Robin P’s Comments (group member since Apr 16, 2011)

Robin P’s comments from the The Readers Review: Literature from 1714 to 1910 group.

Turner Classic Movies was showing a bunch of Jane Austen, including that version of S&S, but it might have been a day or two.

In the US, libraries should have copies of all the movies & TV series based on Austen.

I wonder if she wrote some for Dickens' magazine, Household Words? Their relationship wasn't the best, he wrote "Mrs. Gaskell, if I were her husband, how I would beat her!"

There was a series of Pickwick some years back, I think BBC (shown here on PBS). I got it from the local library but it might even be on YouTube. The Christmas episode didn't have a lot of action, but it did portray the jollity.

Ginny wrote: "I am very interested in reading Gothic Tales by Elizabeth Gaskell."

I thought I had read all of Gaskell and don't remember even hearing of this one, thanks for bringing it up!

I think I mentioned somewhere else the Plain Jane newsletter from The Austen Connection
https://austenconnection.substack.com...

Over the past year, "Plain Jane" has led a reading of all of Austen's novels, divided into sections, similar to what we do. They did it in order of publication. I think the analyses are excellent. They will be repeating the whole cycle in 2026, with basically the same info, if anyone is interested. I get the free version, which includes weekly essays on the section being read. There is a paid version with more features and discussions, which I haven't used.

Austen's endings are usually rather abrupt and there is very little talk about feelings, professions of love, guys kneeling down to propose (not sure when in history that became a thing), etc.

Yes, on the sarcasm, in both instances! Austen's wit is often subtle.

I have a feeling I mentioned somewhere that the scene with Lady Catherine and Elizabeth is paralleled later by a scene in Little Women with Meg and Aunt March. Once the young women are forbidden to marry the man they aren't 100% sure they want to marry, they vigorously defend their attachment.

Neither Lydia nor Mrs. Bennet learned anything during the book. They both think the marriage with Wickham was a happy ending.

Well, swingers would have fit in - the Regency was not a puritanical period, at least among the gentry and royals. My understanding is that was why Victoria insisted on strict morals for her family, and thus for the country.

What are the odds that Wickham will be faithful to Lydia??

I think everyone today got a message from GR about removing links to outside sites (also direct messaging which is a huge deal in some of my other groups but not a problem here,) That would mean no more posting the wonderful illustrations or linking to articles outside GR. They did this a few years ago and there was a workaround but this time, who knows? Illustrations and other materials are a great contribution to discussions like ours.

Welcome! this has always been an international group, which really enriches the discussions.

The "small world" thing was common from 17th to 19th century authors. For instance, Dickens has characters appear in odd places, turn out to be related, etc. This was considered not a weakness, but a strength, being able to tie threads together.

Obviously, Wickham wouldn't marry Lydia because she has no money. But I think it's not so unlikely that he would run off with her. I'm sure she threw herself at him blindly and eagerly. Lydia's innocence and generally romantic notions of life would lead her to believe anything he told her. The idea that he would be getting back at Darcy is also a good one.

It's hard to imagine Lydia as a military wife in the regulars, she would hate "following the drum" on campaign. Many women did that, cooking and washing for the troops (as shown in the current PBS series on the American Revolution and found in a number of historical fiction books about the Peninsular campaign in this era.)

I agree about the proposals being glossed over. The only good thing is that readers get to create that scene in their minds if they wish. Mr. Collins' proposal is given in full, which shows how unseriously it is to be taken.

I had forgotten how much condescension Darcy puts into his proposal. Although he is extremely different in personality and life than Collins, both assumed Elizabeth would be thrilled to accept their offer. This is an interesting test for Elizabeth because Darcy is extremely rich and obviously intelligent, as opposed to Collins. She could never marry a stupid man.

The letter, while a too common device for advancing the plot in books of the period, is a good way for Elizabeth to be able to start revising her opinions. If Darcy had tried to explain that in person after the proposal, she probably couldn't have taken it in or believed it. Her willingness to reconsider shows a growing maturity, as several of you have said.

Abigail wrote: "I’ll speak up for Fanny—she may have good judgment, but she has other faults to wrestle with, anger and jealousy prominent among them. But in general the dynamic of MP is very different because of ..."

That's why I like Emma, because I have the same faults!

I'll be leading the discussion on Emma in a few months!

Abigail - I totally agree with this

She has to acknowledge herself misled by the appearance of goodness. This is an important step in the development of many Austen heroines—facing their errors about others, which have led to errors in their own behavior, and correcting them as an exercise of conscience and justice. This is how they earn a happy ending.

This is why I am bored by Fanny Price in Mansfield Park. She has no wrong impressions to correct, and Emma is my favorite because she has so many!

My understanding is that turbans were a headdress option around this time.

Thanks for all the images!

The conversation between Elizabeth and Darcy at the piano is so erudite - Did people really talk like that? We have so come down in the world, especially in the era of texting!

Yes, I read The Clergyman's Wife but I had forgotten the title. I'll have to check out the other one. There are definitely books about Mary Bennet and Georgianna Darcy. There must be one about Kitty since she is such a blank slate.