Today I finished watching the miniseries Lost in Austen with Jemima Rooper. It is a very cheesy, chick flick style mini series. Every girls dream that suddenly they are transported back in time and take Elizabeth Bennet’s place in Pride and Prejudice. I have to admit that I don’t recall watching Colin Firth in Pride and Prejudice and swooning, in fact I don’t recall seeing it at all or reading the book so these characters were pretty new too me.
All that being said, I think I have been struck down with the Darcy effect. Oh my, but Elliot Cowan was lovely! I loved his glares and looks of frustration and confusion. I don’t know if he would be considered in the rank of Colin Firth but I think he was incredible.
So why is it that we all swoon over the the mean Mr Darcy? Why is it he that thousands of women fantasise over than, perhaps, the lovely Mr Bingley? He is a kind, wealthy man that thinks with his heart! What’s not to love?
I couldn’t say, though I never once thought of Mr Bingley… not after seeing Darcy anyway.
So now that I have Darcy fever I am getting the book from the library and looking for any film adaptions 😀 I think I am obsessed after just a few stares and snarks. I can’t help but wonder what the book Darcy will bring for me.
5 responses to “The Darcy Effect”
I’ve never read of watched Pride and Prejudice and have never heard the series that you watched. So I can’t say I know anything about what you wrote in this entry lol. But I would love to read the book sometime. I know my boyfriend’s sister loves that story and that it’s a classic.
I don’t know if you’ve been getting my emails about the SOTF contest. I want to make sure that you know you are competing in this months contest. I don’t want you to lose because no one knows to vote for you!
That’s an interesting thought! Probably ’cause the novel and all adaptations of it focus on Mr. Darcy and Mr. Bingley’s only a side character whom we don’t really get to know? That in combination with society’s obsession with Mr. Darcy?
There is only one definitive Mr. Darcy and Colin Firth is it! He is positively swoon-worthy! The 1995 BBC mini-series is the best and most faithful adaptation of Jane Austen’s text as well.
There is an accompanying book for the BBC production of P&P. It has an interesting interview with Colin Firth about playing Darcy. Very good read and shows his insight into the character.
It is transcribed here:
http://essence-online.net/writings/chapter9.html
First of all, thanks for your lovely comment! 🙂
I have quite a few friends who’ve fallen victim to the “Darcy effect” ..so I’ve spent some time wondering about this too! Especially since I’ve watched the “Keira Knightley version”, as my neighbour (derisively) calls it and found that the Mr Darcy there (one Matthew Macfadyen) has nothing at all about him that I like!
I’ve arrived at the conclusion that perhaps it’s to do with his behaviour, that he becomes interesting because he is mean and mysterious, and therefore more interesting than the ‘conventional’ Mr Bingley?
By the way, I highly recommend the book! And I don’t think the ‘Keira Knightley version’ is too bad either..;)