Lit Reader’s Reviews > In Want of Connections > Status Update

Another glitch >>

Mrs. Bennet says “Sir William and Lady Lucas were the only people of rank I knew. How am I supposed to behave in the presence of earls…”

But we were told the Bennets visited their cousin the Earl every other year, and Mrs. Bennet had previously said she felt welcome there.

Sir William is at Hunsford visiting Charlotte, but it falls to Elizabeth to disclose to Charlotte (after many weeks!) that Whickham was pursued by Sir William for debt, he run, stole a horse, was caught and hanged… WHY didn’t Sir William share this? Why didn’t gossipy Lady Lucas tell Charlotte in one of her letters? Why didn’t candid Maria Lucas tell her sister upon arrival to the parsonage?

Sloppy planning

Weird phrasing all around !

“How can one contract such a sum so swiftly?”

The whole plotline about the secrecy over Mr. Bennet’s new title is ludicrous ! First the Bennets visit their cousin every two years and no one in Hertfordshire knows he is an Earl. Then Bennet inherits and they tell NO ONE (except the Gardiners) for months; silly, gossipy Mrs. Bennet doesn’t spill the beans. Once in London, after a Court presentation, they STILL keep it a “secret”.

WHY ???

Language is over florid and phrasing is convoluted beyond the flow of natural sentences.

For ex.
“… bright orange plumes bobbed like reeds in a breeze.”

One expects reeds to sway in the breeze; bobbing conveys the idea of a repetitive up & down motion, or rhythmically floating in water.

Miss Bingley exclaims >> “Why on earth would you ask a tradesman’s wife to accept our acquaintance?”

Everything that should be subtle and already known by the readers is made crudely explicit and vocally explained to the reader. Very awkward !

Language again >> “… how Bingley’s sister was viewed by our friends and colleagues”

Colleagues literally means co-worker or proffessional associate. Darcy says this line to his Uncle the Earl — they don’t have “colleagues”, Darcy doesn’t work (he is a landed gentleman, but a commoner) and his uncle is a Peer of the Realm, an aristocrat.

There is a persistent misuse of language :


“… a refreshing change after four weeks of confinement to ballrooms and drawing rooms since his return from Hertfordshire.”

Which “confinement”?? Confinement in Hertfordshire?? Because that didn’t happen… Or back in London ?? — Darcy cannot be a recluse while at the same time vigorously socializing in balls and social visits for a whole month !

“Should I call you Lord Bennet, or Lord Rumley?”

We were just told the Bennets visited the previous Earl every two years, Mrs. Bennet said she always felt welcome by them. So WHY would Mrs. Bennet be ignorant about how to address the Earl now ??

Mr. Bennet proceeds to spell the rules of address for her, to the (clueless) reader’s benefit [awkward!]

The writing is a tad convoluted and with unnecessary confusing flourishes ; one example

“…his wife interjected in an attempt to cajole her husband out of his petulance.”

Mr. Bennet is irritated and even mad because Lydia just revealed she would have an asignation with a soldier in the garden (at the Netherfield ball) — his reaction can HARDLY be called “petulance”