A Classic Exchange between Mr. and Mrs. Bennet

"Oh! my dear Mr. Bennet," as she entered the room, "we have had a most delightful evening, a most excellent ball. I wish you had been there. Jane was so admired, nothing could be like it. Everybody said how well she looked; and Mr. Bingley thought her quite beautiful, and danced with her twice! Only think of that, my dear; he actually danced with her twice! and she was the only creature in the room that he asked a second time. First of all, he asked Miss Lucas. I was so vexed to see him stand up with her! But, however, he did not admire her at all; indeed, nobody can, you know; and he seemed quite struck with Jane as she was going down the dance. So he inquired who she was, and got introduced, and asked her for the two next. Then the two third he danced with Miss King, and the two fourth with Maria Lucas, and the two fifth with Jane again, and the two sixth with Lizzy, and the Boulanger—"

"If he had had any compassion for me," cried her husband impatiently, "he would not have danced half so much! For God's sake, say no more of his partners. O that he had sprained his ankle in the first dance!"

The 1940's Version of Pride and Prejudice....not very accurate but entertaining

The cast:  Elizabeth Bennet played by Greer Garson;  Mr. Darcy played by Laurence Olivier; Jane Bennet played by Maureen O'Sullivan;  Mr. Bingley played by Bruce Lester; Lydia Bennett played by Ann Rutherford......yes, there are others but let's face it, these are the folks we remember.



 

On walking....

"To walk three miles, or four miles, or five miles, or whatever it is, above her ankles in dirt, and alone, quite alone! 
What could she mean by it?

It seems to me to show an abominable sort of conceited independence, a most country-town indifference to decorum."

Becoming Jane..... Austen

First off, I should say that I am not into movies.
I watch one every now and then and have a few faves but mostly I don't bother. Movies tend to bore me. I think I have movie ADD.
Anyhoo, I thought about checking out Becoming Jane but I didn't really....check it out (a somewhat awkward sentence).
I read about it and watched a few clips but I doubt I will watch Becoming Jane anytime soon.
But that does not keep me from going to my fave place...youtube and watching a variety of scenes.
Check these scenes out. Maybe you'll go see the movie and tell me about it.
 Before getting this movie on DVD, you can read about it at Wikipedia which seems to have a good plot synopsis or at  Imdb.com which will give all of the pertinent film facts.
Ooooo, I forgot to mention that the movie Becoming Jane is more or less based on the book Becoming Jane Austen written by Jon Spence.
Enjoy the clips!

A Pride and Prejudice Character Map

This is fabulous! Especially for those who are new to P and P or who are just easily confused. Not that I didn't already know all of the relationships (I ought to know by this time) but it's interesting to see it plotted out. Of course, it all revolves around Elizabeth and Darcy.
I found this at Murderati.com .

About Jane

Here's a short but informative video about Jane Austen. Just the facts, Ma'am.


Jane Austen For Dummies

As for Mary....

As for Mary, she was mistress enough of herself to whisper to Elizabeth, with a countenance of grave reflection, soon after they were seated at table:

"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."

A Letter from Lydia

"MY DEAR LIZZY,

"I wish you joy. If you love Mr. Darcy half as well as I do my dear Wickham, you must be very happy. It is a great comfort to have you so rich, and when you have nothing else to do, I hope you will think of us. I am sure Wickham would like a place at court very much, and I do not think we shall have quite money enough to live upon without some help. Any place would do, of about three or four hundred a year; but however, do not speak to Mr. Darcy about it, if you had rather not.

"Yours, etc."

"Do you prefer reading to cards?"

Mr. Hurst looked at her with astonishment.

"Do you prefer reading to cards?" said he; "that is rather singular."

"Miss Eliza Bennet," said Miss Bingley, "despises cards. She is a great reader, and has no pleasure in anything else."

"I deserve neither such praise nor such censure," cried Elizabeth; "I am not a great reader, and I have pleasure in many things."

A Pride and Prejudice Illustrated Postcard

I found this card online and thought I would share it.

Really, Mr. Collins...

"Really, Mr. Collins," cried Elizabeth with some warmth, "you puzzle me exceedingly. If what I have hitherto said can appear to you in the form of encouragement, I know not how to express my refusal in such a way as to convince you of its being one."

Ten Thousand a year!!

"My dearest child," she cried, "I can think of nothing else! Ten thousand a year, and very likely more! 'Tis as good as a Lord! And a special licence. You must and shall be married by a special licence. But my dearest love, tell me what dish Mr. Darcy is particularly fond of, that I may have it to-morrow."

Why don't I have this book???

Jane Austen for Dummies written by Joan Klingel Ray, who happens to be the president of the Jane Austen Society of North America, has been out for years but apparently I have been too busy to notice. So much to read and sooo little time.

Okay, like the book should be called "Everything you ever wanted to know about Jane Austen, her books and the world she lived in but couldn't find anyone who knew more than you did".
Of course, that might have been kind of long.

Anyway Ms Ray answers the eternal questions, like....

Why doesn't Elizabeth Bennet just get a job?

Why will Mrs. Bennet have to leave Longbourn if Mr. Bennet dies?

How rich IS Darcy?

and many, many, more troublesome questions.

Seriously, this book is worth having. I have to go to the bookstore NOW!!

Will you do me the honor of reading that letter?

She had turned away; but on hearing herself called, though in a voice which proved it to be Mr. Darcy, she moved again towards the gate.

He had by that time reached it also, and, holding out a letter, which she instinctively took, said, with a look of haughty composure, "I have been walking in the grove some time in the hope of meeting you. Will you do me the honour of reading that letter?"

And then, with a slight bow, turned again into the plantation, and was soon out of sight.


Black and White Line Drawings by C.E. Brock
From undated Nelson and Sons edition of Pride and Prejudice

Lost in Austen

OMGosh! I can't believe I'm just finding this series.

Lost in Austen was (or is?) a British, of course, miniseries about a woman who like the rest of us that have read P&P a million times is a hopeless romantic.
She finds a doorway in her bathroom, of all places, to the world of her dreams, Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice.
From there it just gets crazier.
Wow! Okay, a show of hands....how many of you would reeeealy like to find a doorway into P&P?
And if you did....would you go through it?
Well, okay, ya kinda have to go through it the first time...just to make sure that it's real.
But what about after that????

Happy P and P New Year!

This is a lovely picture, by Muncha, of a young woman having the first cup of coffee of the new year. Well, she's having a cup of coffee, I've decided that it's the first of the year.
Happy New Year to all...now go have that cup of coffee!!!

Wow! A great gift for a P and P Lover!

Found on Esty.com :

Adorn your home with these festive literary ornaments!

Two clear glass ornament are tediously filled with strips of almost two pages of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. Many of the strips are arranged in such a way that you can read some sentences, which is delightful indeed!

Love the Painting .......check out the hat...umm...bonnet!

This is an early Regency portrait (1790s) by Vigee' le Brun.
this picture was found at Sensibility.com

Pride and Prejudice and Fashion

I was looking for information on clothing during the Pride and Prejudice time period when I found this info.
Notice the jacket that Elizabeth wears in the picture at the top of the blog is one of these Spencer Jacket talked about below.

A Lady Wearing a Spencer to read. A Spencer was perfect to keep chills away.

Earl Spencer and the Short Spencer Jacket 1795 - Regency Fashion history - 1817 - Very Short Cropped Spencer Jacket.

The Spencer was a short top coat without tails worn by men during the 1790s as an extra covering over the tailed coat. It had long sleeves and was frequently decorated with military frogging. Picture of woman wearing a Spencer.Its originator is thought to be Earl Spencer who singed the tails of his coat when standing beside a fire. He then had the tails trimmed off and started a fashion.

A female version was soon adopted by gentlewomen who at the time were wearing the thin light muslin dresses of the 1790s.

The Spencer was worn as a cardigan or shrug is worn today. It was a short form of jacket to just above waist level cut on identical lines to the dress.


Left - A very cropped short high waisted Regency Spencer of 1817.

The Spencer was worn both indoors and outdoors and for evening wear and was made of silk or a wool material known as kerseymere. When it was worn as an indoor evening Spencer it was called a canezou. Spencers stayed in fashion for about 20 years whilst the waistline remained high.

This lemon Regency Spencer is from a fashion plate of 1818.

When the waist slowly began its drop on dresses so did the waist of the Spencer.


information found at Fashion-era.com/regency_fashion

you can find patterns for the dresses and for the spencer jackets here at Sensibility.com

Her Affections.....

Sometimes one officer, sometimes another, had been her favourite, as their attentions raised them in her opinion. Her affections had continually been fluctuating but never without an object.