(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

S: There is so much in these five chapters which endear me to certain characters and have me rolling my eyes at others. I find Marianne’s and Willoughby’s displays of affection rather annoying, sort of like those couples you see who are so in love they just make you want to gag. They seem to have no sense of how their behaviour appears to others, particularly when Willoughby takes Marianne to Allenham alone. They themselves gossip about others, so it comes as no surprise that their own behaviour is making its way down the grapevine. Further, their general heat of the moment decisions regarding practical things is also lacking (I’m thinking of the horse Willoughby wants to give Marianne). Then, Willoughby abruptly leaves without a reasonably good explanation as to why. Part of me is infuriated with him, and the other part of me is wondering what in the world is happening.

…when the romantic refinements of a young mind are obliged to give way, how frequently are they succeeded by such opinions as are but too common, and too dangerous!

~Colonel Brandon

R: Marianne is so reckless with her behavior with and about Willoughby. In a time when one’s reputation could be ruined by such indiscretions, she takes no care to protect herself. Elinor tries to talk sense into her sister, but Marianne only came around in part, turning down the horse, not because it was inappropriate, but because it would be a burden on her mother. That seems to be the only consequence that penetrates her haze of emotionalism. I definitely think it’s good that Willoughby left, even under mysterious circumstances.

S: Mrs. Dashwood’s lack of motherly rebuke of Marianne is disappointing, though, as we discussed earlier, she and Marianne are cut from the same cloth, so I suppose she just thinks it’s the way to go about things. Still, she really seems to favour Marianne against Elinor, perhaps because Elinor doesn’t allow her emotions to cloud her.

R: I wonder if Mrs. Dashwood was always like this, or if her grief over the loss of her husband and home have made her more lax than she would have been otherwise. She might also be feeling guilty over removing her daughters from the home they’d always known. I’m not sure we’re given enough information about her before she became a widow to know for sure.

S: You know, that’s true – I was also wondering if Mrs. Dashwood had changed after her husband’s death, or if she had always been like that. The idea of her feeling guilty is a good point – I hadn’t thought of that, and it makes me a little less irritated with her if that is the case. 

S: Elinor, reminds me more and more of myself. Although I can be quite emotional, I can also be rather too practical. Her conversation with her mother regarding Willoughby’s abrupt exit was interesting. The way Mrs. Dashwood speaks to her and rebukes her musings is similar to what has happened to me a few times with different people, usually close friends. It’s hurtful when you’re trying to talk out something in a logical manner and the other person is so emotional that everything you say makes them feel attacked. In the end, both people end up hurt.

R: I’m the same way – far too practical in some things and far too emotional in others. I think that disconnect can sometimes happen both ways, too. If you’re emotional and want to just talk something out, but the other person is trying to offer logical solutions to whatever the problem is, it can be just as difficult. I’ve been on both sides of that one. The fact that Mrs. Dashwood continually pushes aside Elinor’s concerns about Willoughby and Marianne’s behavior doesn’t bode well. She has to know that Elinor has a good head on her shoulders and wouldn’t be saying anything unless she was sure of herself.

S: True – it sends up a red flag. Then there is the mystery surrounding Colonel Brandon, who appears to have a romantic side, but from his short conversation with Elinor seems to have traded it for wistful rememberings. We find he has a daughter (we can always count on Mrs. Jennings to know what she’s talking about in such matters). We also are reminded that the Colonel wants others to be happy and so notices when someone needs a bit of encouragement or a pick-me-up, such as talking with Elinor at the party. 

R: Ooh, this one is so hard not to give spoilers on. Colonel Brandon is probably my favorite character in the whole book, and it’s moments like his conversation with Elinor that really make him stand out to me. 

S: I’m really liking him more now! I also like Lady Middleton more than I did, even though she still seems rather ‘above it all’, and Sir John doesn’t get on my nerves as much as he did. Mrs. Jennings, however – yeesh. She’s probably supposed to be the comic relief, but land’s sake is she nosy! (Poor Margaret, too, not quite understanding when to hold her tongue!)

R: I think this is one of my least favorite moments with Mrs. Jennings. She’s nosy beyond politeness or tolerance and is far more annoying than funny. Margaret wants to be part of the adult conversations, and she probably hasn’t really been allowed to participate before. But, as you said, she doesn’t know when to keep her mouth shut and feeds Mrs. Jennings’ rumor mill with just enough info to thoroughly embarrass poor Elinor. And poor Elinor is stuck in the middle, trying to manage Marianne and stay out of the center of attention herself.

S: The end of this section leaves me with more questions and suspicions and I’m excited to read on!

R: Two big mysteries – Why did Colonel Brandon really have to leave? (Do you think Mrs. Jennings is right?) And why did Willoughby suddenly take off when he had shown every sign of serious attachment to Marianne? 

S: I know we have a lot more to read, but I’m hoping we’ll find out at least some answers in Chapters 16-20!

(This conversation will contain spoilers for the current chapters and possibly for future chapters.)

S: Hello, again! I have to say, as I’ve been saying to myself and anyone who’ll listen over the past few weeks, ‘Why, oh why did it take me so long to read the beauty that is Jane Austen?!’ I feel with this book as I felt after I had finally read Anne of Green Gables – my growing up missed out on so much. I mean, better late than never, but still!

R: Greetings! I’m so glad you’re enjoying the book. It’s a lot of fun to share this with you. Anne of Green Gables is another favorite of mine. We might have to add it to the list of books for the blog.

Chapter 6 gives us a major tone shift within the very first sentence. The story goes from the melancholy of loss to the excitement of new experiences.

S: I agree – this chapter is like a breath of fresh air, as though the story can finally ‘start’.

Still, I thought it was rather presumptuous of Mrs. Dashwood to assume she would be able to change up the cottage (although, I rather liked how Austen stated she was ‘…a woman who had never saved in her life…’ It reminds the reader that they really have been thrown out of their element.

R: The description of the ‘cottage’ is interesting, too. I don’t know about you, but when I think of a cottage, it’s something small and cute, maybe on a beach or something like that. This place is huge! Four bedrooms, two sitting rooms, and probably several rooms for servants. Their small living sounds pretty nice.

S: I did enjoy the cottage description – it makes me want to go visit! 

I’m not quite sure what to think about Lady Middleton. Is she shy? Is she aloof? Is she annoyed with her husband for renting out their cottage, even though it was for a good cause and to their extended family?

R: I’m not sure, either. She’s certainly not as gregarious as her husband, and quite a bit younger. You’d think that would give her a little more in common with the Misses Dashwood, even though she’s still nearly ten years their senior, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. She has nothing really to contribute except for her children. We meet the oldest one in chapter six, though he’s not named. 

Sir John arrives at the cottage almost as soon as the ladies do. He’s described as being around forty and good-looking, as well as being friendly. He brings invitations to dine with his family and offers of carrying their mail and food and game from his own stores.

S: I was almost put off by Sir John’s insistence about them dining with his family often, so I suppose that’s something to be aware of – will he rub the Dashwood’s the wrong way after a while, or is it simply because he truly wants to help them and make them feel that they are not alone?

R: I think he really is just that friendly, but Austen writes of him: ‘…though his entreaties were carried to a point of perseverance beyond civility, they could not give offence.’ I’m not sure I can agree with that entirely. I’ve actually had people be so overly solicitous that I just wanted to tell them, ‘I’ll ask for help if I need it! Stop asking me!’ But maybe that’s just me.

Austin’s comparison of Sir John and his wife is interesting: ‘…however dissimilar in temper and outward behavior, they strongly resembled each other in that total want of talent and taste which confined their employments…’ Their primary enjoyments were hunting and mothering respectively. They did both like having lots of people around, but for different reasons. It allowed Lady Middleton to show off her elegance, and Sir John to surround himself with young people. 

S: The fact that Lady Middleton is absolutely unaware of anything but her children almost reminds me of Petunia Dursley from Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone (although I hope she’s isn’t nearly as nasty). When we find out in Chapter 7 that Sir John and Mrs. Jennings appear to have the same sense of humour (Mrs. Jennings being the ‘vulgar’ one), it cracked me up – it sort of makes the reader go, ‘Oh, that’s how Lady Middleton ended up with Sir John!’ 

R: Oh, my goodness, yes! On both of these points. Both Lady Middleton and Mrs. Jennings are cringeworthy in their own way. Lady Middleton cares for nothing but her children and showing of her elegance, but her children are beastly and her mother is the type of person whose jokes make you want to hide in a corner if they’re directed at you. Poor Elinor! And then Marianne makes it worse by calling more attention to Elinor’s situation.

S: There are so many hilarious moments! I love that Austen makes fun of teenage girls (because, really, it’s quite easy to do so, especially when you’ve lived through it!). 

And then we have Colonel Brandon introduced! – oh, the feels. By the way, regarding Colonel Brandon, I’m already rather taken with his character. It is a bit difficult to forget the storyline, since I’ve seen the movie countless times, but I’m really trying to read it as though it’s completely new to me, and even from this chapter I want to get to know this character better.

R: Ah, Colonel Brandon. Sigh. It’s hard to separate the character between the novel and the adaptation played by Alan Rickman. The colonel and Sir John are good friends, but he stands in contrast to Sir John and Mrs. Jennings’ ridiculous behavior. According to Marianne, Colonel Brandon is far too old to be interesting. In fact, he’s only five years younger than her mother.

S: When I read that I was so surprised! I can see how Marianne would feel shocked at the idea, but she has a nearly hysterical reaction toward everything, so it’s difficult to take her seriously. The character reads as though she has decided she’s a woman whilst her words remind everyone she’s still not quite grown up. Austen so well captures the feelings of being a seventeen-year-old girl bent toward the romantic. She has opinions formed only by ideas, not real life. 

R: Marianne’s romanticism is shown through her musical inclination; she is quite gifted at singing and playing the pianoforte. Colonel Brandon is the only person who listens to her attentively, a contrast to the chaos caused by everyone else. It raises Marianne’s opinion of the colonel, slightly, but at thirty-five, she still considers him to be in an ‘advanced state of life.’ Wow, that makes me feel old, and it continues with Elinor and her mother defending the poor colonel against Marianne’s aspersions against his person. It doesn’t help that Mrs. Jennings has noticed that Colonel Brandon seems to like Marianne very much and has set about trying to matchmake them.

S: So, at the time I’m reading this, I’m also reading Anne of Green Gables, and Mrs. Jennings almost reminds me of Mrs. Rachel Lynde (except that Mrs. Jennings has a very, erm, established sense of humour, and ‘…she had now therefore nothing to do but to marry all the rest of the world…’).

R: While Mrs. Jennings is trying to marry off the Misses Dashwood, Marianne is mostly worried that Edward still hasn’t come to visit, though it’s only been two weeks since they moved into the cottage.

S: We are also left wondering if he truly does think of Elinor as a sister. At least Mrs. Dashwood understands what is happening and tries to gently nudge Marianne that way.

So, the events in Chapters 9 and 10 happen so fast it almost gives the reader mental whiplash. We go from feeling like life has settled down for everyone and they are enjoying getting to know their new surroundings, when we are suddenly introduced to a new possible admirer – Mr. Willoughby. 

R: Willoughby has a dramatic entrance because of Marianne’s accident, and he and Marianne fall into each other’s confidence very quickly.

S: My first impressions of him are that he seems gallant and everything Marianne could ever want, but he almost seems – unreal, perhaps? He listens and responds to everything Marianne says and disagrees with her about very little, but is that because he truly agrees with her, or because he’s more of a people pleaser and he’s riding the wave of emotion? I just don’t know how much I should be allowed to like him, especially since we now know that Colonel Brandon is smitten with Marianne. 

Then, I start to like Willoughby less and less. Austen seems to be saying through observation that he and Marianne, though they share the same interests, stoke the fire of unkindness and selfishness in each other, particularly toward Colonel Brandon. Elinor even observes that Willoughby has little decorum and will say whatever he wants whenever he wants, even if it hurts someone’s feelings. I am tending to trust Elinor’s observations more than Mrs. Dashwood’s or Marianne’s. 

R: It’s hard to not let prior knowledge of Willoughby color my opinion of him. At this point, I think we’re supposed to think he’s a viable suitor for Marianne, but the reader can quickly see that he is yet another sharp contrast to Colonel Brandon. We get an opportunity to see more of Elinor’s apparent good sense, and even more of Marianne’s silliness in these last couple of chapters.

S: Overall, I was really pleased with this section, because Austen, rather than telling us, shows us how each person behaves. We even have a small glimpse of Margaret’s character earlier on, and it makes me wonder if she will end up closer to Marianne’s exuberance or Elinor’s quiet decorum. I’m excited to read Chapters 11-15!