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Your favourite Austen characters?


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It's the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice this year, so I'm expecting lots of articles to appear in newspapers as well as television programmes dedicated to it. The first one I've come across is this article in the Guardian about the top 10 characters in Austen.

 

 

I definitely agree with most on their list, but some of my favourites are missing:

 

I'd have to include
Henry Tilney
from
Northanger Abbey
, for his warm character and gentle teasing of Catherine, and his determination to stand up to his father in his choice of wife.

 

Also,
Mrs Bennet
in
Pride and Prejudice
has grown on me over the years, especially after reading Fay Weldon's
Letters To Alice
which gave me a new perspective on her.

 

And my favourite heroine,
Anne Elliot
from
Persuasion
. She's quiet, sensible, unspoilt and has been worn down over the years to be dutiful and accepting, but grows so much during the book to show strength of character.

 

Who are your favourite Austen characters?

Edited by chesilbeach
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Wonderful topic for a thread chesil!

(That's an interesting link too; I wish it didn't show pictures of actors though - I would have liked to see covers from old editions :))

 

I've only read three of her novels - Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility and Emma.

 

My favourite male character is George Knightley from Emma and the lady would have to be Elinor from Sense & Sensibility.

 

Your choices make me want to read Persuasion soon!

Edited by bree
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Wonderful topic for a thread chesil!

(That's an interesting link too; I wish it didn't show pictures of actors though - I would have liked to see covers from old editions :))

Thanks. I thought exactly the same about the actors. I didn't mind the first one, as Corin Redgrave was outstanding as Sir Walter, but once you see Keira Knightley as Elizabeth, that acceptance disappeared! :lol: The older covers mixed in were lovely to see though, and I would have liked to see more of them.

 

I've only read three of her novels - Pride & Prejudice, Sense & Sensibility and Emma.

 

My favourite male character is George Knightley from Emma and the lady would have to be Elinor from Sense & Sensibility.

 

Your choices make me what to read Persuasion soon!

I love Elinor too. I hope you get to read Persuasion soon - it's a wonderful book, and I can't wait to read your review of it

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Great topic Claire :)

 

Sir Walter Elliot wouldn't make my top ten and grrrrrrrrr to them showing Keira as Lizzie :banghead::D If that was Elizabeth Bennet then I wouldn't like her :negative:

 

I'm probably a bit too obvious with my favourites .. Lizzie & Darcy (although the Darcy in the book is a bit one dimensional .. he's not Colin Firth .. I do have to remind myself ;)) Marianne (though she's a pain), Elinor, Colonel Brandon, Catherine Morland and Henry Tilney, Anne Elliot, Captain Wentworth & Mr Bennet but then I also love her comic/ridiculous characters too so Lady Catherine, Mr Collins, Isabella & John Thorpe, Mrs Bennet and the awful Mrs Elton are all enjoyable to read about.

 

The list goes on and on actually .. would probably be a much shorter list to say who are my least favourites. Actually, that IS the question. Who is my least favourite Austen character? I'm not entirely sure but I think it would come down to one of the Bertrams.

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...although the Darcy in the book is a bit one dimensional .. he's not Colin Firth ..

 

Don't shoot me poppyshake - but for me it was the other way round.

I loved Darcy in the book, but couldn't help but feel the actor in the film (Colin Firth you say) came across as rather young, inexperienced and well, soppy-eyed. :hide:

Edited by bree
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Oh! I just Googled and realised you weren't talking about the actor in the Keira Knightley film.

Opps! Sorry poppyshake !

That's ok bree .. you are talking about Matthew Macfadyen and I don't care for him in it either :)

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It's the 200th anniversary of the publication of Pride and Prejudice this year, so I'm expecting lots of articles to appear in newspapers as well as television programmes dedicated to it. The first one I've come across is this article in the Guardian about the top 10 characters in Austen.

 

 

I definitely agree with most on their list, but some of my favourites are missing:

 

I'd have to include
Henry Tilney
from
Persuasion
, for his warm character and gentle teasing of Catherine, and his determination to stand up to his father in his choice of wife.

 

Henry Tilney was in Northanger Abbey - it's my favourite Austen novel and he's my favourite Austen hero. Warm, kind, considerate, good-humoured, patient, gentlemanly, and with his priorities in the right order. He's my perfect man, basically! And I do love Catherine for her sweet-natured naivite.

 

I also love Fanny Price from Mansfield Park. Again, she's sweet-natured, and although she's a bit of a goody-two-shoes, she has enough gumption to stand up for herself and her beliefs and not give in too much or too often to peer pressure, even when it comes form her "betters". That said, I do adore both Mary and Henry Crawford (alsom Mansfield Park). They're so wickedly fun and careless n their boredom. In a way, it's a shame Fanny doesn't accept Henry as she could have been the making of him, (although in the long run, he would definitely have made her unhappy, so perhaps not!).

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Henry Tilney was in Northanger Abbey - it's my favourite Austen novel and he's my favourite Austen hero. Warm, kind, considerate, good-humoured, patient, gentlemanly, and with his priorities in the right order. He's my perfect man, basically! And I do love Catherine for her sweet-natured naivite.

Gah! I can't believe I got that wrong - I must have been racing ahead to get to Anne Elliot in my head :doh:

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Great topic!

 

There is no doubt in my mind who is my favourite character - not unpopular if the thread so far is anything to go by - it being Elinor Dashwood, possibly my all time favourite literary character. I don't mind the Emma Thompson picture being used either, as for me she is the epitome of Elinor. Marianne is close behind for completely different reasons, although I've got very soft spots for Anne Elliot, Elizabeth Bennet, Jane Bennet, Fanny Price, Emma Woodhouse.....do you see a common thread there?!! I just love her heroines. But then I also love her villainesses too, for completely different reasons! And then there's Mary Crawford. Hmmmm.........!

 

Of the men, I think George Knightley is probably my favourite, although I do like Mr Bennet, as well as Frederick Wentworth and the Crofts (Admiral and Sophie - can't remember his name!) in Persuasion.

 

Whose my least favourite character? Probably Frank Churchill, although I find Lydia Bennet very irritating too.

Edited by willoyd
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Whose my least favourite character? Probably Frank Churchill, although I find Lydia Bennet very irritating too.

Have you seen The Lizzie Bennet Diaries? Lidia is still annoying, but is a lot more likeable and sympathetic in this modernisation (which is excellent by the way *fangirl squee!*). Take a look HERE.

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Have been thinking about this thread a little more, and I realise that I'm quite fond of

Mr. Wodehouse - that fussy, old dear of a man

Jane Fairfax - she's again along the lines of Elinor, for me

Frank Churchill - despite his immaturity, I love his playful energetic spirit

 

- all characters from Emma - which is one of the reasons I like the novel I think.

The characters are really well-fleshed out and you get to know them really well.

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Great topic!

Thanks! :D

 

Of the men, I think George Knightley is probably my favourite, although I do like Mr Bennet, as well as Frederick Wentworth and the Crofts (Admiral and Sophie - can't remember his name!) in Persuasion.

I don't think the Admiral's name is ever given, but I love Wentworth and the Crofts too, but definitely not mean old Lady Russell ;)

 

 

Whose my least favourite character? Probably Frank Churchill, although I find Lydia Bennet very irritating too.

I've been thinking about this too (perhaps I should change the title of the thread to include least favourite too?), and mine would have to be Mr Woodhouse, I just found myself sneering every time he was brought into the story.

 

Have been thinking about this thread a little more, and I realise that I'm quite fond of

Mr. Wodehouse - that fussy, old dear of a man

Jane Fairfax - she's again along the lines of Elinor, for me

Frank Churchill - despite his immaturity, I love his playful energetic spirit

 

- all characters from Emma - which is one of the reasons I like the novel I think.

The characters are really well-fleshed out and you get to know them really well.

Oh dear - I really disliked the whole of Emma, so can't agree with you, especially on the first one, but at least the Jane Fairfax and Frank Churchill elements of the story were the best bits of the book for me :D

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