catching up on the Austen meme!
Trying to finish some things up (mostly because f_fa made me feel guilty, lol), but for now, more memeing!
Day 10: Who is the most frustrating family member?
No question, Mrs Bennet.
"For my part, Mr Bingley, I always keep servants that can do their own work; my daughters are brought up differently. But every body is to judge for themselves, and the Lucases are very good sort of girls, I assure you. It is a pity they are not handsome! Not that I think Charlotte so very plain-but then she is our particular friend.”
“She seems a very pleasant young woman,” said Bingley.
“Oh! dear, yes;-but you must own she is very plain.”
I have no patience with the 'slightly dimmer Mrs Weasley' readings, where she's kind and selfless, just so concerned about her family, and oppressed into stupidity and viciousness. Yes, her situation is unenviable and her husband is awful to her (and for those inclined to defend him, Austen does provide plenty of examples of clever people married to considerably less intelligent and often fairly mean-spirited ones who don't play mind-games - just in P&P, there's Charlotte, and Sir Thomas' treatment of Lady Bertram in MP).
Now, her situation isn't nearly as dire as she presents - she has a brother with plenty of money. Mrs Bennet herself whines about how she won't inherit "all his money" now that he has a wife and children. (In response to his apparent rescue of her favourite daughter.) So, let's be real, they were never going to be reduced to a pittance, just to less than they were accustomed to. And as Mrs Bennet is already living extravagantly for their income (only Mr Bennet's private economies keep them out of debt), that would undoubtedly be unpleasant.
And all of that said, it's not just that she's silly. It's that she's nasty, selfish, mean-spirited, and as far as I see it, she's essentially selling her daughters to the highest bidder (or any bidder) to ensure her own comfort, with no concern for their welfare. This is, amazingly, the thing that a lot of critics and such see as most admirable about her. I ... really, really don't.
Day 11: Which is your least favourite book?
Another one I don't even have to think about: Sense and Sensibility.
Colonel Brandon was now as happy as all those who best loved him believed he deserved to be; - in Marianne he was consoled for every past affliction; - her regard and her society restored his mind to animation, and his spirits to cheerfulness; and that Marianne found her own happiness in forming his, was equally the persuasion and delight of each observing friend.
Occasionally, I wonder if Marianne becoming Brandon's reward for his assorted tribulations would be slightly less rage-inducing if we had ever witnessed a single conversation between them. Now, we don't get any between Jane and Bingley, either, but ... P&P is not about Jane and Bingley. Marianne, though, is one of the PROTAGONISTS. And frankly, Edward and Edward/Elinor are nearly as thin, the dichotomy between Elinor and Marianne is much less nuanced than what we'll get elsewhere, so is just about everything else, and the resolution comes out of nowhere. Why on earth would Robert Ferrars marry Lucy?
Okay, it's Austen, so I'm not saying it's bad. There are a lot of brilliant lines, the characters are still memorable and engaging, there's the usual strong Austenian dialogue, pacing, narration etc etc. But ... okay, people often talk of MP as Austen's problem novel, and I do not understand how it wins out over S&S. For me, S&S is like a less polished, less interesting, less complex, more unpleasant predecessor to MP.
Day 12: Who is your least favourite Austen heroine?
In a shocking twist, Marianne Dashwood. (Not all my answers will be hating on S&S, really.)
“I could not be happy with a man whose taste did not in every point coincide with my own.”
Lord, she's irritating. And yes, I know she's seventeen and her situation is terrible and ... really, I don't care. I like a lot of unpopular Austen characters (Fanny!--who, incidentally, is only a year older). But I do not like Marianne and I simply don't enjoy reading her story because she annoys me that much. I think if there was something about her that I did really like it might offset that, like with Elizabeth (she annoys me so much! and yet I love her!). But I don't really like much about Marianne. And then, as much as I dislike her, I dislike still more what's done to her at the end. I've already talked about that, but it's just so skeevy, and I end up as much frustrated for her as by her.
Day 10: Who is the most frustrating family member?
No question, Mrs Bennet.
"For my part, Mr Bingley, I always keep servants that can do their own work; my daughters are brought up differently. But every body is to judge for themselves, and the Lucases are very good sort of girls, I assure you. It is a pity they are not handsome! Not that I think Charlotte so very plain-but then she is our particular friend.”
“She seems a very pleasant young woman,” said Bingley.
“Oh! dear, yes;-but you must own she is very plain.”
I have no patience with the 'slightly dimmer Mrs Weasley' readings, where she's kind and selfless, just so concerned about her family, and oppressed into stupidity and viciousness. Yes, her situation is unenviable and her husband is awful to her (and for those inclined to defend him, Austen does provide plenty of examples of clever people married to considerably less intelligent and often fairly mean-spirited ones who don't play mind-games - just in P&P, there's Charlotte, and Sir Thomas' treatment of Lady Bertram in MP).
Now, her situation isn't nearly as dire as she presents - she has a brother with plenty of money. Mrs Bennet herself whines about how she won't inherit "all his money" now that he has a wife and children. (In response to his apparent rescue of her favourite daughter.) So, let's be real, they were never going to be reduced to a pittance, just to less than they were accustomed to. And as Mrs Bennet is already living extravagantly for their income (only Mr Bennet's private economies keep them out of debt), that would undoubtedly be unpleasant.
And all of that said, it's not just that she's silly. It's that she's nasty, selfish, mean-spirited, and as far as I see it, she's essentially selling her daughters to the highest bidder (or any bidder) to ensure her own comfort, with no concern for their welfare. This is, amazingly, the thing that a lot of critics and such see as most admirable about her. I ... really, really don't.
Day 11: Which is your least favourite book?
Another one I don't even have to think about: Sense and Sensibility.
Colonel Brandon was now as happy as all those who best loved him believed he deserved to be; - in Marianne he was consoled for every past affliction; - her regard and her society restored his mind to animation, and his spirits to cheerfulness; and that Marianne found her own happiness in forming his, was equally the persuasion and delight of each observing friend.
Occasionally, I wonder if Marianne becoming Brandon's reward for his assorted tribulations would be slightly less rage-inducing if we had ever witnessed a single conversation between them. Now, we don't get any between Jane and Bingley, either, but ... P&P is not about Jane and Bingley. Marianne, though, is one of the PROTAGONISTS. And frankly, Edward and Edward/Elinor are nearly as thin, the dichotomy between Elinor and Marianne is much less nuanced than what we'll get elsewhere, so is just about everything else, and the resolution comes out of nowhere. Why on earth would Robert Ferrars marry Lucy?
Okay, it's Austen, so I'm not saying it's bad. There are a lot of brilliant lines, the characters are still memorable and engaging, there's the usual strong Austenian dialogue, pacing, narration etc etc. But ... okay, people often talk of MP as Austen's problem novel, and I do not understand how it wins out over S&S. For me, S&S is like a less polished, less interesting, less complex, more unpleasant predecessor to MP.
Day 12: Who is your least favourite Austen heroine?
In a shocking twist, Marianne Dashwood. (Not all my answers will be hating on S&S, really.)
“I could not be happy with a man whose taste did not in every point coincide with my own.”
Lord, she's irritating. And yes, I know she's seventeen and her situation is terrible and ... really, I don't care. I like a lot of unpopular Austen characters (Fanny!--who, incidentally, is only a year older). But I do not like Marianne and I simply don't enjoy reading her story because she annoys me that much. I think if there was something about her that I did really like it might offset that, like with Elizabeth (she annoys me so much! and yet I love her!). But I don't really like much about Marianne. And then, as much as I dislike her, I dislike still more what's done to her at the end. I've already talked about that, but it's just so skeevy, and I end up as much frustrated for her as by her.