My Read Along response, Round 4

Alrighty, kittens.  Here is my response to Round 4 of the Pride and Prejudice read-along.  Once again, I am doing it via normal blog post, as my webcam is being ... inconsistent lately, to say the least.
Here are my thoughts on Chapters 43-51

Q 1. Lizzie and the Gardiners trip, which includes a trip to Pemberley.
Is there any more perfect section in a book, anywhere?  No, I didn't think so either.  Especially the trip to Pemberley.  Everything, Every. Single. Thing. in this scene works.  Mr Darcy's change of manner and the fact that he has obviously taken to heart Elizabeth's "gentleman-like manner" comments; Lizzie's awkwardness and complete uncomfortability with the idea of going to/being at Pemberley, and her shock at Darcy's friendliness - all that in the midst of her dawning realizations of his true character and the mistakes she's made; Georgiana Darcy's desire for friendship and Bingley's easy manner; the Gardiner's pleasure and burgeoning suspicions that there may be something there between Darcy and their niece : every single element works for me.  I pretty much have a smile on my face the entire time I read this section.

I'm sure many a Jane Austen fangirl immediately thinks COLINFIRTHWETSHIRT when they come upon the Pemberley scene.  And though,  yes, there is an element of that for me too ( O_O ), mostly I just really want to read the confusion that results when he comes upon Elizabeth in his home.
I could ramble about this for hours.  I really could.
Suffice it to say, I adore this scene and it is a perfect last little fluttery bit to the (near) ending of the book.

Qs 2 & 3. Jane's letter to Lizzie; Lydia + Wickham.
Oh shit.  That was my first reaction when I read it.  It was like, Really, Lydia?  Really.  DON'T YOU KNOW THINGS ARE GOING SO WELL?!  I just wanted to shake her.  I felt so bad for Lizzie.  And you feel so bad for Jane, too, being home and dealing with all of it.
But.
But I have said before, some of my favorite moments are when Darcy's composure breaks, because it's unexpected (for the reader, for Lizzie, and most of all, for him).  So when he walks in on Lizzie just after she's received the letter and is in tears, there is that perfect moment of "Good God! what is the matter?"  I defy you not to love Darcy at that moment when he is so overcome for concern (and love!) for Elizabeth that he loses all composure and even oversteps his bounds a bit. ♥♥♥
But what makes this scene most perfect, perhaps, is Lizzie's realizations of herself, and her fear that she's really fucked things up she's really missed out.

Her power was sinking; everything must sink under such a proof of family weakness, such an assurance of the deepest disgrace. She could neither wonder nor condemn, but the belief of his self-conquest brought nothing consolatory to her bosom, afforded no palliation of her distress. It was, on the contrary, exactly calculated to make her understand her own wishes; and never had she so honestly felt that she could have loved him as now, when all love must be vain.

 Sigh.  It's perfect because it makes the reader a little condescending (Oh, Lizzie, you silly girl. Can't you see?), a little anxious (what if she's right?), and a little smug (well, he's suffered for love; now it's her turn).

Onto Lydia and Wickham.  Iwanttokickthemboth.  But I do have to forgive them a bit, because they have been responsible for pushing a lot of things to the surface and testing Lizzie and Darcy, which I do enjoy.  In then end, I guess I wish them the life together that I am sure they will have.  And I hope Kitty is never allowed to visit.

Q 4. Thoughts on the whole.
Well, I think I've pretty much said it.  Barring a few scenes that have my heart in their clutches (Netherfield, the piano scene, etc) this is my favorite bit of the book.
♥

Q 5. Freeform.
I don't have anything I want to discuss in the freeform section, but if you have questions you want to ask me, I'm happy to answer them.  I'm eager to hear your thoughts as well, especially if you are one of those people who doesn't like Darcy.  (I'm looking at you, Jen.)  I promise I won't yell. much

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