There are books which are based in 1700's by current day authors, where I suppose a lot of research goes into the lifestyle and historical events of that period. But at the end of the day, it is a plot woven in another period adorned by fictional characters who are at best fictional. If today, I were to go to a new place, decide to build a place of worship, the problems I would face would be so different from what one faced in another era. Am not saying that because the circumstances are so different, I would enjoy the story less, all I am saying is I will not live the story enough.
Contrast that with a story that was written 200 years ago. How much can I relate to the characters, events or story line? It will probably be more like reading a lesson in history and English put together.
If there is one author who has managed to beat these 'realistic or otherwise' criteria that I have stated here in order to enjoy a book, its Jane Austen. And if there is one book which still captures my complete attention, even if it is the nth time that I am reading the book, its Pride and Prejudice (P&P).
There is a bit of Elizebeth Bennet (Lizzy) in all of us, a bit of her prejudices, her stubbornness, her audacity, her impertinence and her disdain for others opinion.
Am sure there is a more than a bit of Mr Darcy (Mr D) in all the men around. Listing out his characteristics would read like a repeat of Lizzy's with just the addition of misplaced pride in his standing in the society, in today's context read peers.
But the beauty of P&P is, its characters could be friends, family, the person next door, or the one at work who just caught our fancy.
I lived through the anguish of Mr D who struggles with himself for the entire length of the book, initially trying to comprehend whats happening to him as he despite himself is so besotted by Lizzy, then tries to reconcile himself to the difference in their situation in life, and further grieves his way though his follies for the one he loves. Whereas Lizzy for better part of the story remains blissfully unaware of what Mr D is going through. So what a fascinating read it would be if the story were to be written from Mr D's view. Suffering, anguish, mortification, agony and pain. That's probably how it would read.
P&P published in 1813 is 200 years old in 2013 and yet it plays out like a chapter in life. Everything in P&P works out like a bollywood plot where every action is directed towards a happy ending. This is probably the only book where Jane hand held her characters to happiness. By the time, just a year later when Mansfield park was published, Jane had herself gone through a difficult love relationship that did not materialise into anything concrete and all the 'lightness' and brightness' that she thought P&P was about had gone out of the world and she took it out of her stories. She destroys characters in a span of a sentence and lets the story free fall because she believed that was how life pans out with its evils and sufferings. And that's what makes P&P that much more beautiful. There is no reason why life has to be cruel, wasn't the suffering that the characters of P&P go through not suffering enough? Lizzy could have married Wickham, and Mr D, Caroline Bingley and that would have been the end of the story or rather the beginning of another. Yes, life does have its more than fair share of Wickhams but Mr Ds don't necessarily turn out to be Wickhams overnight and if life throws lemons at you, you can always make lemonade.
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