Tuesday, October 11, 2011

Miss Austen, WTF?

So, I'm rereading Pride & Prejudice. An audio version this time, that I got over at emusic. It's the sixth or seventh time I've read it. One of the hallmarks of great literature is supposedly that no matter how many times you read it, there's always something new to discover. And this time, I actually did notice something in the story that I've never picked up on before. It's so weird that I think I must have misheard. One of you other Austen fans, help me out here.

Right, so, after the shit hits the fan with the Bingleys, a few weeks later it's Christmas, right? The Gardiners come up from London for the holidays. Jane is feeling blue and Elizabeth and Mrs Gardiner decide that she should go stay with them in town for a while. So after Christmas they take her back to London with them. Then nothing much happens in January and February, but in March, Lizzie's going with William and Maria Lucas to visit Charlotte. On the way they spend one day and night in London, and of course they stay the night in Gracechurch Street. The Gardiner kids are excited about the guests arriving, especially Lizzie because she's such a favorite. But they're still a little shy with her at first, because, and this is what I think I must have misheard, they haven't seen her for like a year. WTF?

Is Austen really saying that Mr and Mrs Gardiner went off at Christmas to spend the holidays with their favorite relatives and have fun in the countryside, and left their children at home?

I always read them as really good parents, but now I have to reconsider. o_O

3 comments:

Elin said...

Hm... Too long since I last read it, but I'll keep it in the back of my head next time I read it. I'm currently re-reading all of Jane Austen's books, and am currently on Emma. I'm writing about the books over at my blog, by the way.

Paz said...

I read it it years ago and cannot remember the passage that Jane wrote that said that the shit had hit the fan :P.

Leisha Camden said...

You should reread the book, Paz ;-)

Elin, keep it in mind, we'll see if you read it the same as I did. :-)