“You must allow me to tell you how ardently I admire and love you.” These are Mr. Darcy’s first words of an unsuccessful (but not due to these particular words) proposal to Lizzie in Pride and Prejudice, from Jane Austen, my favorite author. Writ by heart, no less, because my books are in chaos and I can’t lay my hands on Bartlett’s Quotations, let alone any of my copies of Pride & Prejudice.
In recalling this line, I want to read the book again now, as I have many summers for many years. Maybe time for a Kindle copy? Or mayhap watch my beloved BBC DVD version? Yes. Ah, Mr. Firth fine in all his splendid wet white shirtness.
Why so wild for P&P on this August day when my horoscope says to go out to play?
It’s the books. Well, the room I keep the books in. I’m having it painted (hence, the chaos) and the color is Ardent Coral. Does a word, a single word from a beloved book, really inspire a week’s worth of book cleaning, furniture moving and visits to the paint shop?
Why, yes, yes, it does. Ardently.
One of my favourite books, amongst many, and one of the reasons I began by writing Regency novels (as Romy)! Love the Colin Firth version of the film best so far. That’s a beautiful shade of coral – good luck with the cleaning and decorating. Every time I try to get rid of any of my many. many print books, I stand and look for a while then leave it for yet another day!
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I am a fan of the old “sweet” Regencies that the US no longer prints. They were novellas and ended as Austen’s books did, in a proposal with no steamy sex scenes. I adored those books and I still read the “new” Regencies. Rose, do you stay with the Austen protocol or are yours the sexier variety? I read both, no judgement. Still what would Jane say???
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I have picked paint colors because of their name or the memory they evoke. I’ve never regretted a selection.
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Oh then I’m not the only one…and you know, if we did make a mistake, it’s only paint. Just do it again. The books were the difficult part, haha. And I looked up that passage in P&P and it’s not the first line of Darcy’s speech. He starts off saying the things that make her mad, like how he’s tried to resist her and so forth. Memory not as good as I thought!
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Must have watched this a million times! & still love it! 😍
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Ah yes, me too!
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Jennifer Ehle portrayed Elizabeth Bennet remarkably well, don’t you think?
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I do. I still love that BBC production. It is my favorite and she’s my favorite Elizabeth.
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