Elizabeth, Darcy, and the Fine Art of Not Saying What You Mean

Reading with a purpose: Let's explore Pride & Prejudice not just as a literary classic, but as a foundational romance novel and to examine how courtship, desire, consent, class, and agency in Austen’s world compare to modern ideas of romance. As you read, ask yourself, "Is this still a love story, or is it something else dressed as one?"

I realize that Jane Austen's book is often considered over read and overrated, but it's a book I've always loved. The first time I read Pride & Prejudice, it wasn’t in a quiet room or a library. It was chapter by chapter, out loud, sitting on a grassy hill overlooking, of all things, a cemetery.
The irony wasn’t lost on me: a book about the pressures of marriage and reputation, read in the literal shadow of gravestones.

But what I remember most wasn’t the scenery. It was the girl sitting next to me, also in my class. She was smart, funny, the kind of person you hope might like you back. I had a crush I never confessed, terrified I’d ruin the friendship.

So yes, maybe I was new to romance, but so is Darcy at the start of this book. Maybe that’s the real reason it stuck: we all begin with a little pride, a little prejudice, and a lot we’re afraid to say out loud.