Monthly archive for November 2024

I read the final chapters of this superb classic in two sittings.

It’s absolutely engaging.

I’m not sure how to wrap this up! So I’ll point out a few things that drew my attention. 

THE INNER HUMMINGBIRD

This book starts off in the spirit of a hummingbird (I mentioned that in my first post). We’re getting acquainted with the world, the locations, and its inhabitants. Over time, this becomes more and more Lizzy’s story. And I’d venture that hummingbird is still there, but it’s more internal. Lizzy’s undergoing major mental gymnastics as we ramp up to that Happily Ever After Ending.

Darcy and Wickham come to Longbourn, and Lizzy is desperate to get some kind of indication of Darcy’s affection, or some kind of communication with him. There is an irresistible, almost thriller aspect to a portion of the scene. And, like I’ve mentioned before, each little bit twists from the previous one: 

She looked forward to their entrance [Darcy and Bingley], as the point on which all her chance of pleasure for the evening must depend.

“If he does not come to me, then,” said she, “I shall give him up for ever.”

The gentlemen came; and she thought he looked as if he would have answered her hopes; but, alas! The ladies had crowded round the table, where Miss Bennet was making tea, and Elizabeth pouring out the coffee, in so close a confederacy, that there was not a single vacancy near her, which would admit that of a chair. And on the gentleman’s approaching, one of the girls moved closer to her than ever, and said, in a whisper:

“The men shan’t come and part us, I am determined. We want none of them; do we?”

Darcy had walked away to another part of the room. She followed him with her eyes, envied everyone to whom he spoke, had scarcely patience enough to help any body to coffee; and then was enraged against herself for being so silly!

“A man who has once been refused! How could I ever be foolish enough to expect a renewal of his love? Is there one among the sex, who would not protest against such a weakness as a second proposal to the same woman? There is no indignity so abhorrent to their feelings!”

She was a little revived, however, by his bringing back his coffee cup himself; and she seized the opportunity of saying:

“Is your sister at Pemberley still?”

That was a lot, but, this is such a vivid depiction of the internal/external ebb and flow. Austen is playing a bit more with literal internal monologuing in this final section. I wasn’t tracking it before, but I noticed more literal quotations of Lizzy talking to herself as we ramp to the end.

MRS. (MOTHER) BENENT…
Is the least subtle character in the world. I love her so much. She’s totally insufferable and a complete joy.

There’s a scene in chapter XIII when she is trying to get all of the sisters out of the room so Bingley and Jane can be alone. She’s winking and winking before she gives up and asks to speak to Kitty alone. And minutes later, she says the same to Lizzy. It’s the stuff of sitcoms!

LADY CATHERINE STOOPS TO VISIT LONGBOURN
This is one of the most exciting, nail-biting scenes I’ve read.

DID YOU NOTICE…
We don’t get dialogue from Lizzy after Mr. Darcy declares his unchanging love to her? Austen plays fast and loose when she chooses to summarize or report on events rather than provide the actual dialogue. It’s a fascinating aspect of this novel.

Interestingly, in the final chapter, we get some first person point of view happening, that is (I think) the first time this occurs—or if it does occur elsewhere, it’s very infrequent.

Happy for all her maternal feelings was the day on which Mrs. Bennet got rid of her two most deserving daughters. With what delighted pride she afterwards visited Mrs. Bingley and talked of Mrs. Darcy may be guessed. I wish I could say, (emphasis mine) for the sake of her family, that the accomplishment of her earnest desire in the establishment of so many of so many of her children, produced so happy an effect as to make her a sensible, amiable, well-informed woman for the rest of her life…

This chapter is essentially an epilogue. Austen glides from character to character, beginning with Mrs. Bennet (who is the first character we actually encounter in this book) and ending, oddly, with the Gardiners. They are the most effective and strongest allies and advocates for Lizzy.

I have a social media friend who has a theory that this books enduring legacy rests not on the “enemies to lovers” model but more about the relatability of having embarrassing and cringe-y parents. (I figure it’s a bit of both.)

Okay, I’ve got to dash to a dress rehearsal! We’re opening Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley next week.

I hope you’ve enjoyed my periodic commentary and reading (or re-reading) this wonderful story. I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you’d like to weigh in, feel free to leave a comment, post on your own social media feeds with the hashtag #CommonwealReadAlong OR…

…attend our in-person read-along wrap-up on Saturday, November 30. It’ll happen in between our two performances that day. And rumor has it there will be a little prize basket you could win! More details will be forthcoming.

Cheers!

WEEK 4 IMPRESSIONS

This past week’s reading could be divided into two parts:

1. The Astonishing Pemberley Sojourn
2. The Great Lydia/Wickham Elopement Caper

Lizzy is thrown into a tizzy by how grand Pemberley is (and, let’s be honest, Mr. Darcy). 

Jane Austen doesn’t spend a lot of time spelling out the details of Pemberley’s architecture and furnishings. And, honestly, I’m grateful for that. I usually don’t have a great time understanding period details and design/architecture in books. We can take her word for it. And I can always turn to the Internet for visual aids.

Speaking of which…

I am indebted to our Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley director Craig Johnson. He went on a tour of English estates some years ago and shared with the cast some tidbits of what all these places could have looked like. So you could take a little visual/web tour of the following locations: 

• Longbourn (the home of the Bennets) could have looked like Owlpen Manor in the Cotswolds.
• Rosings could be something like Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire.
• And Pemberley is believed to be based upon the Chatsworth House in Devonshire.

“Elizabeth saw, with admiration of his taste, that it was neither gaudy nor uselessly fine; with less of splendour, and more real elegance, than the furniture of Rosings.”

I’m not quite sure what this means (or how Rosings looks vs. Pemberley does). But it’s worth noting that the taste of each estate is different. And Lizzy aligns with the taste of Pemberley. (And the fashion/furnishing of each location is a factor in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.)

Okay, so I think this part of the book is where a certain film adaptation has Mr. Darcy emerging from body of water. This doesn’t happen in the book. But in either case, Lizzy sees him in an entirely new light. Her first impression of him is melting away.

There’s a wonderful page (258 in my Signature Classics edition) that unspools from

“She certainly did not hate him.”

Flowing to:

“It was gratitude.–Gratitude, not merely for having once loved her, but for loving her still well enough, to forgive all the petulance and acrimony of her manner in rejecting him, and all the unjust accusations accompanying her rejection.”

To:

“Such a change in a man of so much pride, excited not only astonishment but gratitude–for to love, ardent love, it must be attributed.”

Lizzy’s smitten!

(Sidenote: I love the word “ardent.” It pops up in Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley.)

As this Pemberley section continues, every single look and word is scrutinized by each character. There’s such a buzz and hum of possibility and assessment from all parties. It’s wonderful!

And then we get to the record scratch moment: Lydia has run off with Mr. Wickham! It pulls us away from Pemberley and back to Longbourn. It’s absolute chaos. And my phone-addicted mind is amazed by how much time it takes for news to reach people. And how long it takes to travel.

This section is full of agony and angst—very dramatic. It pulls us away from Darcy (until it doesn’t!). I appreciate the saga of it all. This is a very societal/familial story and Austen lets us spend time in a world that is full. A two-hour film can only show so much, and I appreciate the slow burn this story has so far. Lizzy is so attached to her family (especially Jane). She’s not fixed on Darcy. Plus, Lydia’s actions could ruin the Bennet reputation for good (at least that’s my impression).

I nearly spat out my coffee when I read Mr. Collins’s letter—particularly this line:
“The death of your daughter would have been a blessing in comparison to this.”

Amidst the chaos, we get a moment of brilliance from Mary:

“This is a most unfortunate affair; and will probably be much talked of. But we must stem the tide of malice, and pour into the wounded bosoms of each other, the balm of sisterly consolation.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Bennet is bumbling along and attempting to do what he can to get to the bottom of this. He loves to drag his heels, doesn’t he.

My big impression of Austen, and this is true from the very first page, is how skilled she is at hairpin turns. It’s a great comic technique. And I found a wonderful example that is easy to gloss over when reading. But if you let each line and sentence land, it becomes an engaging and entertaining ride.

This is from a letter from Uncle Gardiner:

The particulars, I reserve till we meet. It is enough to know they are discovered, I have seen them both–
“Then it is, as I always hoped,” cried Jane; “they are married!” Elizabeth read on;
I have seen them both. They are not married, nor can I find there was any intention of being so.

I LOVE stuff like this. It gives me a little thrill. Seriously! And I think it can be easy, myself included, to miss these moments of juicy, funny twists. Your mileage may vary, of course. But I think you can tell how much fun Austen is having. It’s writing like this that lasts. Shakespeare does it too. This stuff is alive and brimming with the full spectrum of the human condition.

Uncle Gardiner saves the day, apparently reconciling any financial disparity for this marriage arrangement. The Bennets struggle with the shame of it all, but do their best to accept it as Lydia bursts to the scene: “Lydia was Lydia still; untamed, unabashed, wild, noisy, and fearless.”

I think it’s safe to say that Aunt and Uncle Gardiner win the surrogate parents of the year award. Though, I’m not quite finished reading the book, so I could be eating some humble pie by the time I check back on this blog.

We end this section with an intriguing tidbit that Mr. Darcy was on standby, ready to give Lydia away to Mr. Wickham. Lizzy is very curious about this, obviously. She’s going to get to the bottom of this, somehow: first by writing to her Aunt. And if that doesn’t work, Lizzy says to herself: “I shall certainly be reduced to tricks and stratagems to find it out.”

I’ve got about 60 pages to go, and I can’t wait to see what twists and turns lie ahead as Pride and Prejudice comes to a close. I’ll check back in on Friday for a final wrap-up.

Week 3 Impressions: A “Pride and Prejudice” Read-Along

This chunk involved the rest of volume 2, and what a doozy it was! I started to do mini recaps of each chapter, but I found that wasn’t working this time around. I want to resist summarizing, and that’s not easy. In any case, I present a scattered collection of thoughts on this third week of reading.

This volume mostly takes place at the Hunsford parsonage (where Mr. Collins and Charlotte reside). Lizzy takes the time to enjoy the change of pace. It’s a bit of a retreat for her (until it’s not). She keeps bumping into Mr. Darcy or his cousin Colonel Fitzwilliam. 

We get to meet Lady Catherine in this section. My, she’s a fussy, critical woman.  But also rather funny—in a Lady Bracknell sort of way (that’s for you Oscar Wilde/Importance of Being Earnest fans). Lizzy holds her own with Lady Catherine: “Elizabeth suspected herself to be the first creature who had ever dared to trifle with so much dignified impertinence.” 

My new impression is that Mr. Collins and Charlotte are seemingly happy, or at least content? Maybe this wasn’t a terrible match after all?

But that’s just it! That’s the whole point of this book (and part of the fun of reading this in segments with others). Jane Austen sets up a whole spectrum of impressions and expectations. We’re led to believe something about a character and then the reverse happens! (I suppose that’s the mark of any good storyteller.) This book appears to be, on one hand, the dangers of cementing a first impression in your mind. In fact, the original title for this was First Impressions. And that’s mighty revealing, isn’t it?

Anyway, I’m hopeful Charlotte and Mr. Collins can make it work. But who knows. 

Another major theme is that folks should marry for a balance of love and security (money). It shouldn’t tip too far in any direction. And we start to realize that, despite their charm and comic affectations, Mr. and Mrs. Bennet are not the paragon of parenting or marriage. And their behavior has consequences! But I’m getting ahead of myself. Let’s get back to Lizzy and Darcy.

Reader, I have to confess my jaw dropped when Darcy strolled into the house and declared his love for Lizzy. I thought there was going to be a bit more preamble. I suppose there was a flirty exchange earlier, when the two  were truly alone together for the first time. It was still antagonistic, but there was a playful air about it? I dunno. Anyway, I wasn’t expecting this Event so early on!

Once Darcy proposes, things go terribly. Lizzy really goes for the jugular here. These two are stubborn, prideful and prejudicial people. (sidenote: I peeked at a blog post that says it’s easy to place Darcy as the proud one and Lizzy as prejudicial, but the post also argues that the opposite is true).

Lizzy: “Long before it had taken place [the Jane and Bingley drama], my opinion of you was decided.”

Darcry (later on): “But perhaps these offences might have been overlooked, had not your pride been hurt by my honest confession of the scruples that had long prevented my forming any serious design.”

Lizzy: “You could not have made me the offer of your hand in any possible way that would have tempted me to accept it.” (and a bit later) “I had not known you a month before I felt that you were the last man in the world whom I could ever be prevailed on to marry.”

Yikes!

Anyway, Darcy writes a very long letter to her, she reads it, and it sends her into quite an awakening. I won’t relay all that went down. But when Lizzy starts to think deeply about the Wickham/Darcy feud, Lizzy starts to understand that “it was impossible not to feel there was gross duplicity on one side of the other.” And this she begins to untangle all sorts of factors.

Maybe Jane and Bingley aren’t quite the match afterall?
Maybe Wickham is a dangerous cad?

Maybe the Bennets, as a whole, are an embarrassing imprudent family?

Lizzy goes into a spiral that would serve as quite an aria if this were turned into an opera:

“How descpicably have I acted! I, who have prided myself on my discernment! I, who have valued myself on my abilities! Who have often disdained the generous candour of my sister, and gratified my vanity, in useless or blameless distrust–How humiliating is this discovery!–Yes, how just a humiliation!–Had I been in love, I could not have been more wretchedly blind. But vanity, not love, has been my folly.–Pleased with the preference of one, and offended by the neglect of the other, on the very beginning of our acquaintance, I have courted prepossession and ignorance, and driven reason away, where either were concerned. Till this moment, I never knew myself.”

WHEW!

There is so much more to unpack here, and I guess I’m having trouble resisting the urge to recap and provide a play-by-play reaction to everything that happens in this section. So I’m going to wrap things up for now. We’re in the thick of it. Lizzy is attempting to do some damage control with her family (especially since young Lydia is off to Brighton). She also has to figure out how much Darcy news share with Jane and others. And we end the volume with a visit to Pemberley!

Before leaving with the daily schedule for Week 4, I’d like to share a small list of two-word phrases that work wonderfully together. The sound alone of these combinations gives delight. (And I know at least one of them is from Shakespeare, so you know Austen is thinking about sound and rhythm of language.)

• Dignified impertinence
• Restless ecstasy (this is from Shakespeare’s Macbeth)
• Boundless influence
• Wild volatility
• Clamourous happiness
• Querulous serenity

Which one is your favorite?

Here’s the daily schedule for week 4. After that, there’ll be one more shorter section and we’re all done!