To think Marianne shouldn't have married Colonel Brandon?

[squoosh]

Okay Willoughby was a cad and a bounder and took himself out of the running, but I do think that Brandon swooped in to take advantage of her rain induced fever which had left her a bit dazed and compliant.

It's a bit creepy that he falls in love with her because she reminds him of his long lost, 'fallen', dead love. Plus he's a bit intense, the laughs wouldn't be forthcoming and I'll warrant he expected her to do all kinds of dark shit in the bedroom.

Ideally she'd have had another couple of seasons in London and met lots of nice suitors or maybe even nipped across to Pride and Prejudice and married that nice Colonel Fitzwilliam.

Talking of Robert Martin (another man, unlike Bingley, who actually reads), I really, really like Travis in Clueless. So sweet and innocent and smiley. :)

I found my favourite Anne Eliot quote: "Men have had every advantage of us in telling their own story. Education has been theirs in so much higher a degree; the pen has been in their hands. I will not allow books to prove anything."

She's so bright.

And thinking on, I actually find that, although he is a repulsive sycophant in every way, I really enjoy reading Mr Collins. He is such a brilliant portrayal of a certain type of man, you can see him in such clarity. And for an actor; what a role! I didn't like the Keira P&P film, but Tom Hollanders Mr Collins is an excellent one, he is (almost) sympathetic in parts, and very funny. But this one, David Bamber, I can't watch without going "Nooooo! Elizabeth! Stab him!"

Yes to younger sons, though they still had considerably more economic freedom than all but the richest women. Just think, if nice Colonel Fitzwilliam hadn't been a younger son, it's perfectly possible he would have paid serious attention to Lizzie, who likes him. Plus Darcy's arrogant proposal would have made Colonel F extra attractive.

Though of course he meets Lizzie out of her family context, without her vulgar mother and hoydenish sisters. Presumably he or his aristocratic family would have investigated her background before a proposal was made - would he/his family have been as put off as Darcy?

I finished the Joan Aiken book. I don't recommend it.

Yes to Tom H as Mr Collins. Too often, Mr C is cast as far older than he should be.

David Bamber's Mr Collins is so wonderfully oily and unctious. You can just imagine him licking his lips as he removed one's bloomers on the wedding night. Yech.

Tom Hollander was much more sympathetic.

I adore Harriet Walter as Fanny Dashwood in the Ang Lee/ Emma Thompson S and S. Plus I think she played the appalling Mrs Elton brilliantly in one of the Emma adaptations.

To the poster who thought Austen's spinsterhood had soured her on men, she creates almost as many female monsters as male! Look at attention -grabbing Mrs Elton, Miss Bates with her verbal diarrhoea, man-mad Isabella Thorpe, Lady Catherine de Burgh, Mrs Bennett and Mrs Philips, Mary Bennett, almost catatonic Lady Bertram and her awful sister, Fanny's aunt, Mrs Shepherd and Mary the hypochondriac in Persuasion etc etc.

Emma Thompson/Elinor + Hugh Grant were just SO wrong for each other in those parts. She looked about the right age but yes springytoofs, he DID look about 12. By the way, how did Mr Sarky Hugh Lawrie end up with the Jennings idiot daughter (money I s'pose?). Lizzie Bennett only married Darcy for his looks, to get a bigger house than her sister and to stick two fingers up at the Bingley sisters. Colonel Fitzwilliam is waiting for moi and Mr Collins should have married Mary; Kitty could have had a nice local farmers son. Lady Catherine was totally fab though - what a woman, strong, expressive, articulate and I mean, how many women could carry off that lace hat thing so well....

Not to mention Lady Susan, who is HIDEOUS! Just vile, and a sadist to boot. Well worth a read if you can get it from your library!

Thanks to Hackmum for her recommendation of longbourn. Just finished the story of p&p from the servants' pov. Stunning use of language, the words didn't get between the story and the reader at all. Available on kindle ebook, ever so much better than death comes to pemberly, which was poor value for money.

YES YES YES!
Henry Tilney is the only Austen man I would marry. Nice, witty, sense of humour, likes doing up his house and gardening. I think he only knows about the dresses because Eleanor does the equivalent of taking him to carry her bags round Selfridges. Not so sure about all his pet dogs, though. (Is it two he's got, or three?)

Glad you enjoyed it, SpaceOpera! That was quick work, so you must have enjoyed it.

Sorry, that was written in haste and obviously badly phrased with two enjoyeds - well, you know what I meant, anyway.

Dan Stevens? DAN STEVENS?

Good grief. I still play his death scene in Downton Abbey when I need cheering up.

Agree with you trills. P&P can be read entirely as a novel about money and career (marriage being the only career open to the female gentry). Mr B is highly irresponsible in this respect, no wonder Mrs B worries so much about marrying off the girls. Equivalent to stressing about state vs private ed, jobs and houses for one's children today. Of course she was her own worst enemy in that she went about husband hunting far too blatantly. She did have a point though - no marriage = no job = no money.

Yeah Hackmum, all your fault for the book distracting me at work today . But seriously, where has Jo Baker been all my life? I've also been reading eavesdropping on Jane austen's England by the Adkins couple, I've always wanted to know what daily life for ordinary people was like in JA's time, and this book hits the spot. Jo baker gets all her period detail absolutely right. A real find.

I also recommend 'What matters in Jane Austen', for an in-depth discussion of some of the social nuances in the novels.

GrendelsMum - that is currently in my Amazon basket. I read the first chapter in a book shop and it was excellent.

Jane's Fame is quite a decent read too.

David Bamber did a creep of a Cicero in the BBC's Rome, too. I couldn't believe he had the balls to commit suicide - any Mr Collins haters can find solace there!

Can I just mention this to all you Janeites?
Jane Austen's ring fundraising

I've always thought that a modern day Mr Collins would be the type to have a mail order bride.