Andie’s Comments (group member since Jun 26, 2014)

Andie’s comments from the Austen August: A Pride and Prejudice Read-A-Long group.

Continuing on from chapter 13, we open with the Bennet family eating dinner with their new guest, Mr Collins.

To fill the silence, Mr Bennet brings up Lady Catherine de Bourgh with Collins'. He sings her praises six ways to sunday. Lady Catherine has one young daughter, who is apparently “Far superior” to every other girl around, but is of such a sickly constitution that nobody has ever seen or heard of her outside the estate of de Bough- so figure. Collins' spends almost an entire page praising this amazing daughter de Bough.

After dinner, Mr Collins is invited to read aloud to the Bennets, and after refusing novels and picking up and reading, in a very boring voice, a book of sermons, good old Lydia opens her mouth in an attempt to basically shut him up. Lydia brings up the topic of the visiting officers in town (shocker). Mrs Bennet and her other daughters apologise to Collins for this rude interruption by Lydia

Mr Collins takes this hint and joins Mr Bennet in a game of backgammon

It's everyone's favourite visitor you guys- Mr Collins.

Oh dear- here we go. Are we ready to play a drinking game every time he mentions Lady Catherine??

Right, anyway.

So the chapter opens with Mr Bennet announcing that they will be having a guest that evening at dinner- a Mr Collins, who is his cousin. His cousin who is set to inherit the house and property of Longbourn from Mr Bennet, in lieu of a male heir, which means that the Bennet women all need to be very nice to Collins in the hopes that he will not kick them out as soon as he takes over. Cheerful, eh?

Mr Bennet reads Collins' letter aloud to the family and Lizzie is shocked by his deference to Lady Catherine (here we go~). Mr Collins arrives, and is described as being 25 years old, of a grave and stately appearance with very formal manners.

Mr Collins spends the dinner basically congratulation Mrs Bennet on her five beautiful daughters...a lot. The daughters in question are uncomfortable with this praise, but as you can imagine, Mrs Bennet is smug and over the moon at every word. He says “I am cautious of appearing forward and precipitate. But I can assure the young ladies that I come prepared to admire them”. (Uh huh, we know exactly what you come planning to do, Mr Collins).

Mr Collins spends the rest of the evening admiring, very vocally, the entire house, the walls, the shelves- and spends 15 minutes apologising to Mrs Bennet after asking which of her daughters cooked the meal, only to find out that none of them did.

I don't actually think there is anything wrong with watching the adaptations first, personally. I know it helped me a LOT when I read North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell! Welcome to the read-a-long Rachel!

I could seriously imagine him saying that to her in my head, since that is pretty much what he said the first time, and basically walking around with a "troll" face expression on him for the rest of the night haha!

YES. Exactly! It's so great to see his patience with Caroline grow thinner and thinner but he is more eager to get involved with talking to Lizzie!

Mrs Bennet is the epitome of a "curtain twitcher" and neighbourhood watchdog. I would find her infuriating if Mr Bennet didn't make her so funny!

Charlotte Lucas wants them paired up so badly, I had actually not realised that when I first read it, I find it hilarious in a way because I think that is again a match out of security, in her mind, totally ignoring that face that Darcy and Lizzie supposedly hate each other at that point- which is exactly why Charlotte does what she does later in the book for herself...

Genevieve- yep the family status and history meant a lot more back then compared to independent profit from a good occupation. I mean a good occupation bringing in wealth was nothing to be sniffed at but a "Family name" was worth Gold back then, it could either be a curse or a blessing, depending on what your family history was.

Rebekah- I love it too, Austen manages to work it in a way that is believable and not forced at all! Grumpy!Darcy needs a t-shirt, like Grumpy cat...

Lizzie writes to her mother asking for the carriage to take Jane and herself home as soon as possible. Mrs Bennet wants them to stay out the rest of the week at Netherfield Park and insists that she cannot spare the carriage until that Tuesday. Lizzie asks Jane to see if they can borrow Bingley's carriage instead to go home. The Bingleys worry that something has upset them and ask them about it- Caroline however regrets insisting they delay their stay at Netherfield Park longer because “her jealousy and dislike of one sister much exceeded her affection for the other.”

Darcy is relieved that the Bennet sisters are leaving, as in the previous chapter mentioning he “began to feel the danger of paying Elizabeth too much attention”, he has began to acknowledge to himself that “she attracts him more than he liked”. This concerns him a lot and as a result, on her last day at the house, he makes it a job of his to actually avoid her like the plague.

Mrs Bennet isn't very happy to see them arrive home, but their father is because he has felt the conversations around the dinner table have been lacking without them. Meanwhile, Lydia and Kitty have all of the militia gossip about the officers.

Favourite Quotes:-

“She attracted him more than he liked- and Miss Bingley was uncivil to her, and more teazing than usual to himself. He wisely resolved to be particularly careful that no sign of admiration should now escape him, nothing that could elevate her with the hope of influencing his felicity; sensible that if such an idea had been suggested, his behaviour during the last day must have material weight in confirming or crushing it”

Yeah pretty much. I think he just really didn't want to be there in the first place and is a bit grumpy because of it ;3

haha bless her. I wish Mary and Kitty had more character development throughout this book, there really isn't very much said about them : (

HAHA! I think that is pretty much everyone's reaction to Caroline to be honest! I think she is the female "villain" of this story, in a way.

Haha wow, you really are miles ahead! Are you enjoying it??

No worries Rebekah! Take your time :) everyone is going at their own pace, my job is just to make sure the two chapter summaries a day are up on time so that they are ready for people!

Mr Bennet and his sarcasm is probably one of the most underrated things in this book, in my opinion!

Lizzie persuades Jane to leave her room and join the rest of the group downstairs. Until the men appeared in the room, the ladies lavished their attention on Jane and her health and how well she was looking. As soon as the men appeared, however, Caroline Bingley's attention immediately focused on Darcy. She approaches Darcy immediately to catch his attention but he ignores her in favour of congratulating Jane on looking better (awh.)

Bingley and Jane sit talking while Darcy picks up a book, Caroline also picks up a book (trying to mirror Darcy's behaviour, I guess?) and spends most of the time either watching Darcy read his book or reading over his shoulder whatever page he is up to, instead of actually reading her own book. Darcy ignores her comments, only replying when he has to. She only picked her book up because it was the second volume to his! She sighs and gives a great speech about how amazing reading is and how she absolutely must have a grand library in her future home (hint hint Darcy and his family library at Pemberly). Bored of failing to bring up a conversation, she asks her brother about the ball he promised to the Bennet sisters earlier.

Caroline stars walking around the room, in hopes to attracting Darcy's attention from his book, to her figure, and when it fails, she asks Lizzie to walk with her under the guide of talking to her- basically knowing that Darcy will watch Lizzie- and by extension, herself. Unfortunately for Caroline, this leads to another banter spat between Lizzie and Darcy and about how they are either with or without fault.

This chapter is basically just Caroline Bingley being ignored and you know what? I love it. HA.

Favourite Quotes:-

Lizzie: “and your defect is a propensity to hate everybody.”
Darcy: “and yours” he replied with a smile, “is wilfully to misunderstand them.”

I laughed so hard when I read that in the chapter, it is another one of those "OOOOH SNAP" Darcy moments!

I was the same when he said he didn't dare X3 one of those lovely "aahhhhh" moments in the book. It just means so much in so few words and description!

: D no worries Lore- that's why this read-a-long is going all month, so that nobody feels rushed doing it!

I love seeing Darcy grow and change his opinion of Lizzie- and basically regret ever being rude to her in the first place.

Caroline Bingley is an annoying pain in the backside.

I can't decide if he is being playful or serious when he answers her about the comment he made all the time bit either way it is cute XD. Caroline Bingley is awful!

Chapter ten continuing on the same day as chapter 9, but later that evening at Netherfield, where the group all gather in one room but are separated at the same time. Darcy is writing a letter to his sister, Miss Bingley is hovering over him and being generally annoying by asking him to write his sister messages for her- interrupting him constantly. Elizabeth does some needlework while eavesdropping on what Miss Bingley is saying to Darcy, finding amusement in his annoyance.

Lizzie, Bingley and Darcy wind up having a discussion about how Bingley talked about himself earlier- whether he was speaking with humility or an “indirect boast”, which winds up with Bingley saying that if Darcy were not as tall as he is, he would not “defer” to him so easily- Lizzie senses Darcy is a bit offended by this and manages to stop herself from laughing. (That entire conversation made my head spin, honestly.)

Miss Bingley and Mrs Hurst move to play the piano and they ask Lizzie to help to “lead the way” by turning the sheet music for them. She wonders why Darcy is watching her so much but doesn't understand why he would watch her if he disliked her as much as she believes. During the next song, Darcy approaches Lizzie and asks if she wants to dance, she smiles but says nothing and when he asks again, she says she didn't realise he actually expected an answer, thinking that he wasn't her to say “yes” so that he could basically say “well too bad~” and walk away. She dares him to hate her for it, and he replies that he “does not dare”.

Miss Bingley sees this exchange and is jealous. She reminds Lizzie that Jane is probably wondering where she is so that Lizzie leaves the room,. The next day, while she and Darcy are walking outside, Miss Bingley continues to poke fun at the idea of Darcy and Lizzie getting married, talking about how Mrs Bennet will be his mother-in-law. Upon talking the mickey about having Elizabeth's portrait drawn for the family hall, she of course makes the “fine eyes” reference once again, saying how she isn't sure any artist will be able to capture them correctly, Darcy replies in all seriousness “It would not be easy, indeed, to catch their expression, but their colour and shape and the eye-lashes, so remarkably fine, might be copied”.

While walking, they turn the corner and bump into Mrs Hurst and Lizzie. Mrs Hurst changes to stand by Darcy, leaving Lizzie by herself. Darcy, “felt their rudeness” (WHAT? Darcy actually found behaviour rude?!) offers to take them to a different route where they can all walk together. Lizzie laughs and tells them that she doesn't want to spoil a perfect picture of the three of them walking together and runs off.


Favourite Quotes:-

“Elizabeth, having rather expected to affront him, was amazed at his gallantry; but there was a mixture of sweetness and archness in her manner which made it difficult for her to affront anybody; and Darcy had never been so bewitched by any woman as he was by her. He really believed, that were it not for the inferiority of her connections, he should be in some danger. ”

We left off in chapter 8 with Lizzie staying at Netherfield Park to care for her sister, Jane who is sick during a visit there because her mother forced her to ride on horseback to the Park, in the pouring rain. What a caring mother. Anyway-

Jane wants her mum to visit her, so Lizzie sends a note and shortly after her mum and Kitty and Lydia arrive to visit Jane. Seeing that Jane is recovering well, Mrs Bennet wishes her no hurry to get better soon, obviously the longer she stays at Netherfield Park, the longer she is technically in company with Mr Bingley.

At breakfast, Elizabeth mentions that she has started to understand Bingley's mannerisms, and Bingley comments that he had no idea she was so observant of characters. Darcy interrupts the joking banter to say that in the country, characters are “unvarying”, but Mrs Bennet fend him off, saying that country characters are changing all the time. He goes quiet and looks away, while Mrs Bennet looks smug at victory over him (oh dear- awkward!) Elizabeth speaks up, almost to defending Darcy's opinion, saying that her mum misinterpreted Darcy's words and then tries to change the subject to Charlotte Lucas who has recently left Longbourn with her father on a trip. Of course while complimenting Charlotte's father, Mrs Bennet manages to slip in an insult towards Darcy: “What an agreeable man Sir William is!...so genteel and so easy- He always has something to say to every body. That is my idea of good breeding, and those persons who fancy themselves very important and never open their mouths, quite mistake the matter!” (oooh, burn!)

At the same dinner, Lizzie and Darcy have a bit of a discussion over whether poetry is the “food of love” or whether it “drives it away”, and Mr Bingley promises Lydia that as soon as Jane is well again, he will hold another dance for them all.

All Bennets but Lizzie leave Netherfield Park, Lizzie returns to Jane's room. Which leaves the Bingleys and Darcy at the table, discussing the Bennets and their visit.

Favourite Quotes

“...leaving her own and her relations' behaviour to the remarks of the two ladies and Mr Darcy, the latter of whom, however, could not be prevailed on to join in their censure of her, in spite of all Miss Bingley's witticisms on fine eyes”

Welcome Hayley and Beka :) happy to have you here!

I hadn't thought about Charlotte's opinion like that before, actually. She really does portray women as these feeble creatures who can't have any say over their own paths. Which is a stark contrast to Lizzie, obviously.

The chapter opens with the Bingleys and Darcy discussing discussing Lizzie using their carriage to return home later that day. They discuss the scandal of Lizzie walking so far alone and appearing to be such a mess on arrival. Miss Bingley asks if this image has ruined Darcy's admiration of her “fine eyes” , to which he replies “not at all, they were brightened by the exercise.”.

Mrs Bingley has affection for Jane but feels that due to her family's “low connections” and her mother and father, that she is not good enough for her son. Mr Bingley defends Jane, saying that even if their entire family filled Cheapside, it “would not make them one jot less agreeeable” (awwwwwh)

Later on, when Jane is asleep, Elizabeth goes downstairs to find them all playing cards. Lizzie picks up a book instead and sits alone in the room away from them. They wind up having their first sparring match over the discussion of how many talents an “ideal woman” should have. After an extensive list about languages and posture and crafting and music, Darcy adds

Darcy: “All this she must possess...and to all this she must yet add something more substantial, in the improvement of her mind by extensive reading”
Elizabeth: “I am no longer surprised at your knowing only six accomplished women, I rather wonder now at your knowing any!”

I wonder if he threw that last bit in because she was reading and they had been discussing their family libraries?

Elizabeth decides Jane is too sick to leave her just yet, the Bingleys send for the family apothecary again and Lizzie remains at Netherfield Park.