I (HEART) JANE AUSTEN (Pride and Prejudice)

It is a truth universality acknowledged that everyone in the world should read (at least once) one book of Jane Austen.

I know…I know… This quote is overused and over missused, but come on…IS.THE.BEST.LINE.EVER (the real one I mean)

“It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife.” The best line to hook the satiric consciousness of the reader. Brilliant!

I must say that Pride and Prejudice is one of my favorites books, and with Persuasion my faves from Jane. (Yes I call her Jane). I have read P&P ten times and every time I read it I discover new things and details hided from me before. I remember the first time I read it that I actually understood ALL the ironies in the book. I think it was the fourth time I’ve read it and I just kept smiling all the time with her genuine humor. Once all the wits and satires were understood, I found in Jane Austen an incredible female writer.

All the stories I knew until that point of first-I-hate-you-then-I-love-you were copied from here. HUNDREDS OF STORIES following the (almost) same structure as this magnificent book. Movies, more books, series, TV shows…Over and over the same structure, Where is the originality everyone???

Some readers may say that Jane Austen was… How to say it…Dispassionate?  No kisses, no touching?? REALLY???

I have to say, eventough I sometimes found myself thinking “Darcy, Wentworth, WHOEVER pleaase kiss the girl!!” Jane Austen talks about love without sugar or spice: she talks about love that people feel but do not express.

Lizzie is a great character; young girl, lots of free time to read and to think about her life and the life of other’s, high opinion of herself (she is right in part, she is awesome) she is pretty, smart, and her father’s favorite  Here comes a rich and handsome gentleman who is not interested in her. WHAAAT?? How is that possible?? I am going to ignore and despise him as he did to me.

So the magic begins… The Proud and the Wit. They take for granted the feelings of the other, that is why everything in the book is like a surprise, they just do not understand each other. That takes us to my favorite part of the book.

Place? Netherfield.

People involved? All Netherfield party and Lizzie (Jane is coughing upstairs).

Dialoge? Awesooome!!! Is the first time that someone is verbally “disarming” Mr.Darcy while he cannot find the right words to express himself  but he is enjoying enormously being teased in that way. (chapter XI)

“Certainly,” replied Elizabeth — “there are such people, but I hope I am not one of them. I hope I never ridicule what is wise or good. Follies and nonsense, whims and inconsistencies do divert me, I own, and I laugh at them whenever I can. — But these, I suppose, are precisely what you are without.”

“Perhaps that is not possible for any one. But it has been the study of my life to avoid those weaknesses which often expose a strong understanding to ridicule.”

“Such as vanity and pride.”

“Yes, vanity is a weakness indeed. But pride — where there is a real superiority of mind, pride will be always under good regulation.”

Elizabeth turned away to hide a smile.

“Your examination of Mr. Darcy is over, I presume,” said Miss Bingley; — “and pray what is the result?”

“I am perfectly convinced by it that Mr. Darcy has no defect. He owns it himself without disguise.”

“No” — said Darcy, “I have made no such pretension. I have faults enough, but they are not, I hope, of understanding. My temper I dare not vouch for. — It is I believe too little yielding — certainly too little for the convenience of the world. I cannot forget the follies and vices of others so soon as I ought, nor their offences against myself. My feelings are not puffed about with every attempt to move them. My temper would perhaps be called resentful. — My good opinion once lost is lost for ever.”

“That is a failing indeed!” — cried Elizabeth. “Implacable resentment is a shade in a character. But you have chosen your fault well. — I really cannot laugh at it; you are safe from me.”

“There is, I believe, in every disposition a tendency to some particular evil, a natural defect, which not even the best education can overcome.”

“And your defect is a propensity to hate every body.”

“And yours,” he replied with a smile, “is wilfully to misunderstand them.”

Maybe its me… I love to tease people and I would like to be able to tease someone in that way, so brilliant, delicate and subtle. So British, so to speak. As much as I love teasing people, I have not been able to have this kind of conversation with anyone. Ever. Where are the regency gentleman when you need one?

Love,

Lady C