes off! (Oh no.) She finally begins to care for him and her family goes and proves every negative thing he thought of them. Her sister will ruin the entire family's reputation and Darcy couldn't be seen with a girl from a fallen family. Her father and uncle go into Town searching for them,  it's really beginning to look like they aren't going to marry. They may never have intended to marry at all! (The scandal!) No wait...They are found! Wickham's debts are paid off and he agrees to marry Lydia. Huzzah! But how? They were so sure he wouldn't marry her. How did they convince him? Then Lydia drops a bombshell, Mr. Darcy was at her and Wickham's wedding.  After much wheedling Elizabeth gets her Aunt to tell her what really happened.  Darcy came to them and insisted that he be allowed to pay off Wickham's debts. It's the only way his conscience will forgive him, he believes it's his fault that Wickham chose Lydia. On top of that, Darcy's talked Bingley into coming back to the neighborhood... and told him the truth about Jane's true feelings. Elizabeth is deeply grateful. It isn't long before Bingley and Jane are engaged.

Elizabeth has fallen entirely in love with Darcy. But she doesn't see anyway it can work out. She has already turned down his marriage offer, he couldn't possibly offer again. (Could he?) It's only after Darcy's aunt shows up on her door that she begins to hope he still cares. His aunt (De Burgh) had always planned for him to marry her daughter Anne but she has heard a very disturbing rumor. It seems he plans to ask for Elizabeth's hand, De Burgh wants her word that she will not accept. Promise you won't marry him! Elizabeth tells her in no uncertain terms that if Darcy were to ask her, she would accept him and be the happiest woman in all of Creation! De Burgh leaves quite ticked off. Next thing you know Darcy's back in the neighborhood himself. He and Bingley arrive at the Bennet's doorstep, and ask the ladies inside to go for a walk. Once out and about Darcy's plucks up the courage to ask again. He heard from his aunt De Burgh that Eliazbeth would not make her that promise to not marry him. It has given him hope. Would she do him the great honor of being his wife? (Well duh!) Elizabeth and Darcy's story is one of the greatest love stories ever told. It's all about moving past misconceptions, overcoming pride, and finding love where you aren't looking for it.

I know that I'm not really doing justice to this book or movie. But I hope that you'll give it a chance if you haven't already. It's a classic for a reason people! Even just writing about it, I get so immersed in the story that I pick up the speech patterns. If that isn't proof of how engrossing it is, I don't what will convince you.