Books As I See Them

   We left off, if I remember correctly, fanning over Darcy and his impossible adorableness. We now pick up with ...
Chapter 7!
   Plot stuffs: So we get some basic idea of the layout of the neighborhood and discover that the village of Longbourn, which is where the Bennets live is a mile from Meryton which is a town, I think. We learn that some nice young men in uniform have shown up and have been the talk of the younger girls in the house. And then Jane gets invited to the Bingley home estate which is called Netherfield. Okay some basic analysis here. Longbourn kind of sounds like long and boring and makes you feel well nothing. And then there is Mery-ton as in Merry town, as in happy place. Then there is Netherfield which is honestly very foreboding. Not saying that any of that has to do with the plot but I thought it was interesting... moving on.
   
    CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT!!!! 
Okay so this chapter is full of funnies (is that a word?). Anyway the first funny thing that Austen gives us is the description of the two youngest of the five girls Catherine (Kitty) and Lydia. Austen says that "their minds were more vacant than their sisters'." I found this very funny because in my opinion these two girls have thus far stayed out of trouble and out of the drama (I'm further than chapter 7), so maybe it is a good thing that their minds aren't as filled yet.
In between plot and character development: We also get to see a bit more of Mr. B's personality because when he finds out that these "vacant headed" little girls are swooning over low ranking soldiers he calls them silly and gets to have more old-married-couple banter with his wife. Mrs. B finds having a crush on a soldier acceptable and claims that even she has had one and "still does in [her] heart." Okay so what the heck? Poor Mr. B, all he puts up with with this woman's scheming and "nerves" and he gets to find out that his wife daydreams about some soldier. But what does he do? He ignores her and argues that indeed his daughters are silly and that he would rather be aware of it than ignore it or deny it. I love this man. 
Okay so Jane gets invited to the Netherfield house and Mrs. B makes her take the horse instead of the coach because it looks as if it might rain and if it rains than the Bingleys will have to let her stay there because she obviously can't ride back in the rain and the men already have their horses because they are eating out.
Mrs. B's maniacal scheme works out and Jane sends a letter the next morning explaining that she is sick and can not come back home. 
Okay so Jane is so much Tohru at this moment because when her mother is telling her to go and get stuck Jane spends a good amount of time trying her hardest to get the carriage. Her innocence is cute but in the end her mother pats her on the head, literally wishes bad weather upon her, and shoos her out the door.  
Lizzy also shows us her strong-woman-power strength, very Haruhi of her, and walks three miles in the muck to get to her sick sister in order to be with her. When she arrives the Bingley women are shocked and appalled by her appearance, while Mr. Bingley sees only the love for his sweet Jane. Darcy on the other hand is falling all the harder for her and her nice complexion and has himself a k-drama moment where he falls in love with her because she is sweaty... so adorkable!
The best moment by far however is meeting Mr. Hurst, the elder Bingley sister's husband. This man is quoted in chapter 8 to live only  "to eat, drink, and play cards." Hurst sees Lizzy sweaty and covered in mud and goes, "Hmm, I wonder what's for dinner." and later at dinner he finds out that Lizzy prefers plain food to fancy food and from there on out doesn't talk to her at all. Wow... just Wow.

Chapters 8-9
Okay so in the next two chapters all that really happens is that Jane gets sicker and sicker and therefor does actually have to stay at the Bingley house, and Lizzy being well Lizzy, refuses to leaver her and stays. This simple fact is very important because while she is in the house Darcy gets to admire her "fine eyes" and her interesting personality while Lizzy is starting to dislike him more. 
Lizzy is at first okay with the sisters until they start getting tired of keeping commoners for pets at which case they get a bit moody and apathetic and Lizzy goes back to "the enjoyment of all her original dislike" I love Lizzy too. 
  Lizzy and Darcy get to have a few bouts of witty banter most ending with her leaving the room fed up with the whole lot of them and Darcy staring after her trying to deny how much he is starting to like her. Often times when Lizzy leaves the room the sisters, who remind me of Cinderella's step sisters, start bad mouthing her. Darcy doesn't really say anything bad but he doesn't stand up for either of the  Bennet girls. Bingley on the other hand defends them both with all his breath and well acts like a prince, its why we love him too. 
Also we find out that Darcy loves books and has an excessive library, and then I start thinking hmmm, maybe this is Beast before he gets changed into beast... "EMBRACE THE SUCK!"

One of the funniest parts of this chapter happens at the end when the morning after Lizzy came to be with her sister their dear mother shows up and embarrasses everyone in the room, most of all Lizzy.  
So Lizzy gets labeled as a "studier (its spelled wrong in my book lol) of character" when she points out how predictable Tama-- I mean Bingley is. Her mom goes off and then Darcy makes a comment which is pretty much well how can you be if you live in the country and there aren't that many people out here. He didn't mean it as badly as it sounds but Mrs. B took offense thinking he was saying nobody lived in the country but common hicks and starts freaking out. Poor Darcy, this is the first time he actually intentionally sort of starts a conversation with Lizzy and her mom freaks out and he just "turn[s] silently away" and Lizzy blushes and tries for almost three pages to make her mother shut up. 
Okay so we all hate Mrs. B at this point but she does say one thing that's pretty good. To get back at Darcy she talks about Sir William (lucas) and how genteel and nice and talkative he is and then says, "That is my idea of good-breeding and those persons who fancy themselves very important and never open their mouths quite mistake the matter." OH SNAP! Take that Mr. Prejudice maybe you should talk more. Again, I feel bad for Darcy but at the same time, that was a good come back. 

Love! Okay so there is another good line while Lizzy is trying to shut her mother up when Darcy says that he always thought of "poetry as the food of love" and all the fan girls swoon, and typical Lizzy goes, well sure "everything nourishes what is strong already." She follows that up with a comment that is pretty much if you don't mean it it doesn't count. And Darcy's only return is a smile.

So then Mommy dearest finally leaves taking Lydia with her, who's empty mind was thinking of the promised upcoming ball. Bingley promises to throw one as soon as Jane is better, and we are left with Lizzy and Jane at the Bingley house... Duh Duh Duuuuuuuuu what will happen next? Will Jane get better? Will Darcy finally admit he loves more than just Lizzy's eyes? Next time in P&P.

Thanks for waiting everyone and welcome any newbies. I have a physical book now so chapters will start coming a few at a time and more on schedule. If you are new you can follow me on the tweeters at @KauruRoss if you want to know when the updates happen!
Your Fella Writer Forever,
Ross