Pride and Prejudice, Annotated (Penguin Classics)

Before I start on my review, I'd like to mention that I am a 22 year old male with a short tolerance for romance/drama. Having said that I must say, I am presently halfway or so through and this novel is wonderful! At first, the Old English was extremely frustrating!! I had to read and re-read and re-re-read for the first several chapters (chapters are short in comparison to other books I've read) but your brain eventually gets accustomed to it. Once that happens, you are able to begin to comprehend every character's inner emotion and the storyline becomes enjoyable. No way in a million years did I ever suspect I would find myself picking up this book (it is a required read for one of my English courses), but I am incredibly grateful that I have. Will definitely remain in my collection, I will purchase a hard copy for my future in-home library xD

I love Jane Austen, and this is probably my favorite of her novels. I have read/listened to it multiple times, and I can never get enough of it.

My review is only for the Penguin Classic version of Pride & Prejudice, annotated and with introduction by Vivien Jones 1995 (Kindle). I have read the book for the first time, though I had seen the BBC serialised drama many times and the 2005 film, too. I am very glad that I chose this version because the notes throw new light on the story. Events that didn't make sense or lacked credibility on film are explained (for example, 18th cent. tourism of stately homes). Understanding of some aspects of Austen's writing depend on fashion, location and above all, social structure, most of which is explained in the notes. If you are unfamiliar with writing styles from that era and you start with this classic book, you may find reading is like hard work at first! I can only say that some explanation of the text is very welcome, so worth a few dollars. One or two people have mentioned spelling mistakes but I think these must be in other versions. I spotted a couple of typos but that's still good for Kindle. Emendments to the first edition are explained, so it's all good and I strongly recommend the Penguin version.

A classic. As expected. I enjoyed it every bit as much as I did upon first reading and found the annotations helpful when context didn't define a word or explain meaning.

My first language is Spanish and although my I have read this story more than three times, the annotations really came in handy while reading my favorite book.

Pride and Prejudice is the greatest love story of all time. Even after centuries have passed, no romance has ever matched the depth, tension, and emotional payoff of Elizabeth Bennet and Mr. Darcy. Their journey from misunderstanding to mutual respect and love is timeless, proving that true connection transcends eras. No matter how many love stories are written, none have ever compared.

Excellent edition of the classic

This is not the Kindle book described. It is not the Penguin Classic edition annotated by Vivien Jones. It is just a basic text of the book. No introduction or notes. You can find this for free on Amazon.

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife." So begins Jane Austen's wonderful 'Pride and Prejudice' when the arrival of the wealthy Mr Bingley, and his even wealthier friend, Mr Darcy, causes a stir in the village of Longbourn, and particularly in the Bennet household. Mr and Mrs Bennet have five unmarried daughters, no male heir, and their estate is entailed on a pompous clergyman relative, a certain Mr Collins. Mrs Bennet, therefore, is desperate to see at least two of her daughters married - namely the beautiful Jane, and the attractive, independently-minded Elizabeth. Two pretty and intelligent young women; two rich, eligible men - what could go possibly wrong? Just about everything ... This is a sparklingly witty, beautifully written and cleverly composed story which is a pleasure to read from start to finish. Elizabeth Bennet is a wonderful creation; Darcy is suitably arrogant, difficult and complex; Mrs Bennet is an absolutely awful, but brilliantly conceived character, who could give masterclasses in how to embarrass one's children; Lady Catherine de Bourgh is wonderfully snobbish and horribly condescending; Elizabeth's cousin, Mr Collins, is a toe-curlingly ingratiating character; and the remainder of the cast add greatly to this superb story. Romantic, amusing and marvellously entertaining this is a novel to read and reread - but one of the main purposes of this review is to talk about the Kindle Whispersync for Voice combination. If you buy one of the very reasonably priced Kindle versions, you are now able to download one of the audio versions, such as: Pride and Prejudice (Unabridged) for a couple of pounds (at the time of writing), therefore saving yourself a small fortune. You can switch back and forth between reading the Kindle book and listening to the Audible audiobook without ever losing your place. I bought the Kindle and audio download combination after buying the lovely new paperback version: Pride and Prejudice as a gift for someone, which gave me the urge to reread my own copy - however not wanting to break off from my current read, I decided to try the audio download and listened to it happily whilst travelling/gardening etc. The audio version I downloaded was ably narrated by Lindsay Duncan, who uses a variety of voices for the different protagonists, but there are other versions available (such as: Pride and Prejudice (Unabridged) narrated by Emilia Fox) and although Jane Austen's wonderful writing speaks for itself, Lindsay Duncan's rendition makes each character come even more alive, making this an entertaining and enjoyable listening experience. 5 Stars.

A beautifully written novel, in a wonderful style. Otherwise, though, it is somewhat kitschy, almost like a TV soap opera. That it, neverthless, figures on many lists of the 100 most important books of world literature must, therefore, be due to - British Pride and Prejudice.

Delightful to read on the original language with an extreme ability by the author to display not only the plot itself but also everything around it: locations, relations, social and family conventions. All that in a style and language as enjoyable as perfect. And last but not least, with a humor and sometimes irony that greately enhances the pleasure of the reading.

Loved it

This edition reverts to the original three volumes (inclusive here) of its first publication. One of the reviewers here mentioned ‘spelling mistakes’. These aren’t mistakes, they are the original Regency spelling from her manuscript (explained in the introduction if you read it) i.e. ‘chuse’ rather than ‘choose’. The annotations are helpful (some are quite obvious for UK readers) and explain the contemporary grammar that differs from today. For a book that’s free in many versions this is worth the extra cost if you wish to read it in its original format.