To have just realised that Mr Collins got Mrs Collins in the family way.

[squoosh]

Have just re-read Pride & Prejudice for the first time in yonks and at the end Mr Collins mentions 'dear Charlotte’s situation, and his expectation of a young olive-branch. How had I not noticed that before?

I'd always imagined dear Charlotte avoiding that messy business by keeping him occupied with his sermon writing and his gardening and his pash on Lady Catherine.

But she was a woman who knew what she wanted so I wouldn't be surprised if she was the one who took conjugal matters in hand.

Good old P&P, the book that keeps on giving.

I think the idea was that wickham was financially fucked and had to get out of the regiment anyway so why not take Lydia with him until she got boring? I suppose he could even have had designs on pimping her out for income, though I'm not sure JA would have thought that way. It wouldn't be outside the realms of his character and we know that lots of 15 year olds get suckered into child sexual exploitation because they think their pimp is their boyfriend.
Probably a bit C21st for accuracy though.

I think JA must have read War and Peace. The characters bear remarkable similarities. I'm not sure on the dates they were written though. I think it might have been around the same time. Count and countess Rostov are Mr and Mrs Bennett, Natasha is a bit Lydia, Wickham is Anatoly, Sonya is Charlotte Lucas...

Any savage can dance

I think EverySongbird would love a fuddle

War And Peace was published 56 years later.
I know nothing about Tolstoy so don't know if he read Jane Austen but any influence would have been that way round!

Why Hello there Mr Collins...

In Lizzie's defence, didn't they all think Jane was on the verge of getting engaged to Bingley when she turned Mr Collins down? I'm not saying she'd have married him in any circumstances. But the threat of future destitution might not have seemed quite as pressing if they were all on the verge of being funded and thrown into the paths of other rich men via Jane's marriage. You'd kick yourself settling for someone you hated in return for a modest living, if you subsequently had access to better!

Which is what makes Charlotte Lucas so interesting, or 'artful' as Mother Bennet calls her.

She isn't interested if Bingley loves Jane she wants to know if she has 'secured' him, the we maybe definitely certainly hope that buttered NO parsnips with Miss Lucas

Hmm maybe it's more that the characters are just so typical of the time. Than that they had an influence.

I must say, quite aside from my unexpected attraction to Matt Smith I developed while watching zombie P&P, his performance is comedy gold!

The film is just OK not great, my dear Matt is the best thing in it, so distinctly above the rest of the cast talent wise that it's a bit cringe

Matt Smith looks as though his face is on inside out.

I am looking forward to seeing him play Phil in the Liz n Phil early days Netflix saga.

Phil was undeniably a dish in his day. The crotchety racist gaffe prone shagabout

Emma Thompson casting herself as Elinor Dashwood in Sense & Sensibility is one of the worst age-miscastings ever. She looked about 20 years too old for the part.

I've also always felt that the role of Jane was miscast in the BBC P&P version- she is supposed to be this great beauty that to me Jennifer Ehle is much better looking and completely outshines her sister.

And I've always wondered why he is just "Mr" Darcy and not Lord Darcy, what with the massive house and huge tracts of land.

This is such a brilliant thread.

squoosh

goady fucker

*but to me

squoosh that's what I originally thought! But there is something about him now he's a bit older. I agree it's not a great film but I enjoyed it it was silly. Matts a fab actor. I'm surprised he's not done more. He has a really electric screen presence.

Emma Thompson and Hugh Grant are actually roughly the same age during S and S but Elinor Dashwood is only supposed to be 21, and she looks like she could be Kate Winslets Mum. She did end up married to Willoughby in the end though.

I like P and P more but S and S does freak me out the way I'm a bit too like Marianne when it comes to blokes for my own liking ie too emosh and cringe I always DIE for her in the party scene

Best but often least referred to performance in that is Hugh Laurie he's an amazing bastard, yet lovely when it counts

I had a long Twitter exchange about why it is that Bingley needs to find a Rent A Mansion if he's heir to a fortune

Why doesn't he have a seat?

Result was : we conclude that his fortune likely came from colonials who were probably slavers

I've also always felt that the role of Jane was miscast in the BBC P&P version- she is supposed to be this great beauty that to me Jennifer Ehle is much better looking and completely outshines her sister.

See, I don't think that at all! I think it was brilliant casting - Jane was very demure and typical of the style of beauty favoured at the time; Lizzy, whilst still very attractive, was more unconventional with her dark, slightly frizzy hair and face full of expression. They got the sparkling eyes just right I thought.

I think the Kiera Knightly one TOTALLY failed though - KK was stunning, whilst Jane was quite plain. And Bingley looked like some gormless idiot.

No, the BBC casting was spot on. Alison Steadman as Mrs B was inspired.

I agree about this thread though - I love a good Austen thread!

I've had a conversation about the miscasting of Jane, I think it might even have been on MN. I remember seeing her in a few other things at around the same time and she did have a lovely serene beauty. I think the hairstyle in P&P was unfortunate and the casting director hadn't taken it into account. Having her hair scraped back except for some curly bits around the forehead caught her face at all the wrong angles, whereas it suited Jennifer Ehle really well.

Sorry EverySong and raised. I will give old insidey out face Matt a fair chance when I watch the zombie film.

I had a long Twitter exchange about why it is that Bingley needs to find a Rent A Mansion if he's heir to a fortune

Fortune made in trade - new money.

But yes, probably sugar, cotton and slaves. Most big houses would have similar income streams and investments; the Darcys of the time may well have had interests in plantations.
I was so sad when that was first pointed out to me I can't walk round NT places in the same way anymore.

ROSAMUND PIKE PLAIN???????!!!!!!!!

ROSAMUND.

PIKE.

PLAIN.

EXPLAINNNNNNNN YOURRRRSSSSEEEELLLLVVVESS

Agree about the hair newyear!

Bingley's family made their wealth as merchants (perish the thought) so haven't been in the upper echelons for enough generations to acquire a title. I think it's likely they all had a plantation though. Darcy was super duper rich, as in rich in a way that the income from a fabulous estate in Derbyshire couldn't explain.