I started reading this novel with a certain amount of my own prejudice. As I mentioned before, most of what I knew was patchy at best. What I did know was that Lit. girls, who I do have the utmost respect for (Seriously, vapid cheerleader types have nothing on you ladies.), would rabidly consume every iteration of the movies and mini-series and be reduced to group swooning and fawning. I didn't get it...and as far as the swooning bit, I still don't get it...however...
That being said, I have finished Pride and Prejudice in its entirety and am ready to give my personal verdict on it...in good time.
The final third of the novel is where things really start picking up. Lydia runs off to Brighton, elopes with Wickham which sends everything into a complete tempestuous tizzy, quite naturally. Before the elopement is revealed, Lizzy and her Aunt and Uncle Gardiner visit Pemberley while Darcy is away. Lizzy learns that Darcy is an altogether different fellow when at home, a far more likable person who is quite honorable and generous to all about him regardless of station. She meets his sister and just as she questions her refusal of him the Jerry Springer train wreck that is Lydia Bennet and George Wickham hits.
As the family is dealing with this crisis Mary gives one of my favorite lines, "...we must stem the tide of malice, and pour into the wounded bosoms of each other, the balm of sisterly consolation." (LORD, I love language.)
Mr. Bennet throws down and goes after Wickham. Upon his return Kitty has the ill sense to bring up how much better she would have behaved to which he declares, "And you are never to stir out of doors till you can prove, that you have spent ten minutes of every day in a rational manner."
Things fall as they do, and Wickham and Lydia are...pretty much perfect for each other but the worst sort of people to everyone else, which is evidenced when they happen by Longbourn after the wedding.
Bingley returns to Netherfield with Darcy, and thus begins the renewed courtship of Jane. After the engagement Lady Catherine de Bourgh arrives to dissuade Lizzy from being engaged to Darcy, not that Darcy has asked. Chapter 56, which I refer to as the Clash of the Titans, is by far my favorite part in the novel. Why? Because this is where Mr. Bennet gets paid.
What do I mean by that? I've previously stated that the two characters I identify with the most, and are my favorites, are Darcy and Mr. Bennet. Whether that is because I'm male or not, I'm not sure. One of the elements of this novel is how the Bennet girls fall along a spectrum somewhere between their father, a very rational, logical, honorable man, and their mother who is flighty, fairly ditzy, and overly concerned with appearances and the social ladder. Jane, Elizabeth, and Mary land closer to their father and Lydia and Kitty are rather closer to their mother on this spectrum. It has jumped out at me from the start what kind of a father Mr. Bennet was and how much he tried to instill in his daughters. He was a man, more than just about anything, concerned with their happiness and well being. While Mrs. Bennet just wants to see her daughter's married to anyone at all, Mr. Bennet actually wants to see them married to the right person. As I mentioned, he valued logic and rationality over the social order, and Lizzy's battle of words with Lady Catherine is something I dearly wish Mr. Bennet could have overheard. All his work investing in her paid off right there. When later she agrees to marry Darcy her father is so confused in her acceptance, as he should be given how much Lizzy has kept from everyone. He is at such a loss as to why she would agree that he isn't sure he knows who she is anymore. Mr. Bennet tells her that it's more than just about pretty dresses, assuming that he's misjudged her actions and maybe she is more like her mother than he thought. Thankfully she talks him down from that ledge by revealing more about the situation.
As a dad I can only hope to be there one day to find out that my own daughter actually took to heart everything I've expended so much effort to teach her and it has aided her well.
I was struck so completely, once everything was revealed, by just how honorable Darcy was. I want to leave some surprises for those who may not have read the book, which means glossing over the best bits, but to learn just how far he would go to fix his own mistakes and take care of those he loves was quite wonderful. His ability to admit when he was wrong and grow as a result is more admirable than I can describe. It's something that I have always tried to do once I realized that once a man can honestly admit (And self admit might I add. Someone forcing him to admit he was wrong doesn't work.) when he is wrong and has been wrong...a man can work wonders.
"What did you say of me, that I did not deserve? For, though your accusations were ill founded, formed on mistaken premises, my behavior at the time, had merited the severest reproof. It was unpardonable. I cannot think of it without abhorrence."
Quite predictably Darcy gives my favorite line of the whole novel when asked by Elizabeth when it was that he first fell in love with her.
"I cannot fix on the hour, or the spot, or the look, or the words, which laid the foundation. It is too long ago. I was in the middle before I knew that I had begun."
First of all, dang...that's smooth. Secondly, I know those words to be sincere because they mirror precisely how I felt about the beginnings of love with my wife. Every other girl I dated I knew what I liked, where, when...but with Shelly...Heck, I don't even remember our first meeting because it all just blended together as if she'd always been there.
The closest I can get to a moment where I knew it was love was when she stepped off a plane and I was waiting there for her. This was back in the days when you could actually wait for a person at the arrival gate, in that enchanted world before 9/11. She stepped off and, no joke, everything slowed down and the color drained from everything around except her. There was never any going back after that, and still isn't.
So, overall what do I think of Pride and Prejudice?
Jane Austen is an absolute master of the novel. There is no single writer in all of modern fiction that I think even compares with her...at least in this single work. It isn't merely that it is entertaining and witty, which are all virtues that her work has. The thing that sets her apart, in my mind, is in the understanding of her characters. Not once did I read this novel and think "These people are crazy. There's no one out there like this." Everyone knows a Lizzy, or a Mary, or a Charlotte Lucas, and most people know two or three Lydias. This can be accomplished by other writers by providing a certain archetypal homogenized character development. Austen provides us with strikingly individual and fully realized characters...in 3D, as it were. And the truly amazing thing is that you don't know someone LIKE a Lizzy or a Mary, you know someone who IS a Lizzy, or a Mary.
In my experience the only other author that has had this sort of talent was Dickens. Granted, after I read the other 100BYSRBYD I may add more than a few names to that list, but she still beats out all modern authors I've ever read. Also surprising is how accurate she is in writing her male characters. It's often difficult for an author to create that vivid and true to life personality in a character that is opposite in gender to themselves. Austen is the Gene Kelly of this. It's hard as all get out, but she makes it look easy.
Final Word; There is a reason that this novel still finds a place on our bookshelves 202 years later. It truly is a book you MUST read before you die.
Pax,
W
PS. Please +1 and comment here on your experiences and favorite parts of Pride and Prejudice.
Showing posts with label Pride and Prejudice. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pride and Prejudice. Show all posts
Saturday, January 24, 2015
Monday, January 19, 2015
In Which We Discover...many things...
This post covers the middle third of Pride and Prejudice, which is chapters 22-42.
There was a lull at the beginning of this third. For a good portion of it I was worried that the best was over, that we were getting to the "boring parts" everyone complains about it classic works and there would be little relief.
It began with Charlotte and Mr. Collins becoming engaged, which led to a few perfectly comical moments to be sure (Mrs. Bennet's complete reversal in her opinion of Mrs. Lucas because of an engagement was particularly guffaw inducing. Apparently now the best of friends has become the most venomous of snakes who has always had her eyes set on Longbourn). Charlotte's complete change of heart about marriage was not too incredibly surprising.
Ms. Bingley's letter arrives and destroys hopes and dreams. I was most impressed with the scene following between the two eldest Bennett girls where Lizzy tries to "defend the honor" of Jane, so to speak. Jane is having nothing to do with speaking ill of Mr. Bingley or his sister, while Elizabeth continues to press that Jane has been abused.
"The more I see of the world the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense." Amen, sister. I do tend to take Lizzy's "dismal" view of humanity. While Jane refuses to belief it in favor of optimism, "We must not be so ready to fancy ourselves intentionally injured. We must not expect a lively young man to be always so guarded and circumspect. It is very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives us.", but Elizabeth's realism turns out to be more accurate.
The Gardiner's arrive at Longbourn with "new of long sleeves", and take Jane away with them to the city where Jane attempts to see Ms. Bingley, who proves by her actions that Elizabeth was correct. Lizzy joins the Lucas' in visiting the new Mr. and Mrs. Collins and the much talked of, my Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine de Bourgh finally appears.
Austen uses the word "condescension" in it's various forms to describe the demeanor of Lady Catherine many times, and initially I took it in the negative sense, knowing no other. I had to look it up on four different dictionary sites in order to find an decently applicable definition because Austen's is so archaic. In essence here it means to be gracious and involve yourself with others in a way that is lower than your actual station. It is a kindness, not an insult. Many examples of this older definition are given. Lady de Bourgh is often very generous to the poor and takes an involved interest in those of lesser stations and helping to build them up. So far I believe it to be from a good place, mostly because I feel like I'd do the same in that circumstance, but my wife believes her to be more into it because it gives her a "reflected glory". Not critical to the story, but yeah.
I was starting to yawn quite a bit until Darcy showed up, and it was back to the witty back and forth. Again I am struck by how similarly I feel when he explains himself. "I certainly have not the talent which some possess," said Darcy, "of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done." He certainly is an oddity for his time, I'd wager. For me it comes down to a fundamental appreciation of honesty. If I don't know you, I don't know how to talk to you and I'm horrible at faking it. Furthermore I don't WANT to fake it or feign interest. Some of the more enduring pains in my life have been due to mistaking politeness and social obligation from others as actual friendship. I've gotten attached, and gone out of my way for people who just as easily discarded my friendship because they were "just being nice". As a result I'm more than a bit "gun shy". As Darcy says of Elizabeth to her, "We neither of us perform to strangers."
Quickly we get back to "clueless" Lizzy who can't for the life of her understand why Darcy keeps coming around. And then Darcy declares his love...and I pretty much lost all sense of time. I know at one point my two kids were fighting, one might have even needed a diaper change, but it was the weekend so I told my more than understanding wife that "I got to the good stuff" and disappeared out onto the balcony.
Again I relate with Darcy in that awkward profession of love and have been on the receiving end of that "what have I ever done, what signal have I EVER given that would make you think that I was even remotely interested in someone like you" rejection.
And then the letter... I have to admire Austen particularly for how expertly she had drawn out the tension to that point. It is the skill of a master for certain. Although I'm still a little sketchy as to exactly why Darcy and Ms. Bingley pushed Mr. Bingley away from Jane (something to do with the little sisters I'm fairly certain), his explanation of the Wickham issue had me wondering what the 1800's version of the modern vulgar epithet "Douche Bag" would be. I wanted to go back and look again as to why the separation of Bingley and Jane, but I was sucked into the literary vortex so intensely that there was no going back.
"She grew absolutely ashamed of herself. -Of neither Darcy nor Wickham could she think, without feeling that she had been blind, partial, prejudice, absurd."
I'm not exactly sure why Elizabeth's reaction to this information is oh so very satisfying, but it is. I think it may have to do with the fact that modern novels would have played it, "Ok, Wickham's a D-bag, but I'm still right in hating you," which may be accurate to the modern mentality. Despite being proven wrong many still tend to cling to some shred of "rightness". As I say, never underestimate the power of denial...or self delusion.
Elizabeth eventually returns home to Longbourn, meeting her flighty sisters in Meryton where they have a largish banquet ready for them, "And we mean to treat you all," added Lydia; "but you must lend us the money, for we have just spent ours at the shop out there." I can pretty much only sigh every time those two show up. I do love Mary's response to them declaring what fun they had with pointless ridiculous pleasures. "Far be it from me, my dear sister, to depreciate such pleasures. They would doubtless be congenial with the generality of female minds. But I confess they have no charms for me. I should infinitely prefer a book." Story of my life, right there. I need to retain that line for use the next time I'm invited out for shopping and some "FroYo".
Lydia is invited out to Brighton beach (where all the military men are being moved) which drives a hissy fit of a wedge between her and Kitty. I was very impressed with Mr. Bennet (yet again) when he explains why he approves of Lydia's going despite Elizabeth's outrage. "Lydia will never be easy till she has exposed herself in some public place or other, and we can never expect her to do it with so little expense or inconvenience to her family as under the present circumstance." Granted, Elizabeth is more concerned because this behavior is precisely why Jane was separated from Bingley by his friends.
I was sad to read one particular thing. Throughout the novel I've wondered just why Mr. Bennet was married to Mrs. Bennet. I mean, they're so vastly different (He sensible, she...borderline sense...less?) but obviously enjoyed each other enough to have five children. I was hoping for some secret little adoration, some trait that kept one in the other's esteem and admiration. It was really sad to read that she was the wife of his youth when beauty mattered more than other things and now they are merely civil with one another. *sigh* It's probably more realistic to life experience, I'm sure, but I had hoped.
I'll post another "Vocabulary" section in a day or two mostly for myself, but will do a final wrap up next week when I finish the novel.
Pax,
Will
There was a lull at the beginning of this third. For a good portion of it I was worried that the best was over, that we were getting to the "boring parts" everyone complains about it classic works and there would be little relief.
It began with Charlotte and Mr. Collins becoming engaged, which led to a few perfectly comical moments to be sure (Mrs. Bennet's complete reversal in her opinion of Mrs. Lucas because of an engagement was particularly guffaw inducing. Apparently now the best of friends has become the most venomous of snakes who has always had her eyes set on Longbourn). Charlotte's complete change of heart about marriage was not too incredibly surprising.
Ms. Bingley's letter arrives and destroys hopes and dreams. I was most impressed with the scene following between the two eldest Bennett girls where Lizzy tries to "defend the honor" of Jane, so to speak. Jane is having nothing to do with speaking ill of Mr. Bingley or his sister, while Elizabeth continues to press that Jane has been abused.
"The more I see of the world the more am I dissatisfied with it; and every day confirms my belief of the inconsistency of all human characters, and of the little dependence that can be placed on the appearance of merit or sense." Amen, sister. I do tend to take Lizzy's "dismal" view of humanity. While Jane refuses to belief it in favor of optimism, "We must not be so ready to fancy ourselves intentionally injured. We must not expect a lively young man to be always so guarded and circumspect. It is very often nothing but our own vanity that deceives us.", but Elizabeth's realism turns out to be more accurate.
The Gardiner's arrive at Longbourn with "new of long sleeves", and take Jane away with them to the city where Jane attempts to see Ms. Bingley, who proves by her actions that Elizabeth was correct. Lizzy joins the Lucas' in visiting the new Mr. and Mrs. Collins and the much talked of, my Mr. Collins, Lady Catherine de Bourgh finally appears.
Austen uses the word "condescension" in it's various forms to describe the demeanor of Lady Catherine many times, and initially I took it in the negative sense, knowing no other. I had to look it up on four different dictionary sites in order to find an decently applicable definition because Austen's is so archaic. In essence here it means to be gracious and involve yourself with others in a way that is lower than your actual station. It is a kindness, not an insult. Many examples of this older definition are given. Lady de Bourgh is often very generous to the poor and takes an involved interest in those of lesser stations and helping to build them up. So far I believe it to be from a good place, mostly because I feel like I'd do the same in that circumstance, but my wife believes her to be more into it because it gives her a "reflected glory". Not critical to the story, but yeah.
I was starting to yawn quite a bit until Darcy showed up, and it was back to the witty back and forth. Again I am struck by how similarly I feel when he explains himself. "I certainly have not the talent which some possess," said Darcy, "of conversing easily with those I have never seen before. I cannot catch their tone of conversation, or appear interested in their concerns, as I often see done." He certainly is an oddity for his time, I'd wager. For me it comes down to a fundamental appreciation of honesty. If I don't know you, I don't know how to talk to you and I'm horrible at faking it. Furthermore I don't WANT to fake it or feign interest. Some of the more enduring pains in my life have been due to mistaking politeness and social obligation from others as actual friendship. I've gotten attached, and gone out of my way for people who just as easily discarded my friendship because they were "just being nice". As a result I'm more than a bit "gun shy". As Darcy says of Elizabeth to her, "We neither of us perform to strangers."
Quickly we get back to "clueless" Lizzy who can't for the life of her understand why Darcy keeps coming around. And then Darcy declares his love...and I pretty much lost all sense of time. I know at one point my two kids were fighting, one might have even needed a diaper change, but it was the weekend so I told my more than understanding wife that "I got to the good stuff" and disappeared out onto the balcony.
Again I relate with Darcy in that awkward profession of love and have been on the receiving end of that "what have I ever done, what signal have I EVER given that would make you think that I was even remotely interested in someone like you" rejection.
And then the letter... I have to admire Austen particularly for how expertly she had drawn out the tension to that point. It is the skill of a master for certain. Although I'm still a little sketchy as to exactly why Darcy and Ms. Bingley pushed Mr. Bingley away from Jane (something to do with the little sisters I'm fairly certain), his explanation of the Wickham issue had me wondering what the 1800's version of the modern vulgar epithet "Douche Bag" would be. I wanted to go back and look again as to why the separation of Bingley and Jane, but I was sucked into the literary vortex so intensely that there was no going back.
"She grew absolutely ashamed of herself. -Of neither Darcy nor Wickham could she think, without feeling that she had been blind, partial, prejudice, absurd."
I'm not exactly sure why Elizabeth's reaction to this information is oh so very satisfying, but it is. I think it may have to do with the fact that modern novels would have played it, "Ok, Wickham's a D-bag, but I'm still right in hating you," which may be accurate to the modern mentality. Despite being proven wrong many still tend to cling to some shred of "rightness". As I say, never underestimate the power of denial...or self delusion.
Elizabeth eventually returns home to Longbourn, meeting her flighty sisters in Meryton where they have a largish banquet ready for them, "And we mean to treat you all," added Lydia; "but you must lend us the money, for we have just spent ours at the shop out there." I can pretty much only sigh every time those two show up. I do love Mary's response to them declaring what fun they had with pointless ridiculous pleasures. "Far be it from me, my dear sister, to depreciate such pleasures. They would doubtless be congenial with the generality of female minds. But I confess they have no charms for me. I should infinitely prefer a book." Story of my life, right there. I need to retain that line for use the next time I'm invited out for shopping and some "FroYo".
Lydia is invited out to Brighton beach (where all the military men are being moved) which drives a hissy fit of a wedge between her and Kitty. I was very impressed with Mr. Bennet (yet again) when he explains why he approves of Lydia's going despite Elizabeth's outrage. "Lydia will never be easy till she has exposed herself in some public place or other, and we can never expect her to do it with so little expense or inconvenience to her family as under the present circumstance." Granted, Elizabeth is more concerned because this behavior is precisely why Jane was separated from Bingley by his friends.
I was sad to read one particular thing. Throughout the novel I've wondered just why Mr. Bennet was married to Mrs. Bennet. I mean, they're so vastly different (He sensible, she...borderline sense...less?) but obviously enjoyed each other enough to have five children. I was hoping for some secret little adoration, some trait that kept one in the other's esteem and admiration. It was really sad to read that she was the wife of his youth when beauty mattered more than other things and now they are merely civil with one another. *sigh* It's probably more realistic to life experience, I'm sure, but I had hoped.
I'll post another "Vocabulary" section in a day or two mostly for myself, but will do a final wrap up next week when I finish the novel.
Pax,
Will
Monday, January 12, 2015
Primus Tertius (or..the First Third)..of Pride and Prejudice.
My wife was amazed at how much I am enjoying Pride and Prejudice. "I don't know", she replied when pressed as to the source of this amazement. "It just doesn't seem like a YOU book."
In the interest of full disclosure my wife, upon first reading many years ago, disliked the book. While traveling for a summer in England during college one of her travel companions (a Lit Chick to the fullest measure, I am told) was aghast at the realization that my wife and never read Jane Austen or either of the Bronte sisters. She read multiple works by the three and found Pride and Prejudice to be her least favorite of the three. "Elizabeth just seemed dumb and floofy", she continued.
I have to admit that at first glance Elizabeth does seem pretty "dumb and floofy", but I'm getting ahead of myself here.
I walked into this novel with half-baked preconceptions (I'd use the word "prejudices" but I don't want to seem too clever) and enough culturally absorbed reference points to fill a snuff box. For the first few chapters I was laughing out loud enough to make my son wonder what was going on and my daughter to scold me for interrupting her schoolwork. So far the wit of this novel is the most enjoyable part.
Mr. Bennet has to be my favorite character with Mr. Darcy being a close second. If you know me personally I doubt that you are shocked by this. My first instinct is to believe it is because they are two of the few prominent male characters, but I think it goes a bit deeper than that.
I feel that in my life I have one foot in each of the characters. Both are caught in a society whose games they only wish to play as minimally as necessary, and are not ones to suffer fools.
Darcy is the younger man with years ahead of him and obviously deeply wounded, but not one to mope about it...though I was one to mope about it and write horrible poetry... I love that his trust and opinion of a person, once violated or earned, is extremely difficult to shift. His biting wit and double meanings of phrases delights me to no end. I know he seems rude, but if I was at a party he'd be the one I'd want to meet and get to know.
Mr. Bennet (who in my mind I see as Tom Wilkinson and was surprised he never played. Real tragedy. He'd be perfect.) I relate to as a father. I love his minimal nonsense outlook on life. I'm sure he adores Mrs. Bennet despite the fact that he calls her on her ridiculous points. I feel the most for him after reading about the entail. Five daughters and once Mr. Bennet dies there is no way to provide for them or his wife. It is honorable that he doesn't complain, openly, about the situation. Were I in that situation I'd be trying to marry my daughters off to anyone who would have them because it is, in fact, a fairly desperate circumstance. He'd be right to have that disposition, but instead he takes time and care. Possibly my favorite exchange is after Elizabeth's refusal to the proposal of Mr. Collins,
"An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. -Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do."
I love that Father's heart that still, in desperate circumstances, wants what is best or his daughter even if it means destitution in the future.
They are both fairly grumpy but capable of great love and so I see them as very similar sides of the same coin...and one I quite like and find in myself.
Mr. Bingley is pretty much an non-entity to me so far. He's there. Jane likes him. Everyone likes him. Meh. Bingley's sister is a bit of a snake. Wickham is clearly the Hugh Grant character of Bridget Jones' Diary.
And that is rather the problem. So much of it I wonder if I'd feel the same if it wasn't for all the cultural osmosis I've involuntarily ingested over the year. That's not to say that I'm not enjoying it. I certainly am and plowing through it at twice my normal rate, looking for spare minutes and a dedicated hour if I can manage it to sneak away to read. I do wonder if that cultural osmosis has tainted my opinion of Elizabeth, because right now I agree with my wife. She's pretty dumb. But then again, given the title, maybe that is the author's intent. She IS perfectly situated in temperament between the level headed and prudent Jane and her two younger sisters, the flighty and crush obsessed Catherine and Lydia. I find myself hoping that we get some more situations with the youngest, the book worm Mary.
My wife delighted me the other day when she told me she got Pride and Prejudice on audiobook for her commutes. I have loved it when, in the past, we happen to be reading the same book. We have some of the best conversations of our married life during those times. Especially during Atlas Shrugged. Those were pretty epic sessions. She did caution me not to get too used to it since she'll certainly not be walking into War and Peace with me. That's fair, says I. I'm a little scared of Tolstoy myself. Pretty sure I'm going to need a wall chart to keep and a "Cliff's Notes" on that one.
I left our young heroines (see...I can't really call Elizabeth a heroine...sigh...maybe my opinion will change) at the end of Chapter 21 where Jane relates to Lizzy the contents of a letter from the young Miss Bingley that indicates the party has left Netherfield and is not likely to return...at which point Mr. Bingley might be engaged to...Darcy's SISTER! (*dun dun dunnnn*)
(Seriously...with a location name like Netherfield...Austen was kind of asking for a novel Zombification. Just sayin'.)
I was truly delighted that quite a number of times this novel sent me running for my Webster's Dictionary. I'm a big word nerd (I've been known to read the dictionary for fun...and laugh while reading it due to a particularly ingenious etymology) so that was quite a treat.
Ductile: Maleable.
Panegyric: A public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.
Laconic: Using very few words
Asperity: Harshness in tone or manner
Eclat: Brilliant display or effect
Hauteur: Haugtiness of manner; disdainful pride
Probity: The quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.
Also I discovered for the first time "&c." at the end of one of the letters. I had never seen that before in all my life and delved into my book of "style" and found that it is one of two abbreviations for Et Cetera.
When the couples were described as "at loo" during one of the evenings Jane was ill at Netherfield I knew I had to be missing something. As an Anglophile and adorer of all things BBC related my only reference for the word "loo" was the lavatory, the water closet, the toilet. I knew that couldn't be it. Apparently "Loo" was a card game in which people gambled for money. Another game discussed was "Vignt Un" (Twenty One in French) which we know today as Blackjack. "Piquet" is similar to Spades or Hearts but played with a deck of 32 cards instead, and "Whist" is one of the root games that spawned what retired women the world over know as Bridge. Apparently "Whist" was one of those "minute to learn, lifetime to master" sort of games. Personally, I love old games like this (seriously. I bought a game called "Funny Bones" primarily because of it's historical legacy as a game played by Romans using knuckle bones) and I may have to see about digging up the ancient rules for it. Also I did some digging and found that the "quadrille" they dance during the ball at Netherfield (that was a "dance of mortification" for Lizzy due to Mr. Collins) is from whence we get Square Dancing here in the good ol' U S of A.
All in all it's been a great read. The whit and the subtle and overt biting comments back and forth are what really keep me going back to the book.
See you all at the next third of the novel.
Yours,
&c.
In the interest of full disclosure my wife, upon first reading many years ago, disliked the book. While traveling for a summer in England during college one of her travel companions (a Lit Chick to the fullest measure, I am told) was aghast at the realization that my wife and never read Jane Austen or either of the Bronte sisters. She read multiple works by the three and found Pride and Prejudice to be her least favorite of the three. "Elizabeth just seemed dumb and floofy", she continued.
I have to admit that at first glance Elizabeth does seem pretty "dumb and floofy", but I'm getting ahead of myself here.
I walked into this novel with half-baked preconceptions (I'd use the word "prejudices" but I don't want to seem too clever) and enough culturally absorbed reference points to fill a snuff box. For the first few chapters I was laughing out loud enough to make my son wonder what was going on and my daughter to scold me for interrupting her schoolwork. So far the wit of this novel is the most enjoyable part.
Mr. Bennet has to be my favorite character with Mr. Darcy being a close second. If you know me personally I doubt that you are shocked by this. My first instinct is to believe it is because they are two of the few prominent male characters, but I think it goes a bit deeper than that.
I feel that in my life I have one foot in each of the characters. Both are caught in a society whose games they only wish to play as minimally as necessary, and are not ones to suffer fools.
Darcy is the younger man with years ahead of him and obviously deeply wounded, but not one to mope about it...though I was one to mope about it and write horrible poetry... I love that his trust and opinion of a person, once violated or earned, is extremely difficult to shift. His biting wit and double meanings of phrases delights me to no end. I know he seems rude, but if I was at a party he'd be the one I'd want to meet and get to know.
Mr. Bennet (who in my mind I see as Tom Wilkinson and was surprised he never played. Real tragedy. He'd be perfect.) I relate to as a father. I love his minimal nonsense outlook on life. I'm sure he adores Mrs. Bennet despite the fact that he calls her on her ridiculous points. I feel the most for him after reading about the entail. Five daughters and once Mr. Bennet dies there is no way to provide for them or his wife. It is honorable that he doesn't complain, openly, about the situation. Were I in that situation I'd be trying to marry my daughters off to anyone who would have them because it is, in fact, a fairly desperate circumstance. He'd be right to have that disposition, but instead he takes time and care. Possibly my favorite exchange is after Elizabeth's refusal to the proposal of Mr. Collins,
"An unhappy alternative is before you, Elizabeth. From this day you must be a stranger to one of your parents. -Your mother will never see you again if you do not marry Mr. Collins, and I will never see you again if you do."
I love that Father's heart that still, in desperate circumstances, wants what is best or his daughter even if it means destitution in the future.
They are both fairly grumpy but capable of great love and so I see them as very similar sides of the same coin...and one I quite like and find in myself.
Mr. Bingley is pretty much an non-entity to me so far. He's there. Jane likes him. Everyone likes him. Meh. Bingley's sister is a bit of a snake. Wickham is clearly the Hugh Grant character of Bridget Jones' Diary.
And that is rather the problem. So much of it I wonder if I'd feel the same if it wasn't for all the cultural osmosis I've involuntarily ingested over the year. That's not to say that I'm not enjoying it. I certainly am and plowing through it at twice my normal rate, looking for spare minutes and a dedicated hour if I can manage it to sneak away to read. I do wonder if that cultural osmosis has tainted my opinion of Elizabeth, because right now I agree with my wife. She's pretty dumb. But then again, given the title, maybe that is the author's intent. She IS perfectly situated in temperament between the level headed and prudent Jane and her two younger sisters, the flighty and crush obsessed Catherine and Lydia. I find myself hoping that we get some more situations with the youngest, the book worm Mary.
My wife delighted me the other day when she told me she got Pride and Prejudice on audiobook for her commutes. I have loved it when, in the past, we happen to be reading the same book. We have some of the best conversations of our married life during those times. Especially during Atlas Shrugged. Those were pretty epic sessions. She did caution me not to get too used to it since she'll certainly not be walking into War and Peace with me. That's fair, says I. I'm a little scared of Tolstoy myself. Pretty sure I'm going to need a wall chart to keep and a "Cliff's Notes" on that one.
I left our young heroines (see...I can't really call Elizabeth a heroine...sigh...maybe my opinion will change) at the end of Chapter 21 where Jane relates to Lizzy the contents of a letter from the young Miss Bingley that indicates the party has left Netherfield and is not likely to return...at which point Mr. Bingley might be engaged to...Darcy's SISTER! (*dun dun dunnnn*)
(Seriously...with a location name like Netherfield...Austen was kind of asking for a novel Zombification. Just sayin'.)
I was truly delighted that quite a number of times this novel sent me running for my Webster's Dictionary. I'm a big word nerd (I've been known to read the dictionary for fun...and laugh while reading it due to a particularly ingenious etymology) so that was quite a treat.
Ductile: Maleable.
Panegyric: A public speech or published text in praise of someone or something.
Laconic: Using very few words
Asperity: Harshness in tone or manner
Eclat: Brilliant display or effect
Hauteur: Haugtiness of manner; disdainful pride
Probity: The quality of having strong moral principles; honesty and decency.
Also I discovered for the first time "&c." at the end of one of the letters. I had never seen that before in all my life and delved into my book of "style" and found that it is one of two abbreviations for Et Cetera.
When the couples were described as "at loo" during one of the evenings Jane was ill at Netherfield I knew I had to be missing something. As an Anglophile and adorer of all things BBC related my only reference for the word "loo" was the lavatory, the water closet, the toilet. I knew that couldn't be it. Apparently "Loo" was a card game in which people gambled for money. Another game discussed was "Vignt Un" (Twenty One in French) which we know today as Blackjack. "Piquet" is similar to Spades or Hearts but played with a deck of 32 cards instead, and "Whist" is one of the root games that spawned what retired women the world over know as Bridge. Apparently "Whist" was one of those "minute to learn, lifetime to master" sort of games. Personally, I love old games like this (seriously. I bought a game called "Funny Bones" primarily because of it's historical legacy as a game played by Romans using knuckle bones) and I may have to see about digging up the ancient rules for it. Also I did some digging and found that the "quadrille" they dance during the ball at Netherfield (that was a "dance of mortification" for Lizzy due to Mr. Collins) is from whence we get Square Dancing here in the good ol' U S of A.
All in all it's been a great read. The whit and the subtle and overt biting comments back and forth are what really keep me going back to the book.
See you all at the next third of the novel.
Yours,
&c.
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