Well, I love very much the rythmn and style and elegance of the era and Jane Austen is a master at putting all that forth in her works,oui, she is genious
Me, I have mixed feelings always about Elizabeth and Mr. Darcy if it comes to it. Elizabeth, while totally charming and intelligent is too changeable in my opinion. She is passionate this way, condemming here and justifying there, and then , voila, she changes about face and is the very opposite. She never seems to stick to anything. And there is a scene that has always disturbed me. When aunt and uncle Gardener want her to tour Mr. Darcy's 'home' at first glance she is swept away and there is some conversation about the grandness of the place rendering the owner a little less objectionable and she, Elizabeth agrees. And later when the housekeeper is taking the trio for the grande tour she murmurs that she could have been mistress of all this. I know absolutely that those days were rather mercenary ones, one needed the best 'situation ' one could obtain to be 'happy' and to make one's family happy, but Elizabeth to me, seems to throw out the window some of her principles in this. Although Jane seems a little less 'feisty' I like her steadiness more, and Mr. Bingly too. But really I respect the annoying Mary, who believes what she believes and goes for it even though she can clear a room in seconds! And I am a little amazed by Charlotte Lucas who can say she is not romantic,and then take Mr. Collins and somehow carry on with a measure of quiet happiness. Me, I could not! But I do love the story . A family member bought me years ago a second edition copy and then the complete series in tape. And this year for Christmas he bought me the dvd set and the complete written works of Jane Austen. I am overwhelmed.