Posts under ‘Musings’

Almost everyone ‘knows’ that Elizabeth and Mr Darcy have dark hair, and that Jane and Mr. Bingley are blonde-ish. The idea is so ingrained that Jennifer Ehle dyed her eyebrows and left her hair unwashed for her audition for the 1995 series. Colin Firth’s ginger tendencies, as described by Andrew Davies, were one reason that [...]

Darcy’s behavior at the ball scene has the capacity to shock me every time I read it. We know that he is misunderstood, that he is shy, and that he has the awesome responsibilities of his estate to consider. And yet, on every read, I am offended anew by his treatment of Elizabeth. Here is [...]

In Lost in Austen, Mr Wickham’s character is redeemed in a bold but fairly plausible way, at least on first viewing. Amanda Price discovers that Georgiana Darcy is not as innocent as Jane Austen would have had us believe. After refusing Georgiana’s sexual advances toward him, Mr Wickham chooses to hide this truth and [...]

Jane Austen’s character descriptions in Pride and Prejudice were as fleeting and concise as her descriptions of places. So much happens in the storyline, and there is so much wonderful dialog, that we learn about the heroes and villains largely through these devices rather than via the author’s direct comments.
Nevertheless, its interesting to see some [...]

Mr Bennet is one of the most popular characters in Pride and Prejudice. Jane Austen describes him as ‘… a mixture of quick parts, sarcastic humour, reserve, and caprice,’ and gives him many of the funniest lines in the book. We also cannot help but be affected by the special bond he has with his [...]

Here are some thoughts, based on 1997 figures from critic Edward Copeland, about the sums that were thrown at Mr Wickham at various points in Pride and Prejudice. Copeland estimates that a pound in Pride and Prejudice was equivalent to about 80 US dollars today. This gives quite an insight into the staggering sums that [...]