Sunday, January 24, 2010

P&P chapters 50-End

After bribing Wickham, he and Lydia return back to Longbourn. It's very awkward for everyone except Lydia and Mrs. Bennett who can't shut up about the wedding. Elizabeth receives a letter from her aunt stating that Darcy found Lydia and Wickham and was responsible for convincing her uncle to bribe Wickham in the first place. She was taken back at first but grew a lot more respect for Darcy and his efforts. Mr. Bingley returns and Mrs. Bennett jumps on the first opportunity to invite him over for dinner. Bingley decides to bring an unexpected guest, Mr. Darcy. Both Jane and Elizabeth were uncomfortable and really had no idea how to react. (I'm sure they were like wtf?!)


Bingley and Darcy continue to stop by for visits. Bingley's motives become quite clear when him and Jane become obvious with their love for another. He proposes to Jane and everyone is happy. Darcy is acting extremely awkward around Elizabeth but my guess is that he feels stupid for still wanting to be with her when she rejected him so bluntly.


The lovely Lady Catherine de Bourgh decides to make a visit to Elizabeth. Elizabeth is quite shocked at her presence. Lady Catherine questions if Elizabeth is engaged to her nephew and if not she must make a promise to decline his proposal. When Elizabeth told her that no she wasn't engaged to Darcy, she was relieved and stated that Elizabeth was not good enough to marry him and he was promised to marry her daughter. Elizabeth exclaims that she will not make such a promise and it is none of her business who she marries.


Bingley and Darcy make another visit to Longbourn and everyone decides to take a walk. Darcy and Elizabeth decide to break away from the pack and talk things out. Elizabeth questions Darcy on his strange behavior and he apologizes and confesses that he still loves her and makes another proposal and this time Elizabeth accepts. Everyone in the family is taken back to the news because they thought Elizabeth hated Darcy. She explains the story and everyone is happy for her. Jane and Elizabeth have a double wedding and Elizabeth and Darcy move to Pemberly where they lived happily ever after.


I loved the ending to this book although it's kind of expected. I love how Bingley is brought back to the picture and despite all the efforts of everyone to break them apart, his love for Jane conquered all.(as cheesy as that sounds) I was shocked whenever Darcy came with Bingley to eat with the Bennetts because if someone rejected me I wouldn't be making visits to see them. Whenever Lady Catherine came to see Elizabeth I love how Elizabeth got right back in her face and stood up to her. When Darcy and Elizabeth got engaged I was like finally! I love them together because they are not the typical couple. I loved how Jane and Elizabeth had a double wedding because they went through so much together so I thought it was sweet how they shared their love for their husbands and for each other as they tied the knot. Such a fairy tale.

Sunday, January 17, 2010

P&P chapters 35-50

Darcy just left Elizabeth after he proposed and handed her a letter. It exposed Wickham for the liar and con artist that he was. Wickham was planning a scam to marry Darcy's younger sister in order to get the family inheritance. Elizabeth felt terrible for how she treated Darcy in his proposal and was shocked about Wickham.


Elizabeth accompanied her aunt and uncle to visit the lovely Derbyshire. On the way the Gardiners insist on making a stop at Pemberly. They state that Darcy, who is the master, will not be there. However Darcy arrives home early and his affection and admiration towards Elizabeth grows the whole time of her stay. Elizabeth is confused about her feelings towards Darcy but refuses to make a move. Jane sends Elizabeth a letter saying they must return at once because Lydia ran away with Wickham and Mr. Gardiner must help her father find them. Mrs. Bennett is ridiculously hysterical about Lydia's disappearance. Mr. Gardiner finds Lydia and Whickham and bribes him with a large sum of money to marry her. At this news Mrs. Bennett makes a miraculous recovery and starts to make all the plans for the wedding. Elizabeth is filled with sadness because she feels like she has lost Darcy because of her sister's scandalous actons.


I like this section of the book so much more than I did the first! I almost feel like I'm watching a soap opera.
I hate that Elizabeth rejected Darcy and accused him of all those things. I want them to get together so bad but one thing after another keeps happening to prevent it. I hated how Elizabeth was still somewhat closed to Darcy at Pemberly. I was shocked whenever the whole Lydia scandal happened. It was so random. I hated how I actually liked Whickam because he fooled me too. It amazed me that running away with someone was so unheard of. I figured it happened a lot due to all the pressure of getting married and whatnot. I was pissed at Mrs. Bennett because she's such a drama whore. She doesn't really care about her girls. She just wants to marry them all off so she doesn't have to worry about them anymore. I think Lydia is a selfish brat. I really feel bad for all the other girls because it's going to be hard for them to get married now that their reputation is screwed.


I enjoyed this part of the book and can't wait to see all the drama that is to come.

Saturday, January 9, 2010

Part 1 of Pride and Prejudice

Pride and Prejudice is not my favorite book. I find it hard to follow sometimes. There are some parts in the conversations between characters that make it hard to distinguish who is actually talking and I have to go back and reread. I do however like how Austen shows life realistically. She displays not only love and honesty, she shows deceit and hatred.


When Mr. Bingley first came to Hertfordshire I really liked him because he was of a higher rank but he welcomed everyone and didn't act like he was to good for them. When Jane and him became intimate I couldn't help but root for them because they seemed like such a good couple. I was so pissed when he left to go to London because he didn't even tell her goodbye. Even though Jane tried to act like she was fine it was obvious that she was heartbroken. I found it sad that Jane went to visit her aunt and uncle in London to get away and secretly tried to get a chance to talk to Mr. Bingley. Though Jane is cheerful and loving her ignorance to the Bingley sisters' plans to get her brother away from her annoys me.


Mr. Collins just seems like the nerdy cousin in the family that no one wants but has to put up with. When he first came to the Bennet household to discuss the estate I suspected he had alternative motives. When he decided he wanted one of his cousins to make his wife, I was like what? They are cousins. That fact apparently didn't bother him or Mrs. Bennet. I hated how he wanted Jane at first but when he found out that she was taken, he just moved onto Elizabeth. Then when Elizabeth refused his proposal, he just moved onto her friend, Charlotte Lucas. I would be angry is my best friend got engaged to the person I dumped. I found it ridiculous that all of them were so focused on getting married for security reasons and not emotions. I grew a lot more respect for Elizabeth when she declined Mr. Collins proposal in order to be true to herself no matter what the cost.


Elizabeth is my favorite character. She is very honest and open with her opinions. Although she thinks she has everything figured out she doesn't. She should have known that something was wrong with Mr. Wickham's accusations against Mr. Darcy when he stopped pursuing her to be with someone who had money. I think she is in denial with her true feelings with Mr. Darcy. If she hates him she won't have the opportunity to admit that she is attracted to him. I don't blame Mr. Darcy for acting rude towards Elizabeth and her family. He has been raised with pride and Elizabeth is not in his rank and doesn't have money. I think he feels somewhat ashamed to love her. When he finally did propose, Elizabeth rejected him with some choice words.


I think everyone in this story puts way to much emphasis on getting married and kissing everyone else's behinds. Yet they didn't know any other way of living. I'm looking forward to the changes in the character's relationships in the chapters to come.