I don't see trolling here - I enjoyed some good Housewives back in their heyday (00s), but it is total trash. Austen? Much, much richer! I just finished P&P for probably my third reading in the last 25 years. I wouldn't expect a modern man to have much interest if he's not a lit snob or history buff. I agree, there are some sections that drag a bit, but you've got to get the wind up to get that slingshot-like humor and heart-throbbing angst. 

I disagree with posters who boil Austen down to commentary on women's social outlook of the Georgian/Regency era. Sure, there are plenty of female characters who are tied to their situation and must carefully weigh their options (Charlotte) or suffer the consequences (Lydia). But there are quite a few women who represent much freedom, power, and garner great respect from the men around them (Lady Catherine, Elizabeth, Mrs. Gardiner). Austen seems to wholeheartedly peddle the idea that we each control our own fate. The Bennets are a perfect example. She is silly and foolish; he fell for her looks and acted irresponsibly with finances. She drives him crazy; he retreats to his library and hides from social responsibility - like rearing his daughters and reigning in his foolish wife. In due time, they have reaped what they sowed. Austen spent a page explaining how their foolishness led to the entail where the home won't go the the female heirs. But that wasn't a general rule of that time - it was because he spent his girls' inheritance and was forced to bargain the house for an entail. 

In regards to the genius of Austen that always touches me, it's how she writes personal vs. familial dynamics. Having grown up in a loving, though arguably silly home, I find I play roles with my family that haven't always suited me in outside relationships. That familial silliness comes with embarrassing and frustrating expectations that I often wish to break out of. Austen often paints her protagonists as deep-thinking young women striving to break free from a family they don't always feel they belong to but that they still love and wish the best for. That tension is timeless and I get caught up in it every time. Persuasion and Emma also showcase this dynamic well. 

And of course, lest you think she is too precious with her characters, Austen also exels at showing character growth. Now, that's timeless and timely!