Isa
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Post by Isa on Sept 28, 2008 7:29:21 GMT -5
Here's the schedule for P&P: Volume I (Chapters 1-23): Start discussion on October 11. Volume II (Chapters 24-42): Start discussion on October 18. Volume III (Chapters 43-61): Start discussion on October 25.
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Post by erin on Sept 28, 2008 21:57:44 GMT -5
This schedule sounds good to me.
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Post by greengirlpenguin on Sept 29, 2008 16:06:50 GMT -5
sounds good to me to, I just finished reading it, so I will be good!
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Post by erin on Oct 10, 2008 23:07:46 GMT -5
Just a thought. I think we should start the book discussion on the first volume of P&P a little later than we have scheduled because I am sure a lot of us are not done with the first volume.
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Post by Carma on Oct 11, 2008 11:57:30 GMT -5
true, I haven't even started yet!! :s Theres just so much going on..
also, who is going to lead the discussion?
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Oct 13, 2008 8:10:40 GMT -5
I thought we could start with some of the questions from our old P&P discussion, even though some of us have already answered them. So here we go:
Q1) Other than Darcy and Elizabeth, who is your favorite character so far and why?
Q2) As a person, what do you think of Mr. Collins? Especially in his high esteem to be working for the honourable Lady Catherine de Bourgh and for his wanting a wife so badly?
Q3) What do you feel on Charlotte's acceptance of Mr. Collins' proposal? Aside from the fact that Elizabeth couldn't believe it, do you think Charlotte was right in accepting, considering her circumstances? Would you have done the same?
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zeldafitzgerald
Collection of short stories bought by Random House
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Post by zeldafitzgerald on Oct 13, 2008 21:22:24 GMT -5
Q1 - I like Mr. Bingley. I think he's sweet and charming - someone that you'd like to be friends with in real life.
Q2 - The first time I read Pride and Prejudice I hated Mr. Collins. But now I've read all of Jane Austen's other novels and I appreciate her humorous characters much better. Now I view him as a delightful sparkle of humor in the book.
Q3 - It's hard to imagine myself doing the same thing as Charlotte in present times, when women can lead their own lives quite easily. I definitely wouldn't now. But back then I can imagine myself doing the same - Charlotte is older than Elizabeth, and doesn't have any other real prospects or future, unfortunately. Thank goodness things are different now!
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Post by swissmiss on Oct 15, 2008 0:02:43 GMT -5
Q1 - I'd have to say Mr Bingley as well, just because he is so nice. But I like the way Austen has developed Mrs. Bennett's character the most so far, even if I don't like her.
Q2 - I love Mr Collins, I think he's hilarious. If I met him in real life, I'd get annoyed with him pretty quickly, but it's fun to read about him.
Q3 - I agree with zelda, it's really hard for me to imagine! In these days, if someone proposed to two girls in two days it would be pretty preposterous; it shows he just wants a wife, it doesn't much matter who. But I think Charlotte's acceptance was probably the right thing to do...she ends up with a nice house and everything.
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Lu
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Post by Lu on Oct 15, 2008 3:26:22 GMT -5
1) I think Mr.Bingley is so nice but my favorite is Mr. Bennet, I really enjoy his wit, I know is not exactly a model of a good parents but I think he really cares for his daughters, although he says they're silly.
2) As Zelda, the first time I read P&P I hated Mr. Collins, now I appreciate his humorous character better. As person, I haven't a great opinion of him...I agree with swissmiss, I'd get annoyed with him quickly in real life too.
3) I wouldn't have done the same but I can see Charlotte's point, I think Elizabeth is wrong in judging her friend so badly, I agree with Jane's opinion on the matter. Perhaps their marriage won't be the happiest one but probably Charlotte is happier with Mr.Collins than at Lucas Lodge. She's also older than Elizabeth.
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Oct 15, 2008 6:14:09 GMT -5
A1) I agree with Lu on that one, my own favorite character next to Lizzie and Darcy is Mr. Bennet. He's so witty, he just cracks me up! As Lu mentions, he's been criticized a lot for his lack of parenting skills, but at the same time he truly seems to love and care about his daughters, which was somewhat uncommon for male characters of that period.
A2) When I first read P&P, I mostly saw Mr. Collins as a comic relief. But now that I've had more time to analyze the novel, I think he also helps us understand how important social ranks were at that time. Even though he's ugly and stupid, he knows that his situation in life as a clergyman and his relationship with Lady Catherine automatically make him a good match, which is why he doesn't see why Lizzie would want to refuse him!
A3) I agree with you all that Charlotte probably did the right thing given her circumstances. In many ways, I see Charlotte as the voice of reason in the novel - Elizabeth is intelligent, but she often lets her emotions get the best of her. Charlotte knows she doesn't have much options - she's getting old, she needs to get married, and she doesn't have much to attract suitors. If you take away Mr Collins's personality, his situation in life makes him a proper match and just like men were after beauty, women were after money. Jane Austen's era was not very romantic!
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Lu
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Post by Lu on Oct 21, 2008 7:26:47 GMT -5
I'm so late, I haven't finished volume 2 yet.
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Oct 21, 2008 8:55:42 GMT -5
That's OK, we can wait some more!
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Lu
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Post by Lu on Oct 25, 2008 15:26:45 GMT -5
Have you guys finished 2nd volume? I finished it yesterday. I'm enjoying a lot the annotated version of P&P I think it's so good! I really like the closing line of volume two, it makes you really have great expectations on what will happen at Pemberley. After seeing more of Charlotte and Mr. Collins, do you think their marriage is a happy one? A question from the old P&P discussion thread: Elizabeth was very much disturbed by Darcy's letter explaining his dealings with Wickham and the reasons why he had separated Bingley from Jane. As the reader, how did you react to the content of that letter?
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Post by Carma on Oct 25, 2008 16:02:16 GMT -5
I don't know what it is.. but I'm just not in the mood to read P&P! (or anything at all)... *sigh* so, I'm still in part one..
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Isa
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Post by Isa on Oct 25, 2008 19:48:51 GMT -5
To answer your first question Lu, I don't think Mr Collins and Charlotte's marriage is a happy one, but I don't think it's a miserable one either. I think they both found a way to be comfortable by spending more time apart than they actually spend together, and it seems to work for both of them. I don't think either one is in love, but neither one was actually looking for love. I can't imagine being stuck in that situation and being able to say "I'm happy", but I can imagine reasonable Charlotte being able to say "I'm quite content"!
As for your second question, my initial reaction was to believe Darcy immediately when I read the letter, whereas Elizabeth had to read it twice to finally be able convince herself that everything he wrote about Wickham made total sense. I didn't like what he wrote about Jane and Bingley in the first part of the letter though, presuming he had done the right thing and saying he had absolutely nothing to apologize for, but then I too started thinking about that dreadful ball at Netherfield and how everybody in Lizzie's family had behaved in such an odd and slightly uncivilized way... and I guess I could sort of understand where he was coming from. But that was my reaction as the reader analyzing the situation, if I had been in Elizabeth's shoes, I would have been just as upset as she was!
Some more questions :
Q6) In chapter 8, Darcy gives his rather infamous definition of what an accomplished woman really is. In many ways, it seems like Lizzie falls short of Darcy's definition, so what do you really think made him fall for Elizabeth in such a way that he had to propose to her even if it was against his best judgement?!
Q7) Colonel Fitzwilliam appears only briefly in the novel. Why do you think Austen felt she had to introduce this character, and what is his role in the novel?
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