When it comes love and romance, my views and expectations are beyond unrealistic. The one to blame? Jane Austen. I was introduced to her books at the age of 12 and with a higher reading level than most my age, I read Pride and Prejudice first and fell in love with Mr. Darcy, just like thousands of other young ladies around the world. I loved Pride and Prejudice so much, I lacked the concentration and open mind needed to try out Jane Austen’s other novels until last year.
Persuasion was the first book I tried reading since P&P, and I loved it! Still didn’t hit me the same way the other, and I didn’t fall for Captain Wentworth as hard as I did for Darcy. Sense and Sensibility came next. For a long time I’ve watched people argue which was better on blogs and other social media websites. Pride and Prejudice or Sense and Sensibility? I would always snort, not knowing how it could even be a question. As I said before, I never thought any hero could live up to Mr. Darcy. Plus, I watched the movie first with Alan Rickman and Kate Winslet before reading the book and judged the story based on that. Alan Rickman for Colonel Brandon? It just didn’t do it for me.
I didn’t read Sense and Sensibility until I got my hands on the BBC version of the movie. I feel in love and got hold of the book as soon as I could. Colonel Brandon quickly became my new hero. I found the (fictional) man who finally rose above my high expectations put in place after I found Mr. Darcy. Jane Austen’s description of men the meaning of love, and the characteristics of man, has clouded my ability to tell fiction from reality. I’m never getting married.
Shannon 