‘Pride and Prejudice’ still popular after 200 years

CEDAR RAPIDS - Cassie Cumings-Peterson read Jane Austen's “Pride and Prejudice” as a high school freshman.

That was the first time.

“It was the love story that drew me in,” says Cumings-Peterson, founder of the Jane Austen Book Club of Cedar Rapids. “I spent the whole book wondering if (Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy) were going to get together at the end.”

Now in its 200th year of publication, with no signs of the classic's popularity waning, it's obvious Cumings-Peterson isn't alone.

“There are a lot of novels that reach their 200th year of publication, but we're not celebrating them,” says Melissa Sodeman, an assistant professor of English at Coe College. “What makes Jane Austen so special?”

That's the question Sodeman will address in a sold out March 9 presentation “A Portrait of Jane Austen.”

“When I teach the book, one of the key words I focus on is happiness. It appears all over the place, but the characters define it very differently,” Sodeman says. “Charlotte's idea of happiness is so different from Elizabeth's that they can't even explain it to each other.”

Soderman's program is part of this year's Linn Area Reads, which chose “Pride and Prejudice” as its book for 2013.

“It's a great selection for us this year because it is the anniversary,” says Amber Mussman, public information officer and adult programming manager for the Cedar Rapids Public Library. “When I told the staff what we selected, there was audible excitement.”

The excitement was followed by debates of the best “Pride and Prejudice” adaptations.

“People definitely have their favorite,” Mussman says with a laugh.

The novel has produced several adaptations, including movies, TV mini-series, plays and a musical.

“The Lizzie Bennet Diaries” premiered on YouTube in April 2012, introducing a new generation to Elizabeth Bennet.

“My students love ‘The Lizzie Bennet Diaries,'” Sodeman says. “They come to class talking about it, catching me up on what's happened. They love Elizabeth. They want to be here.”

Who wouldn't? Elizabeth was a feminist before feminism had a term. She was a woman who wasn't sure what she wanted, but knew enough not to settle.

“This is a story about a strong female character that isn't going to settle for anything less than what she wants,” says Cumings-Peterson.

Each time she reads the book she discovers something new. The love story remains the same, but her own life experience adds something different each time.

“You can take the story and put it in any time period, and it will still work,” she says.

Perhaps that's one reason why the story, despite being set at the turn of the 19th century, remains timeless.

“We can all relate to the themes of this book - family, love, societal expectations,” Mussman adds. “People can read it and find it romantic, but they can also find a part of the story that relates to their life. It's our hope that being this year's Linn Area Reads book will encourage people to try ‘Pride and Prejudice' who might not otherwise.”