Overall this book is boring. There's really nothing that happens except taking strolls, playing cards and having balls/parties. Of course there's talking, lots of talking.

That being said there's a lot here that modern romance and YA novels can learn here.

First of all Elizabeth (the MC) never doubts her beauty and it's Darcy making a snide remark about her that makes Lizzy hate Mr. Darcy.

Also here we have the male falling into basic "insta-love" after he sees Lizzy a few times. Her on the other hand is of course hating him as he is NOT making himself a good person.

Lizzy also is one to speak her mind and tell him off as well as his mother. She's not a shrinking violet that most female main characters are. She doesn't let people treat her as a doormat. Another thing to be taken from this book.

Now another thing is that after Lizzy reject Darcy';s marriage proposal, he doesn't keep harassing her to get a yes, that most books do. Nor does he do ONE good thing in saving her life that she suddenly likes him for. He actually works to build her trust back up.

Where he told Mr. Bingley to give up on Jane, he rectifies this by telling him the found truth. He helps Lydia out when she runs off with Wickman to "save her honour". He also discharges some of Wickmans debt so Lydia can live better. (They don't as both of them pretty much waste all thier money frivolously). It's also only after these things that Lizzy starts to like and then love Mr. Darcy. So a good half of the book she hates him.

Most of the love interests are assholes and remain assholes and we are supposed to love them for this.

Finally Lizzy gets to tell Darcy's mom off after she insults her and her family. Most modern MCs just roll over and take it. This also doesn't affect the way Mr. Darcy views Lizzy in any negative way.

The parts which should be left behind are of course the whole "women as property" and the "marriage for status". Also it says that Lizzy is "poor" but she has a few servants so we know she isn't that poor. Just a poor noble. Also there's talk about hos women are a certain way and of course Lydia running of with a man "ruins her" as if she was some object to be used. Also the fact that Lydia is 16 and Wickman is 25 is pretty gross.

Also there's no real plot to speak of other than talking and talking and more talking. The only point of this talking is to get the girls married. There's no real big thing. You can call this book a slice of life in that regard.

Overall there's a lot modern books can get from this book, but leave the past garbage in the past.

Ah yes the good old "a woman is ruined if a man rapes her." Something that is carried forward even today.

The part of the book where Austen is trying to prove to us how GOOD Darcy is when we know he's pretty shit. All the while humiliating Elizabeth that she's "so wrong" about him.

Was it really necessary for Lizzy to be humiliated? I ope she still hates him. Yeah she was wrong, but he was a complete asshole about it and didn't clarify things beforehand.

I like the fact that Lizzy has a backbone and when Darcy is all "Marry me" she tears him to shreds. It's something you don't see in modern romance. The MC usually goes limp noodle or the love interest shuts her up with a kiss and she does nothing about it.