Oh Kristie you are making me cry. Mr. Darcey is hawt, especially when played by Colin Firth *swoons*.

What people do in this story is change their perceptions. Mr. Darcey is a pompous ass when he is first introduced. We later learn that he is actually rather nice on the inside once you get to know him. Mr. Wickham is by all appearances a super nice guy. Later we learn that he is a playa, loves to run up debt and is not adverse to ruining the reputation of a lady when it suits him. Elizabeth learns that she is not always right about the personalities of the people she interacts with and ends up being very humbled. The romantic tension comes as we wonder if both parties will be able to let each other know how they have had changes of heart. Will they manage to get together and find happiness or not? Then there is the final squee of joy when they finally really talk to each other and let each other that they are very much in love. *sigh*

The restrained emotions are what add so much to the tension in the book. I love that it shows that a writer does not have to have people hopping into the sack to let the reader know that there is some romantic tension happening.

See, LET me throw you the P&P puppet show. It would rock.
But maybe you just don’t like Jane Austen, as horrifying as I might find that. Mark Twain didn’t. I actually much prefer Austen’s persuasion…
Some interesting things about P&P that might - MIGHT - wet your interest a little bit more:
1. It’s about class conflict. Darcy and the Bingleys represent the aristocracy, the moneyed upper class. Elizabeth’s family is the coming-up middle class, and although they had money enough a few generations ago, they’re considered vulgar just by virtue of their class.
2. It’s about bad parenting. Mr. Bennett has withdrawn from family life and refuses to set appropriate guidelines for the girls, while Mrs. Bennet is a fricking moron, encouragning her FOURTEEN YEAR OLD DAUGHTER to chase after soldiers. What a GREAT IDEA THAT IS! And they get paid off BIG TIME for it.
3. It’s a much dirtier book that you think it is. One of the characters is revealed as a jerk who seduced a VERY YOUNG teenage girl for her money; another very young teenaged character runs away unmarried with a cad and will become a hooker if he abandons her.

But maybe you’re not an Austen fan. IT HAPPENS. It’s sort of startling when one is rebuffed by a classic, but remember - I don’t like Charles Dickens. Let me recommend putting P&P down and picking up the much sadder and wiser Persuasion sometime when it’s a rainy day and you’re feeling like reading what Allan Bloom called “The saddest book in the world.”

P&P is definitely a romcom. That’s what I love about it. (Yeah, yeah - it’s got wry social commentary and sophisticated games with perception … but romance baby yeah!)

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ what, where was i, oh yeah. book and movie both total snoozefests for me. i much prefer any Shakespeare play or something like The History of Tom Jones. and i mean i enjoy reading the Bard. amazing stuff.

have a good one.

Very nice. I knew I had some P & P fans. No, I think I’m just not a romance type of girl.

Just melt her down and you’ll reveal
A lump of lead as cold as steel
Here, where a woman’s heart should be!

And I do heart Dickens.

I like a period piece, so I liked Pride and Prejudice, but I much preferred Emma, which is far funnier but also has some good messages for kids about kindness, etc.

But if I were going to pick a romantic comedy, I’d pick Secretary, which is definitely on the darker side, but kind of reassures me that however oddball someone might be, perhaps there is still a match out there for them. And there are good reasons why that’s comforting to me.

We truly are sistahs from anotha mutha.

I could never finish P & P no matter how hard I try.
The only thing english I will sit for is Absolutely Fabulous.

oh …and David Beckham.

I’d do more than sit for him. ;P

Think about how very little one would have to say when one’s lower ribs were cracked from being constrained in one’s corset. Much easier to wax on over the flowers?

I hope we can still be friends now that I know you hate P&P (one of my all-time favs). There is nothing sexier than the scene in which Mr. Darcy is looking longingly at Elizabeth whilst she pounds away on the old harpsicord.

Okay, I know I need a life, but still! Have you watched the whole thing or did you fall asleep after hour four?

P.S. The modern remake is hideous. Don’t waste your time unless you have a crush on John Cusak (because that’s who the Mr. Darcy looks like). And I don’t mean that in any nice way - it’s awful!

Mr Darcy is hot, that’s what!

I haven’t seen or read any version of P&P. BUT! Working Girl is one of my favorite movies. I like Forget Paris better than French Kiss because the old man in FP is hysterical.

Ok, the only thing that I love more than the title of this post (hilarious) is the fact that you brought Wishbone into the mix. Wishbone! How I love that whimsical little guy! I think this may be one of those situations where you need to watch the movie (they skim over the dull dialog). But if you still don’t get it, I guess you’re just a lost cause.

Seriously ladies. Don’t be so prejudiced against me. I’m proud to hate romantic comedies. And not too proud to resort to ridiculous comments such as this one.

I’m with you at least part-way. I like P & P and I’m ok with other Austen, but not a huge fan–and I’ve actually found every Austen movie bo-o-oring. I, in general, hate most romcon’s, except ONCE in a while. But You’ve Got Mail? Was soo predicable. If we’ve gotta pick a Meg Ryan (do we?), I pick “When Harry Met Sally.” (Also predictable, but I was younger when I first saw it) Let us consign forever to the garbage dump anything with Julia Roberts–please! Except Ocean’s 11 and 12. Oh, and add “Curse of the Jade Scorpion” which is prob the best romcon ever. Note the lack of Meg Ryan or Julia Roberts or Hugh Grant, and the addition of Woody Allen. And that has all the difference made. And that has all the difference made.

You’ve Got Mail is actually a terrible movie. I admit this. But I love the movie because it makes New York look so charming. And Meg Ryan’s apartment is so pretty. I’m a very very shallow person.