Things to Know Before Reading Pride and Prejudice | How to Read Jane Austen for Beginners

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Күн бұрын

Reading Jane Austen can be super frustrating for beginners. But help is available! This video breaks down the most important things you need to know before reading Pride and Prejudice. We look at how the fact that Pride and Prejudice was published in the Regency Era, 200 years ago, changes the way we need to look at the story. And we discuss essential aspects of manners, etiquette, money, and more that you need to know to understand classic books better.
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🕰 WATCHING GUIDE
00:00 What You Need to Know Before Reading Pride and Prejudice [Intro]
00:55 Reasons Reading Jane Austen Can Be Frustrating
02:22 They Speak Differently
05:55 They Think Differently
08:45 They Act Differently
12:18 They Married Differently
15:55 They Made Money Differently
19:28 They Wrote Differently
25:53 They Were Different Back Then
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#prideandprejudice #janeausten #regencyera

Пікірлер: 702

@glorianaberry3623 2 жыл бұрын

That difference between historical fiction and classic literature is so important! As hard as modern authors might try to imitate the past, it's impossible to get the exact same perspective and view of someone who actually lived during that time.

@hakirby 2 жыл бұрын

I think that makes it hard to get as well. We're judging a work from at least three different standpoints, what the time was like, what we know of the time, and modern interpretation of the same.

@cmm5542 2 жыл бұрын

I actually had this driven home to me from reading In Honour's Cause, a historical fiction story of the Jacobean Era, WRITTEN in the Victorian Era. It was so patently obvious that the characters were late Victorian schoolboys, not post-Tudor squires. Since then I have read all modern historical fiction with a severely critical eye, saying to myself: is this really how people behaved back then, or a modern idea of how they SHOULD have behaved, putting modern characters into vintage costumes essentially. And the best way to evaluate how true historical fiction is to its real time period is to read classic literature, where the characters are actually representative of that time period - sometimes even more so than modern academic history, never mind historical fiction.

@rosezingleman5007 2 жыл бұрын

When I was in high school in 1973, I was rereading “Persuasion” and a girl in my English class told me she “loved old novels,” and brought me two out of her collection to read. They were bodice rippers. She thought they were “just like that old one about the Civil War [Gone with the Wind] and Pride and Prejudice, except easier to read.” If your reading comprehension is poor, Harlequin romances will be an easier, if not better time.

@zuzkapavlovicova2779 Жыл бұрын

When I read a historical novel recently, it was such a weird experience after reading a classical novel (one of Austen's books), because I felt like the writer overexplained aspects of life and I felt a bit stupid, like "why are you explaining this?" or "why do you mention this obvious fact?". When Austen assumed I knew, it immersed me in the story and in the culture of a book more then explanations of every little thing.

@BionicOffice 9 ай бұрын

I'm old enough to feel that about my own times 50 years ago! When people now ask "why didn't they..." or say "back then people didnt..." We don't realize that we swim in the waters of our own time and go through life with our own assumptions and accepted conventions we don't even question.

@PokhrajRoy. 2 жыл бұрын

Idk if it’s because I’m weird, but when I read passages from Jane Austen, I totally get what she’s saying with the exception of a few words. Maybe it’s a “Either you get the vibe or you don’t get the vibe” thing.

@cmm5542 2 жыл бұрын

Perhaps. I felt that I got what Austen was saying the first time I read her too. Of course, I did NOT understand where all the money was coming from - so thanks for that, Ellie! I always wondered what 'the horses were needed at the farm' meant, as Mr Bennett was obviously NOT a farmer, at least not to my Little House on the Prairie-trained mind!

@rharvey2124 2 жыл бұрын

I think a lot depends on where you grew up and your family. If your family and home land valued tradition, then I think it is easier to understand Austen.

@kiarona. 2 жыл бұрын

@@cmm5542 same here - I got the gist of pretty much everything, but was also confused about the money. Having watched some of Ellie's videos on how they made money though, that's more clear to me now

@cheerio3847 2 жыл бұрын

I think many can 'get the vibe' but we miss the subtleties, and you don't know what you don't know. I didn't realize how much this could be until I watched a video where someone was talking about Mansfield Park and the play arc. Until this video, I thought I understood the Georgian and Regency time periods, but I had some pretty big holes in my understanding. I didn't get just how scandalous the chosen play actually was and the details etc. I really just thought it was a tad racy as a love story and some were being typically prudish, especially Fanny. She explained that this play was something that EVERYONE in that time period knew as it was a well-known scandal. She talked about what it was really about and what the various interludes really were talking about and suddenly I GOT IT in a way I hadn't before, and it was mind blowing. Austen didn't explain much because it would have been like explaining how horses pulled carriages. COMPLETELY changed how I saw Fanny and the others. So, I think it's a mix. We can get quite a lot from context, but w/o a real understanding of the historical info, the by-the-way references, we miss more than we think. Or at least I missed more than I thought, and it made me re-evaluate my understanding of many of her other books. I don't know what I don't know and now that idea bugs the heck out of me!

@cmm5542 2 жыл бұрын

@@cheerio3847 I quite agree! Knowing the historical background can COMPLETELY change how you view the story, and adds so much more depth to one's enjoyment, in my mind.

@kerriemckinstry-jett8625 2 жыл бұрын

Actually, reading Jane Austen's novels underscores the extent to which people really don't change. Her novels & the novels of authors who accurately portrayed the human beings in their society (yes, Agatha Christie, of course!) have not fallen by the wayside because so much of human nature has not changed. We still have Mr. Wickhams, etc. & they're just as annoying now as they were then. The accents & clothes are different, sure, but really people themselves haven't changed. We still have Mr. Collinses who happen to know person X & won't shut up about how important person X is or how important they are because they know person X. We still have people with "affected manners" pretending to be better than they really are in order to deceive those around them. We also still have Mr. Darcys, the awkward guys who don't like dealing with large social situations.

@hakirby 2 жыл бұрын

Yeah, but now we don't have to put up with them if we don't need to.

@kerriemckinstry-jett8625 2 жыл бұрын

@@hakirby 🤣👍. Not unless they're family, anyway...

@cmm5542 2 жыл бұрын

Oh, I LOVE Agatha Christie and her 'knowledge of human nature.' She even surpasses Austen in this, to my mind, as her books involve a wider range of ages and situations than young people looking to get married. Not that Austen doesn't use this as a platform to deal with much wider issues in life - like pride and prejudice 😁.

@lovetolovefairytales 2 жыл бұрын

@@hakirby 😂 cute fantasy. Of course we have to put up with them. Until we can send them to the moon.

@hederahelix4600 2 жыл бұрын

That is one things I love about her books. She was so great at observing and describing people and their character traits. And those traits are still mostly unchanged today. It is quite fascinating.

@runew9732 2 жыл бұрын

The thing that had me fall in love with her books was reading Pride and Prejudice and realizing how completely foreign the etiquette and ways of living were to me. I loved piecing most of it together in rereading for context clues bc it was like a puzzle of a past time and place. I also love Fanny Burney for this

@jessica_jam4386 2 жыл бұрын

This is why I always prefer my Austen adaptations to be period pieces instead of modern retellings! I feel like the time period is so integral to the story, that it actually takes something away in a lot of ways when you put it in the modern era. I will say I do enjoy Clueless though!😊

@mrscourtneyward Жыл бұрын

Same!!! Sometimes I wish some of the social etiquette would come back

@mrscourtneyward Жыл бұрын

@@jessica_jam4386100% percent. I love Clueless & (on a side note) Easy A. Maybe because they both got to the heart of the story?

@LenaLovesgoodStories Жыл бұрын

I think my biggest eye-opener to understand the book was how different dancing was from today. One dance took more than half an hour and included a lot of standing around in a row while the people in front did the dancing, paraded to the back of the line, allowing the next couple to continue and so on. This is what makes it so awkward for darcy not to talk. It's not like they actually "dance" to a modern song (2-5 minutes) and sit down. They stand around opposite each other for ages 😅 this "dancing" (or rather waiting around) was the major way of getting to know people of the other sex. When everything was codified and you were never alone with a potential partner, these half hour standing parties were your chance to get to know someone. That's why it's so strange and remarkable for darcy not to dance when he is first introduced to a new group. It also explains why everyone exclaims over Bingley asking two dances from Jane. Also, do look up what an entail is, took me ages to understand how important that concept is... Edit: one of the things that still puzzle me most is what Austen means with "shrubbery". Everyone is incessantly walking in the "shrubbery" or even the "wilderness". I'm always picturing all these fine ladies in their gowns stumbling through the bushes and emerging with torn clothes and tangled hair 😅

@judithstrachan9399 4 ай бұрын

Shrubbery & wilderness were not at all what we think of when we hear the words. Wilderness was wilder (duh!) but both were very much tamed with paths winding through them, usually wide enough for 2 to walk side by side with a “proper” distance between them. Walking with a gentleman in the shrubbery was acceptable (just), but beware of him who tries to tempt you further, into the wilderness. Unless you’re already engaged, when couples had a little more freedom. A shrubbery was likely to be below a terrace, so that couples could be overlooked & monitored. A wilderness was further away from chaperones AND possible rescuers, & therefore more risky.

@LenaLovesgoodStories 4 ай бұрын

@@judithstrachan9399 Awesome. That was a really helpful explanation. Especially the part with the terrace. :)

@catherinebatty2891 2 жыл бұрын

Most of the UK can probably relate to Darcy's default small talk about family - even now, in awkward moments we rely on 2 things - speaking about the weather and "How is your family?" to get us through. Darcy shows awkwardness is timeless 😊

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

😂😂😂 He does

@Blech-h9z Ай бұрын

Here in the Midwest, if you DON'T talk about the weather, you're weird and we don't know how to deal with you .

@Mai2727 2 жыл бұрын

I'm glad you mentioned the social commentary because I think a lot of people think of Austen as a writer of romantic novels and all of the comedy and subtle satire of her books go over the readers' heads.

@barbarafrings9231 2 жыл бұрын

Her satire is so great! 🙂

@NemisCassander 2 жыл бұрын

I guess people don't really get satire, then, as the very first line of P&P is one of the best-done satirical lines in fiction. And is known to be so.

@charlesiragui2473 Жыл бұрын

Even her "romance" is social commentary. She's building her imagined perfect society in which Elizabeths find their Darcys.

@tticusFinch 2 ай бұрын

Right? Whenever I hear her writing, half the time I picture a young woman with an amused smile telling me these things.

@janleonard3101 2 жыл бұрын

I recommend "What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew" by Daniel Pool. It's a great reference book with helpful info on the details of life to help understand the time period(s).

@debbiericker8223 2 жыл бұрын

That book is excellent.

@williamfickas2542 2 жыл бұрын

I was going to recommend this, but you beat me to it. Great for all 19th C British literature

@patriciaduncanjimenez6019 2 жыл бұрын

Good suggestion!

@lbebko9154 2 жыл бұрын

Such a great book!

@patgreen8619 2 жыл бұрын

I love this book! I borrowed it from the library so often I ended up buying a copy!

@kellimbt 2 жыл бұрын

To anyone looking to read P&P for the first time, I recommend the Cambridge edition published in 2006. It has fantastic introductory material that sets the historical context, and endnotes that explain concepts (like the picturesque) and word usage that readers might find difficult.

@PokhrajRoy. 2 жыл бұрын

Ellie Dashwood doing God’s work by making a ‘Jane Austen for Beginners’ video. We Stan it in this house 🔥

@Mocoso7 Жыл бұрын

o.o ?

@oxoelfoxo 2 жыл бұрын

Reading children's classics with old-fashioned language (Kidnapped, Alcott books, Swiss Family Robinson, Jungle Book, Treasure Island, Heidi, Andrew Lang and Andersen fairy tales, George Macdonald, Robinson Crusoe, Gulliver's Travels, Ivanhoe, Black Beauty, Robin Hood, Alice in Wonderland, etc) made it easy for me to read and understand Austen's books.

@cmm5542 2 жыл бұрын

Exactly the same for me here. Took a bit more work for Shakespeare though 😄.

@oxoelfoxo 2 жыл бұрын

@@cmm5542 eeh, Shakespeare is almost as bad as The Canterbury Tales in my book. don't read them for fun tho I know the plots and stories.

@cmm5542 2 жыл бұрын

@@oxoelfoxo Took me a couple years of diligently looking up every text note before I started getting the puns!

@crackle6875 2 жыл бұрын

For those struggling with Shakespeare, my suggestion is usually the same thing: set the script aside and watch it performed instead. Watch a movie adaption, a recorded play, or a live performance with decent acting. I’ve gone with people to see college performances of Shakespeare, & my general rule of thumb for if it was done half way well is if a decent portion of the audience realizes when they’re being told something bawdy.

@labellafleur6262 Жыл бұрын

@@crackle6875 agreed, my kids love Shakespeare but that is because they watched the plays and movies first. Also if I found performance in Original Pronunciation we would watch those ( the vowel shifts make a difference)

@OnBleeckerStreet 6 ай бұрын

What is interesting about the change in vocabulary since the Regency period is that, as a French-speaker, a lot of these words are actually a lot easier to understand than their modern English counterparts. Having 'affected manners' is still something said in everyday French (maybe a bit formal). You could still hear the Norman influence on the English language a lot more than today.

@annemarie1323 2 жыл бұрын

I understand now, but when I first read P&P, I remember being incredibly confused about and frustrated by the family’s efforts to get Lydia to marry Mr. Wickham after they all learned how deceptive he was. I also didn’t understand why the choices Lydia made would have tainted the whole family. I now realize what a big deal personal and family reputation was at that time.

@lilacfantasy4 2 жыл бұрын

To be fair, Mr. Darcy tried to persuade her to leave him and go back to her family, but she was determined to marry him...

@charlenemoore1867 6 ай бұрын

Just saw video. When I was growing up, it was common in my older family members to say that someone was acting "affected," meaning they were faking a behavior, or being overly dramatic. Now I can see where that phrase came from.

@tonyhoffman6749 8 ай бұрын

I fell in love with Austin because of her beautifully constructed sentences. She really understands language and the way to use it to express her thoughts. To me, she is the gold standard 🤩

@aparnaanniegomes7492 2 жыл бұрын

I am from Bangladesh. For the upcoming academic year I have been given to teach Pride and Prejudice to the middle school students. I was feeling a bit lost as I couldn't understand what criteria should I follow to teach such an old literature to our young generation. Your discussion helped me tremendously. You have explained with necessary points and presentations. Thank you so much.

@judithstrachan9399 4 ай бұрын

Well done, and enjoy your new adventure.

@AdrianColley 2 жыл бұрын

I remember being confused that Mr. Bennett was being so stingy about the horses. Surely, I thought, everyone got around on horses at the time. Luckily, I had a copy of The Annotated Pride & Prejudice (which I recommend). It explained that horses had a stunningly high cost of ownership. When Mr. Collins yabbers on about Lady Catherine's multiple carriages, he is merely flaunting her vast wealth, and not just obsessed with household minutiae.

@LucriArteMontagna 2 жыл бұрын

In italy (where i live), "affected manners" is not at all an outdated concept 😯. We say "she is fake", "he is a fake person", we say it a lot. And it is considered a very bad personality flaw. For example, if someone is always nice to everyone, but (somehow) you know that deep inside they have an envyous nature, and would harm you if they could

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

That's so interesting! It really is a concept that serves a useful purpose! I'm always amazed to learn how different cultures share a lot of things in common with Jane Austen's time.

@inqy8339 2 жыл бұрын

Arguably it’s something that still exists, we just use different language to describe it. We still value “authenticity” as a concept and have a lot of social conventions around that. Heck that’s where the concept of snobbery comes from: people who try to hold to standards of a superior social class in a conceited way.

@LucriArteMontagna 2 жыл бұрын

@@EllieDashwood i know people that have a very strong reputation of "fakeness" and it can be socially damaging for them. Usually, they have no friends. And if you don't know them well, you want to give them a chance, so you are kind to them. But if you spend enough time with them, sooner or later you'll find out that their reputation is well deserved (they will try to sabotage you in some way) , and then people will tell you "we told you so!"

@catherineschulz3232 Жыл бұрын

I think we still look down on “new money,” particularly ostentatious displays of wealth. There is such a clear demarcation between quietly upscale and garishly stylish, you know? Truly old wealth, breeding and manners are intrinsic in Darcy. Caroline is snooty in a new money, “affected manners” way. We ALL know people like that, don’t we? So annoying.

@mmcbrayer1970 2 жыл бұрын

Ellie, This was such a wonderful explanation! I may use it, as I have used another, to help my British Lit students understand Austen before we read "Emma". Thanks for all your hard work. I love your videos!

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Aw! Thanks so much for all your hard work! Being a teacher is not an easy job. Thanks so much for teaching Austen to new generations. 😃😃😃

@claireconolly8355 2 жыл бұрын

👍🧡

@lorisewsstuff1607 2 жыл бұрын

I remember in highschool when we were reading Macbeth one guy was really struggling. He said, "This just a bunch of words that don't make no sense." Reading Beowulf almost drove him insane. Seems like the farther back we go the harder stories are to understand. Having someone explain why older writings are hard to understand is very helpful.

@renshiwu305 2 жыл бұрын

He should have been grateful that he attended a school that actually taught _Beowulf._ I didn't.

@ayannabranchcomb7535 2 жыл бұрын

Beowulf was a lot to understand

@eric2500 2 жыл бұрын

Beowulf is written in a poetic form that is very old, and in the earliest version of the mixed language we would later call English, so that it has to be translated before modern English speakers can read it. *After that, it's a rippin good adventure story about defeating a monster, so, what the heck?*

@lorisewsstuff1607 2 жыл бұрын

@@eric2500 I enjoyed it but not everyone gets it. If someone is expecting a modern tale the context doesn't make sense. When someone explains what the culture behind the story was like it helps with understanding.

@Laurelin70 2 жыл бұрын

@@eric2500 Actually, defeating THREE monsters: Grendel, its mother and the dragon at the end.

@maryhamric 2 жыл бұрын

I can't recommend enough the annotated versions of Austen's novels by notations by David Shapard. All of this mystery regarding manners, decorum, what words meant, etc are all explained. It really helps fill out the understanding of the novel.

@julijakeit 2 жыл бұрын

Actually, if you are a careful reader and know just a bit of history, understanding Jane Austen is no problem. If a foreigner like me can do it, native English speakers can do it too.

@kathleenkilmartin5494 2 жыл бұрын

I really liked those editions. I think the focus was on the historical context rather than literary analysis, which I liked.

@kathleenkilmartin5494 2 жыл бұрын

@@julijakeit the issue isn’t if you can understand the writing. There is a lot of nuance that can be lost and it’s nice to have that deeper historical context.

@sarat.8162 2 жыл бұрын

Oh my God! What are the odds? I started reading "Persuasion" a few hours ago, and now I am watching this video. Last year I read Pride and Prejudice and I would listen to your videos. It really helped me understand the novel. Your channel is the perfect one to provide informative and educational videos about English Regency Era or the Victorian Era. As a reader I love 19th century novels and thanks to your historical information I am able to enjoy literature ,historical and social context. Thank you Ellie!😍

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Aw, thank you! I'm so glad my channel is helpful! 😃😃😃 And I hope you enjoy Persuasion! It's so good.

@bianbustrot7826 2 жыл бұрын

I read the book when I was 17, I didn’t know much about England’s history. As Spanish is my first language I read the translation and I love it. I just felt what Jane wanted to transmit with her words, after a few re readings and being much more confident with my English I read it and heard it in its original language. It was a new and beautiful experience, I knew more about history and manners of that time. I think this book was meant to be loved by me, it’s a feeling that some people can’t understand but for the ones that enjoyed every particular word in this book, I believe that is like being in home. That’s for the awesome video! You are awesome! 🇦🇷✨💜

@jessica_jam4386 2 жыл бұрын

I love this comment 😊 you’re very well spoken honestly, and I think so many fans of Jane Austen have a similar feeling of it being like being “home” when you read her books. Even hundreds of years after she wrote them🙏

@pamigreenway Жыл бұрын

Granted, I'm pretty old but I'm not THAT old and the term "affected manners" or even just"affected" was common and widely understood when I was young.

@dobrilajovovic-schultz3636 5 ай бұрын

I guess I am very ancient, never had problems reading Austen's books and thoroughly enjoying them

@skeller61 8 ай бұрын

Hi, I’m a 62 year old guy who has mostly read nonfiction for many years (much of it on a Kindle app on my iPad). However, a couple of months ago, I started reading fiction again and I’m excited to read the ‘classics’ in nice hardcover editions that I can replace my rather disheveled, old paperback laden bookshelves with. Anyway, you hear about Jane Austin whenever classic literature is discussed, so I decided I’d better include at least one of her novels in my tbr. I’ve watched a couple of your videos and I can understand the sensibilities (sorry) of other times. My grandparents’ generation (born in early 1900’s) was much more formal (echoing the even older mores you discuss here) and each passing generation has become less restricted by societal norms. I guess I will have to suspend my preconceptions regarding ‘girl fiction’, in which I placed Jane Austin, the Bronte sisters, and Alcott. I think I can approach it from the standpoint of a woman of those times playing with the social norms and using her novels to comment on norms that cause ‘affected manners’ to exist. It’s especially cool that it is a woman of that era commentating, given the place women held in that society. I like women being empowered and view Austen’s role as social commentator from a female perspective to take a large step in that direction. At the same time, she had to work with the societal palette that was given her, much like painters in the Renaissance had to do their mastery around the religious subjects they were often forced to use. I’m debating on starting with P&P or Persuasion. I’m leaning toward P&P, as it seems to be the one the most people talk about. Sorry for this novella of a comment! I appreciate you putting this content out, to make old guys like me think!

@mariapazgonzalezlesme 2 жыл бұрын

As someone that is planing to read P&P, this guide is useful. I like how you weave literature and history. Thank you! Another thing that people need to account that series based on old books, is that they have more liberty on adapting the story and can change few details. That's why the P&P movie is totally different from the books.

@maritasue5067 2 жыл бұрын

Many, many, many long years ago my high school English teacher required us to read her favorite two books, and I hated them both. A few years later, after learning more of the world and history, I reread them. I still hated “The Old Man and the Sea”, but I loved “Pride and Prejudice” so much that within the next year I had read all of Jane Austen’s works that existed in the college library. A little knowledge of history was really all that was necessary for me to appreciate her works. That is also why, although the acting and cinematography were excellent, I have never bothered to watch the 2005 film a second time. The manners, some of the costuming, and even some sets were occasionally too 21st century.

@judithstrachan9399 4 ай бұрын

Maybe you’ve now learned enough to try “The Old Man and the Sea” again?

@nitka711 5 ай бұрын

I think someone who‘s first language is not English, might have an easier time with Jane Austen and even Shakespeare. Because we are used to look up words we encounter for the first time or we just deduct from the situation.

@TammyPowley 2 жыл бұрын

🙌Well, done, it is so important for readers to put down their 21st century lense when reading her work. Thank you for this excellent explanation.

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Aw, thank you! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!!!

@Pemberley78 2 жыл бұрын

I first read P and P as a thirteen year old. That was 50 years ago. I understood it and totally loved it then as I do now. I read and reread that book and quickly all her published works. Actually I found the Brontë works more challenging at that age than Austen. Through the years I have read all those works countless times and can never get enough. Excellent video. Thank you. 🇨🇦🇬🇧

@barbarafrings9231 2 жыл бұрын

I am 57 and read P & P when I was seventeen and like you, loved and understood it (except maybe some phrases of that time). But I also like history, especially 19th century, so I knew a bit what to expect.

@PokhrajRoy. 2 жыл бұрын

Willoughby and Mr. Wickham were the CEOs of Affected Manners.

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

They worked hard for those positions! 😂😂😂

@PokhrajRoy. 2 жыл бұрын

@@EllieDashwood Props to them for hustling and networking.

@mariasilviapossas3872 8 ай бұрын

I would say Mr. Collins beats them.

@PokhrajRoy. 8 ай бұрын

@@mariasilviapossas3872 For him, it’s the impulse of the moment lol

@judithstrachan9399 4 ай бұрын

I agree on W& W. I think Mr Collins is the epitome of what the word “vulgar” would have meant to Jane.

@spokenme08 2 жыл бұрын

I was reading at a college level by 12 ,partially due to AR,so I read many a classic growing up.They got me in less trouble then reading Stephen King in class.I also read dictionaries,phone books and history books for fun.It's interesting how you can shift definitions depending on the context automatically after awhile. When I was first reading them the etiquette tripped me up .I understood the basics of Victorian etiquette which helped some.Someone with some historical/cultural knowledge of the time will be able to read it but being able to understand what she's poking fun at make sit more enjoyable.

@suonatar1 2 жыл бұрын

I remember my first historical novel (non-English) was "With Fire and Sword" by Henry Sienkiewicz. Despite being written ~150 years ago and set in 17th cen, I enjoyed it so much, I've managed to read a total of 6 volumes of it (it's a trilogy). Which wasn't an easy task for a teenager with distaste for history. And I think, it's fair to say, that my life has changed.

@PygKLB 10 ай бұрын

I bounced off Austen at an early age, but was led back to her by Patrick O'Brian's Aubrey-Maturin novels. "Post Captain" is the most similar, for anyone who hasn't sampled this series.

@KatieRae_AmidCrisis 2 жыл бұрын

The books - their language; their sublime period wit; every aspect of their of-their-time-ness; the authorial genius that shines out in every line - are the pure source, the absolute joy. The screen adaptations (of which there have been some really superb, joyous ones - which I enjoy revisiting time and again) are absolutely nowhere, in comparison to the original source material. The novels are a gateway to so much more. Which your own fantastic KZfaq content is a testament to, and a delightful part of, Ellie. But Austen's own original prose is an unparalleled pleasure. To any who haven't read the novels yet - and to any who have read and not enjoyed, or started to read and not wanted to finish - I would say: give it another go, and/or stick with it - the rewards are boundless. My tip would be to go with the Penguin Classics editions - and to read and revel in the notes, as you go. And to pause and research, when you are sufficiently intrigued to wish to dig a little deeper. And to treat yourself to the back catalogue of Austen close readings on Dr Octavia Cox's channel, if you haven't already.

@sheymycrazy 2 жыл бұрын

When I first read the book during the beggining of the pandemic, I rarely tried to look up anything so I was majorly confused reading it through. After finishing the book, I watched the 2005 movie and so many things just clicked. If I had never watched the movie, I would have moved on from this book and never looked at it again. Now I've thoroughly enjoyed P&P for what it is and all your videos and other analysis have helped tremendously understanding this book and I've reread P&P up to 6 times now! And I want to reread it more and more! It's always so fascinating how much more I have to learn about this novel and it's makes rereading exciting each time❤️

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Yay! I'm so glad you enjoy P&P!!! It can be hard to get into at first but once it clicks it's way too addictive! 😂

@sarahherboth9447 2 жыл бұрын

I find it so helpful also to watch the movie, read the book, watch another adaptation, read the book again...haha it's so much fun and really ignites my curiosity!

@ynys_mon6928 2 жыл бұрын

I so appreciate that you are advocating the truth that people in earlier generations and in different societies thought differently, and expressed themselves differently. There’s a weird thing going on currently where people think that previous generations were just wrong, without any appreciation of the social norms of those times. We are social animals and most of us conform to the social norms of our time. Our generation will be judged by future generations, and they won’t look at things in the same way as we do currently. We will be judged.

@PokhrajRoy. 2 жыл бұрын

I mean, Jane Austen believed in etiquette but also satirised it sharply too. Also, in Hindu Savarna Society, it’s an ecosystem of social hierarchy based on respect with double standards which is also oppressive. The more things change, the more things remain the same.

@sArnoldsdotter 2 жыл бұрын

As a historical writer it's an interesting balance between being matter of fact about things the characters would all know, and giving enough clues for modern readers to understand what's going on without being heavy-handed. Even something as simple as a person being called by their first name or surname (with or without an honorific) depending on who's addressing them can be confusing to some modern readers.

@whatmatterofminutes 2 жыл бұрын

This is a little summary of a lot of your videos! Thanks for making them, they’ve made me return to reading Jane Austen’s books!

@CTXSLPR 2 жыл бұрын

Your best video yet Ms. Dashwood! You seem so much more confident and your tie-ins with your now expansive body of work is organic and smooth! Excellent points, research, presentation, and editing work!

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Awwwww! Thank you so much!!!

@pamelahofman1785 2 жыл бұрын

This is one of your best videos since it's more like an overview of the novel rather than the videos dealing with more specific aspects of life during the regency period. Those videos are great too, to be clear! Your info also can be applied to Austen's other novels as well. Thank you for the wonderfully explained synopsis of life in that time.

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Aw! Thank you so much!!!

@GisyAngel 2 жыл бұрын

I love your channel. I love P&P and the way it’s written. I also love historical fiction (shows and books) and your channel helps me enjoy them much more, even when they are not as accurate. It gives me comfort (and I guess understanding the themes of a book) better if I know where the author decided to deviate.

@mildlycornfield 2 жыл бұрын

I *love* the writing style of classic literature, even up into the forties and fifties. Even in genre fiction such as sci fi and fantasy, I appreciate that the authors don't feel the need to explain how everything in the setting works.

@Cutondogor 2 жыл бұрын

Something that really changed my understanding of the relationships was what people called each other. Mr and Mrs Bennet, despite years of marriage, still call each other this instead of their first names (or at least when we see them). The young people in Persuasion (Anne, the Musgrove sisters and Charles, etc) use first names, which shows they've known each other for years, and of course Mr Knightly calls his young friend Emma because he has known her since she was a child. I remember how odd it was being asked to call some of my parents' friends by their first names for the first time, and even that has changed since my own youth. Which leads to the question - at what point did Mr Bingley get allowed to called Mr Darcy "Darcy", and how would that have been offered?

@judithstrachan9399 4 ай бұрын

Good question! Very good question. Was using another man’s surname alone a sign of perceived equality? That would be a huge compliment.

@kathleenbreslin3546 2 жыл бұрын

I really enjoy your channel. This is one of your best. I wish I had this before reading P&P the first (dozen?) times. Thank you for doing what you do.

@orthohawk1026 10 ай бұрын

I think the best examples of the difference between unaffected and affected manners can be found in Ang Lee's Sense and Sensibility (the one with Emma Thompson): Edmund Ferrars vs. Robert Ferrars, and Mrs. Dashwood (Elinor's mother) vs Fanny Dashwood. And speaking of S&S, I think Jane's greatest zing was the line about Elinor when Robert Ferrars was yammering on about the virtues of a cottage: “Elinor agreed to it all, for she did not think he deserved the compliment of rational opposition.”

@parasemear2686 2 жыл бұрын

As a Bachelor of Letters I really like you explain things in a simple way without being condescending, it is trully a service of benefit for everyone

@jossviales4459 2 жыл бұрын

Your channel is pure gold.

@clari_00 2 жыл бұрын

As someone who is currently reading Pride and Prejudice this video was exactly what I needed. You explained everything so well! Thank you for making this video! :)

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Aw! Yay! Glad it was helpful! And I hope you enjoy Pride and Prejudice!!!

@midnightblack07 2 жыл бұрын

I love these videos! They really enrich the reading experience and are just fascinating in their own right. :)

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

I'm so glad you enjoy them! :D

@Sjp374 4 ай бұрын

A big reason I love her books is that I get to immerse myself into her era. I love the complex sentences and language, the way they saw the world (although there is no perfect, golden era), the dress, manners, hopes, etc. And even though it’s a bit like a foreign country, you still see those threads that connect all of humanity together.

@barbaraavato6740 5 ай бұрын

Great lesson indeed!!! Thanks a lot, dear Ellie, can't wait for more of the kind 😊😊

@oda_margrethe 2 жыл бұрын

Your channel has definitely helped me understand and appreciate Austen’s books more! I remember trying to read P&P for the first time, not even understanding the first few pages. English is not my native language either. Then I decided to try it as an audiobook, so I found one and got through the story without understanding more than sixty percent of what was happening. Later, I tried the Audible version of it and that helped immensely to understand because they act it out with a cast and background ambience. (Don’t support that company anymore, but their productions of the Austen books are so good!) Now I want to try reading it again, with more knowledge of the era and developed English skills. :-)

@inesuj2802 2 жыл бұрын

I had pride and prejudice on pause for years before I found your channel. After learning more about the customs of the time I had a great time reading it! Thank you 😊

@user-un3po3jb4l 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you for making that bridge between the Regency and modern times, for bringing clarity. I find that when we analyze what people did and how they acted in a different era we start to better understand ourselves. I see how much of the older thinking is still still left in my family that is irrelevant now. For instance, my family was fairly anti-divorce as if the divorced woman would have no choice but become a governess. I start to value more things and choices we have as women.

@ELee-zv5ud 2 жыл бұрын

Irrelevant now? The concern then is the same concern today. The effect upon children. That is the basic purpose of marriage, not romance. Children are negatively affected by divorce. There is a vast body of child development research from around the world on this. I'm a retired professor. Marriage and children are a choice today, if women don't want to be "oppressed" then don't have children. Having a child is a commitment to putting their needs before your own, they had no say in the matter. Adults understand this. We are currently living in a time of many immature adults. Mental illness, self-harm, depression, suicide is happening at an alarming rate in young children. This was not the case in the past where these occurred in adolescence and at a much lower rate.

@steveshsi7486 2 жыл бұрын

Dr Octavia Cox has a really good video out today on Lydia Bennett and what her fate might have been without her marriage to wickam.

@KatieRae_AmidCrisis 2 жыл бұрын

Just watched it!

@kirstena4001 2 жыл бұрын

Oh I will definitely head over there after this video ;)

@kirstena4001 2 жыл бұрын

Just saw it, i recommend it to everyone here!

@kayyylaaa___ Жыл бұрын

okay i've had this video opened for 3 weeks now (aka how long it took me to get through p&p), and i just wanted to say THANK YOU! i went to college for teaching English and history, so something like this should have been right up my alley. but the American/British lit canon just never felt like it was for me. this was the oldest book i have read to date. I think my enjoyment of it came from a place of understanding (and not taking any of it too seriously). thank you for breaking down what i needed to know in a way i can understand. you kick ass, Ellie!

@ziegunerweiser 2 жыл бұрын

a truly picturesque video I can understand how many can be frustrated or confused but if you look at the big picture of telling a story about how a romance develops is what seduced me about her writing. Isn't finding true love the most mysterious, enigmatic, emotional, and fulfilling thing in life ? Her ability to paint a picture gets you inside the characters and makes everything real and come to life, makes you feel the emotions and longing to find what makes a person feel alive. Everyone wants it and everyone is looking for it and for a person to have the ability to make others feel these kinds of emotions is what makes her writing so powerful and is why her writing is timeless and common to people of all generations even if it may be somewhat frustrating or difficult to read.

@TheNostalgicKitchen Ай бұрын

Your videos are wonderful ❤ it clears up so many questions 😅

@jass208 Жыл бұрын

I've recently started reading the book and i feel like if I hadn't watched so many of your videos before I would've been so confused, and I'm definitely grateful to be reading it in Spanish too bc the English would've confused me, love your videos Ellie!

@andreavalle3987 2 жыл бұрын

I loveee this 😍thank you as always Ellie! I will for sure share this with my friends when they read Austen

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Yay! Thank you!

@geovanarodriguesduarte6253 5 ай бұрын

The first time I read it, I thought that I've understand everything. But every time I re-read it, I noticed a new aspect of the history and now, with your videos, I've just realized that there were many aspects that I hadn't really understand. I've been binge watching your videos and I want to re-read it again so I can pay more attention to all those historical aspects (but maybe I'm going read in Spanish as I'm currently studying Spanish hahah). Thanks for your videos!! You're awesome

@quiltingbeargal 2 жыл бұрын

Enjoy your videos Ellie. Keep up the good work. I am planning to read P & P this year for my Austen in July project.

@harrisonalexander5590 2 жыл бұрын

You are fabulous! I adore your work on these videos. Thank you.

@MollysStory Жыл бұрын

I just finished listening to pride and prejudice on audio book. Wish I had watched this before! Your video is SO well done and I love all the illustrations.

@lorablackbird 2 жыл бұрын

I like annotated versions of Jane Austen's books. They explain pretty much everything a modern reader could have trouble to understand: social norms, phrases, cultural references and even Austen's humour. Highly recommend them!!

@jenniferlawrence8533 2 жыл бұрын

Enjoy your channel. Great job making sure we understand the differences in Pride and Prejudice and our time

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Aw! Thank you! I’m so glad you enjoy it!!!

@eshchory Жыл бұрын

Until you explained all these different aspects I hadn't realised that one of the reasons I like historical books and find them relatively easy to understand is that because of the why I was brought up I already knew these things. No wonder people thought I was a strange child!! Great video and you explain it all with such compelling enthusiasm.

@singingway 2 жыл бұрын

My Favorite thing about reading Jane Austen, is how it expands my vocabulary. I often stop and marvel and say aloud "Jane! You picked exactly the right word there! " And she did it without Google thesaurus!

@elizabethrenny Жыл бұрын

Thank you for your analysis! Such a wonderful video ❤

@Heothbremel 2 жыл бұрын

This is so incredibly helpful, thank you for taking the time to make it. I'm going to share it to people when they're confused!!

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Aw!!! I’m so glad it was helpful!!!

@PokhrajRoy. 2 жыл бұрын

It’s my birthday tomorrow so I consider this an Early Birthday Gift. I look forward to seeing your videos!

@kimmatura3564 2 жыл бұрын

Happy birthday!🎊🎂

@PokhrajRoy. 2 жыл бұрын

@@kimmatura3564 Thank you!

@DipityS 2 жыл бұрын

That's what makes it frustrating but it also makes it fascinating. Watching people such as you open up the time so I can understand what Austen was living at her time - and every new fact I learn allows me to read the books as if they were new.

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Learning about that time really does transform the reading experience!

@nospoonfulofmayonnaiseforme 4 ай бұрын

perfect video to watch as i currently have the audiobook borrowed and am planning to read it for the first time :)

@Emzathon 2 жыл бұрын

Enjoyed that video immensely but enjoyed being told I'm awesome at the end even more. Brightens up my awful work day 😅

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Someone needs to tell you! I hope your day gets better!

@jennagrigsby9956 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for compiling this important information!

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Aw! Thanks so much for watching!!!

@Fairysnuff91 2 жыл бұрын

I love the way Jane Austen writes. I love her humour and how subtle and ironic it is. Something I never realised I was unclear about until I watched your videos was entails. I think I must have “gap filled” what was meant by “entailed away” and just assumed “entail” equalled inherit. So that was interesting to learn.

@judithstrachan9399 4 ай бұрын

I had no trouble with the concept of entails (thanks, I think, to Georgette Heyer) but couldn’t work out how an entail could go to someone with a different surname & why it wouldn’t devolve to a little Bingley or Darcy boy. Then I found out about people taking adoptive surnames & that explained it. Kinda. Of course, the entail may also have been set up recently enough that those involved were specifically named.

@wyogrl11 Жыл бұрын

I read P & P as a teenager and enjoyed it, but definitely struggled to understand all that was happening. I’ve been enjoying your videos and will be returning to it at some point!

@beverleyroberts1025 2 жыл бұрын

Just wanted to say thank you! for your recommendations! I wasn't sure whether to watch Emma with Romola Garai, really enjoyed after listening to your review. Also loved Persuasion with Sally Hawkins and Northanger Abbey with Felicity Jones, loved them both, especially Northanger Abbey. But the one I really loved was Sense & Sensibility, 2008 TV adaption, omg, loved it, cried at the end! 😭 Thank you for you honest reviews, I totally agree with your ratings. 😊

@TheDimensionOfGames 2 жыл бұрын

Great video!! I’d love to know more about their ideas on picturesque, I’d never thought about this topic before and you bringing it up makes me realize I have a total lack of knowledge on the topic! Hoping you delve into it more! My biggest question when reading P&P is WHY is Darcy friends with Bingley? Did they go to college together and young Darcy just didn’t give a ____ what anyone thought of his new friend??? Does he enjoy freaking out all the old money people by bringing round his new money bff? I often wonder when he tells the Bingley’s that the Bennet girls will have a harder time marrying well because of their relations (in trade), is he also thinking of Caroline and how she got her wealth?

@OcarinaSapphr- 9 ай бұрын

I had my own headcanon, where Bingley's father/ grandfather had the money to have him tutored well, & then sent him to posh schools for 'polish' & 'connections'- but because Bingley was of a lower birth-class than most of his fellow students, he was probably friendless- & maybe even bullied, but Darcy- who saw no harm in him decided he'd defend him. And they became friends because Darcy saw his qualities of character & wanted to help him along in life (Darcy was probably also quite lonely- his sister is only 16 in Pride & Prejudice, so he'd been an only child much of his life) - it would also explain why Darcy wouldn't want Bingley to make a mistake over his choice of wife...

@AkireMaru 5 ай бұрын

@@OcarinaSapphr-I seriously doubt Bingely was friendless. Little kids don’t run around talking about nuances of class and trade, etc. They make friends with who is around them and come to accept them based on more primal qualities such as having a backbone, attire and good looks. Bingely’s father had the money and no doubt would have ensured his son was clothed in the best material of his time. Plus Bingely had such an outgoing countenance and positive outlook on life, I doubt he was the subject of ridicule and ostracism. People who are bullied often have a more closed off demeanor and jaded outlook on life. Later year schools were often boarding schools, so a prideful, class-aware mother and father likely wouldn’t be constantly interacting with their sons telling them who to hang out with or avoid after they placed them in school for a semester. I think the distinction mainly came about when marriage was on the table.

@OcarinaSapphr- 5 ай бұрын

@@AkireMaru I'm not English, but I'm pretty sure that the public & boarding schools- as well as colleges & universities had very hierarchical structures; before the modern age, promising poorer students could attend on an early version of a scholarship, where they acted as 'servants' to senior students- I know this latter part, because I researched, to see how a poor boy {one of my minor characters, in a novel I'm working on} could attend university in the 17th c- icr when it changed from that system to the scholarship one. I'm not saying Bingley had no friends before Darcy, or that he was *constantly* bullied for his entire schooling- there would have been other kids of his own class & circumstance attending these schools. But kids _do_ imitate their elders- we see this all the time (think about all the pre-teens who learnt how to twerk *_shudder_* ) - & kids were perceived as miniature adults, until into the 19th-20th c. And I don't think there's a single 'poster-child' target for bullying...

@PokhrajRoy. 2 жыл бұрын

This was such a fun video! I’ll take this as my Pre-Birthday gift.

@HeyImChris 2 жыл бұрын

You should do a video translating a bunch of words/phrases used in that time period to today, like you did in the first section of this video :D LOVE U ELLIEEEE

@rote_universe 2 жыл бұрын

Great video! What has always confused my most about the book is whether Elizabeth really loves Mr. Darcy and you've answered that question well in another video. I all comes down to understanding how people thought in the Regency Era, which is so fascinating! And makes me wonder what people will think of us in 200 years...

@EllieDashwood 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it! And I always wonder that too! What will they think of us?

@lucianadeisla 2 жыл бұрын

I loved this video, very well explained!

@pash_nina 2 ай бұрын

I love your videos, they really open the eyes to Jane Austen that teachers when I was younger didnt. When I was a teen my mom insisted I read Pride and Prejudice and I absolutely detected it. Now as an adult I love it and really love how your channel helped really bridge that gap from historical fiction to classics.

@noribalog1663 Ай бұрын

I have indulged into learning English, and I read the book (an easier one, for language learners) but actually this video helped me a lot. And your accent/pronounciation is really nice and useful for me Thanks for this content😊

@dinabatista6552 2 жыл бұрын

I always loved history so I did understand what was happening in P&P, also what I didn't understand, I looked up for it 😊 I tend to read P&P from time to time and has it is been a long time since my last reading, a picked up a new edition that came home with me (another one!) and I reread it last month and it is still one of my favourite book of all time!! So good! I'm such a fan that I have read it in English, French and Portuguese!! Love your videos and how you explain those eras!!

@sapphicfaery 2 жыл бұрын

In my drama class, I picked to read and analyze a Pride and Prejudice play. Even though I totally understand what you are saying here, it was a great refresher on the idea of viewing the world differently. So thank you :)

@phuonganhang3515 Жыл бұрын

I have been struggling to read this book til I watched this video

@carolinadamiani9988 Жыл бұрын

Hi, Ellie! Your videos are so interesting! ! I'm not a native english speaker and I love your voice and intonation, sometimes I watch a videos more than once just to hear you speaking 😂

@ilenegallo374 2 жыл бұрын

Thank goodness, I majored in English, so I get it! Great job breaking it down!👍🤩

@a24-45 2 жыл бұрын

Thanks for being honest about Austen's works being such a challenge to the modern reader. when i first started reading Austen, I totally needed a Regency dictionary . Every time a character opened their mouth, i misunderstood what it conveyed about their character, because i didn't realise how many words have since changed their meaning. To read Austen with understanding, you have to learn a whole specialised vocabulary.

@claireconolly8355 2 жыл бұрын

You're amazing, I learn so much 🙏🙏 thank you!!

@TheMisabv Жыл бұрын

Wow, really... the way you explain all these concepts is just amazing 😶 I love learning from you about the Victorian era... so sad you decided to change the topic of your channel 😔 yet I'm happy for you for going for listening to your needs 🙂

@danknox9986 5 ай бұрын

Enjoyed that. Thanks for posting.

@sissiyoshikozanoli3258 2 жыл бұрын

Your explanation was perfect! you hit the point .. I had the same discussion with my cousin about "Pride and prejudice": he is a modern reader of modern writers (all MEN) who write best sellers based in the past (fictional of course). For this reason he finds the novel "lacking in explanation of the historical period, it only refers to rich people, it all seems very superficial to me, it is an overrated romance for women, etc.". We are italian so the whole part of history and social customs specific to any other European country is superficially studied at school (just the most important facts and wars). It has been difficult and frustrating to make him understand all the nuances that you expressed so well 😩 I was so sad he disliked the book and Jane Austen so much, because they are my favorite book and author respectively. Eh, if he could only speak and understand english I would show him this video! (I apologize in advance for my English! I did my best 🙇‍♀️)

@cmm5542 2 жыл бұрын

Your English is excellent. I only wish I could speak ANY other language so well!

@judithstrachan9399 4 ай бұрын

Your best is excellent.

@LaxuxD 2 жыл бұрын

Me ayudaste a comprender mejor el libro, muchas gracias 🥰

@missanne2908 2 жыл бұрын

Miss Dashwood, I wonder if the age of your audience affects how easily they can navigate Jane Austen's novels. When I was a child my mother taught me how to set a dinner table - where the host and hostess sat, where the male guest of honor and the female guest of honor were to sit, and how to seat the remaining guests. That instilled in me a rudimentary sense of precedence. I was also taught how to make introductions according to precedence, and what to say when you are introduced to someone. When writing to a married woman you were to address her as Mrs. [husbands first name] [last name]; you should never use the woman's first name after 'Mrs'. There were a number of social rules that were taught to children 60 years ago that most probably are not taught today. I think that those of us who are senior citizens may be a little more comfortable in the world of Jane Austen.

@judithstrachan9399 4 ай бұрын

I certainly am perfectly comfortable there. Similar age & upbringing. Of course, being familiar with King James English probably helped.