Lessons From Pride and Prejudice

Newsletter 2023-08-17

Everything I need to know I learned from Pride and Prejudice. It taught me about the world, relationships, and—most importantly—myself. That last point really should be first. If Jane Austen’s master work has a single core message, it’s that narcissism is a virtue as long as it’s paired with a corresponding amount of wealth. This week, I watched the movie and five-hour mini-series with my wife, Lola. It is, without question, her favorite work of fiction, a fact she freely admits even while being married to a writer who gives her the first look at all of his books. On top of reading Pride and Prejudice, Lola estimates that she’s watched the miniseries twelve times. Until recently, she’s always done it alone. I had better things to do, such as literally anything else. That’s a lie. My time is wasted no matter what. This week, I resolved to squander it more productively. After Lola spent the last month diligently tending to my butt wound, I owe her approximately ten million favors. Plus, her birthday is this week. I vowed to watch the movie and the miniseries with her all the way through. I acted like I was doing this marathon for her, but really it was for me. I will undoubtedly lose my man card for saying this, but I’ve enjoyed every second of the experience. Here are the lessons I’ve learned from the movie and the miniseries, distilled down from seven hours of screen time into one easily digestible newsletter.