i have in my possession the bbc pride and prejudice mini-series. the bbc version NOT the a&e version with colin firth. i do like that version, but i love the bbc one. it has a lot more of the impudence and the haughtiness of the characters. and screw the movie with keira knightley. she slaughtered the role of elizabeth and made her an unbearable bitch.
in a loss of what to do with myself i watched it. all 5 hours. this always starts it. i watch the series, then start to eye the book. i own two versions of the novel. one is part of a volume containing all of jane austen's works. the other is a book of it's own with the original illustrations that i got for 8 bucks from borders. reading pride and prejudice is so much more entertaining with the illustrated copy. it gives an idea of what the characters would have more likely looked like.
soon after watching the series, i ran out of books to read. by ran out i mean i ran out of newly purchased books to read. to bridge the gap between the end of one book and the arrive of my new purchases by mail, i knew i would have to indulge in one of my previously devoured books.
looking upon my shelves i was instantly drawn to pride and prejudice. it's been at least 6 months since the last time i read it, and i thought now was as good of a time as any to go through it again. it took me two days to get through it. elizabeth bennett and her sister jane. mr and mrs bennett and their three other daughters. wickham and darcy. bingley and his sisters. and you can't forget mr and mrs gardner and mr and mrs collins.
books like this always remind me that i was born in the wrong time. i was much more intended for corsets and ringlets then miniskirts and suffrage. not that i'm against women's rights, but i envy the simpleness to previous eras. i can image myself as an elizabeth. strong minded and outspoken for her status and age. elizabeth bennett taught me to like my own name; elizabeth being my middle name. i never understood why my mother chose such a haughty and formal middle name, but i've learned to love it. i love my name in full now. and even plan on giving the name to my daughter. though i plan on calling her ellie. not lizzie or beth or any of the other atrocious nicknames that are derived from elizabeth.
i am as impetuous and strong minded as lizzie is in the book. and i've always looked for darcy's characteristics in the men i like. though it never works quite like it does in the book. my current boyfriend is more like colonel fitzwilliam than darcy. upon reflection i remember that elizabeth quite liked fitzwilliam. the intelligent conversation and the good manners and the kind regard. maybe i'll end up with fitzwilliam instead of darcy. which is better?
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