Search - Pride and Prejudice by DVDBookshelf on DVD

A Bargain at Twice the Price

James T. Wheeler | TUCSON, AZ United States | 05/09/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"My wife and I had never bought a DVD audio book before so this was new for us. Nevertheless, to get 13 hours of entertainment for less than $10.00, was really a bargain. Add to that the fact that Jane Austen's "Pride and Prejudice" is our favorite romantic piece of all time, in all its past incarnations, and this DVD is a real treasure. We rate it with five (5) stars.

What appeals to me most about the book is that it so resembles life in that circumstances or people that you think are bad can turn out to your advantage. Mr. Collins, as one example, may seem like a vainglorious person who just gets in the way with his constant gossiping and self-praise. But he, like Lady Catherine, Lydia, Wickham, Mrs. Bennet, and some of the other characters bumble into creating the situation where Elizabeth and Darcy can at last be together and live happily ever after. The novel is a work of sheer genius and is, as we've heard, the most widely read piece of literature in the English language.

Our main thought about improvement might come in the form of adding headings or titles to the Table of Contents. As it is now, you only get the Chapter numbers, 1 through 61. You have to hunt for what might be a chapter or passage of interest. An index might have helped, too, but what do you expect for $10.00? Having the actual book at hand can help with the searching process.

Another concern might be with the illustrations. We don't think they're entirely consistent, but it may be a minor fault. Example: sometimes Elizabeth appears to have fair hair; in other places she seems to be a brunette. No description is given in the book, other than Mr. Bennet calling her his "little Lizzy," so it could be either way. But the illustrations just should be consistent.

Our concerns are certainly minor ones, though, and we highly recommend this DVD to any Jane Austen or "Pride and Prejudice" fan. Narration by the British actress Anne Flosnik is first rate and the pacing is perfect. Buy it, enjoy it, compare it to the various dramatizations, and have a ball."