In Austen's world and family, Things like novels and such are performed, spoken.

But I think this story isn't so dialogue-heavy as it could be. There are many parts that are "told" to be so, instead of "shown". (the narrator is telling you something instead of having the characters act it out)
JA did such a wonderful job of using dialogue when that is the best way of showing that scene. She goes back in forth between narration and dialogue, it's almost like a dance-- an intense, rhythmic waltz. Like Tara's description above, there are loud and quiet characters. In a dance, there is usually someone who leads. In JA's prose, the distinction of who's leading is unclear. Sometimes it is the quiet character, sometimes it is the loud one.

In the beginning of Chapter 2, when the narrator tells us that Mr. Bennet visits Bingley, that he always intended to do so.
Then she goes on by showing us the reactions of the Bennet females to this news.
IMO, the visit between Bingley and Mr. Bennet would have been very boring to read and I enjoyed reading about the reactions of the girls, It is much more interesting. JA probably thought so too. She spared us the boring interaction of the men by telling us it was done.