I’m in Love

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Well, since I’m still behind on EBBD, I don’t have a chapter for this post. Sooooo….I decided to tell my lovely readers who and why I am in love with a certain individual.

This is the most handsome man I’ve ever not met, probably one of the most intriguing and one of the most aggravating as well. Tall, dark, and handsome enough to make  a red-blooded woman drool. And even at 81, I can still appreciate a really good looking man. But it doesn’t stop there.

What makes a gorgeous man even more appealing is that he is honest, a man of integrity, loyal to his wife and family, and a loving father to his children. However, in spite of all that, I don’t expect him to be perfect. Sigh! And just how imperfect is this dreamboat?

“She is tolerable, but not handsome enough to tempt me; I am in no humour at present to give consequence to young ladies who are slighted by other men. You had better return to your partner and enjoy her smiles, for you are wasting your time with me.”

When I think about it, I can’t blame Darcy for being ticked off at the Meryton Assembly. First of all, he is exhausted and probably would have loved to undress, put his nightshirt and banyan on, prop his feet up and sip on a small brandy while reading his favorite book before retiring for the evening.

Instead, he is at an assembly—the last place he wanted to go to—and being admonished by his friend to dance with a stranger. Yeah, yeah, he would get an introduction first, but his partner would still be a stranger to him and might turn out to be another Caroline Bingley. After all, he’s at this assembly in order to avoid Miss Bingley’s attentions at Netherfield with only servants to protect him, and he is not stupid enough to give her any opportunities whatsoever of compromising him and having to marry the harridan who doesn’t have a good word to say about any other woman on the planet.

Although I can’t compliment Darcy on his attitude or comments, I can understand why he is acting the way he is because of the circumstances of the evening. And if I were in his shoes, I would probably run as fast and as far as I could to put plenty of distance between me and Caroline Bingley, the shrew of that century.

In fact, I was hard-pressed to find the correct description of Miss Bingley. She is not a nice person as she is determined to get what she wants: Darcy, a place in society above those in trade, and she is convinced that she is better than anyone else, especially those citizens of Meryton, a backwater town that she dislikes including anything and anybody connected with it.

Poor Darcy is torn between who he really is and giving Caro the satisfaction of thinking he is who she thinks he is. Bless Darcy. He is great friends with Bingley whose background is trade, and he even tolerates the Hursts and Miss Bingley. I don’t blame him, though, for having his tolerance nearly stretched to obliteration by Bingley’s youngest sister. She really is one nasty critter.

As to choosing which actor portrayed Darcy the best, I will probably have some agree with me and some not. Colin Firth doesn’t float my boat, but I know that a lot of ladies love him, and that’s okay. I lean more toward Matthew Macfadyen, but if I’m really being honest, my Darcy is in my mind’s eye. And I can dream can’t I, and I do. I love Darcy, and I love writing about him.

Now, how about you. Please comment below and tell me what you really think about Fitzwilliam Darcy, the man I’m in love with. 😊

17 responses to “I’m in Love”

  1. Alice McVeigh Avatar
    Alice McVeigh

    He’s tolerable, but…

    Prefer Knightley, personally, by a country mile!
    (But wouldn’t life be boring if we were ALL in love with C. Firth?)

    All the best to you,
    AM

    1. Gianna Thomas Avatar
      Gianna Thomas

      🙂 Thank you, Alice. You made me laugh. Not acquainted with Knightley, except on the run, as I’ve only read P&P and only seen two of the other Austen movies. I have a tendency to get stuck on one genre or author for a number of years before another catches my interest, and, right now, it is only Pride and Prejudice variations. With a whole slew of new authors, I am having a field day reading all the many different variations they’ve come up with. What vivid imaginations we have. But I will promise to keep Knightley in the back of my mind. 🙂

  2. Glynis Avatar
    Glynis

    Definitely Darcy! Colin Firth’s version was my first favourite but I also love Matthew Macfadyen as Darcy. Those are the two that I watch and rewatch constantly! I must admit though that I’m also a big fan of Iceman Darcy as depicted on the covers of the Conscience series by Cat Gardiner, she based him on Richard Armitage so definitely another favourite! One can but dream 🙂

    1. Gianna Thomas Avatar
      Gianna Thomas

      Ah, yes, we can dream, Glynis. I will say this though that you are the first I’ve run across who likes both Firth AND Macfadyen. However, I am not familiar with Iceman Darcy. Will look that up now that you’ve piqued my curiosity. And I hope you got a laugh out of this post. It is very much tongue in cheek except for the ‘I love’ part. 🙂

  3. Regina Jeffers Avatar

    I was fortunate to meet Colin Firth when he was filming here in NC – a movie so bad it should have gone straight to DVD. Terrible reviews. While my friends screamed “Mr. Darcy,” he went the other way, I quickly snuck behind the ropes where he was signing autographs. When he came to me, he commented on the pink bracelet I was wearing. It was one of those “rubber” types all wore in the mid 2000s. He asked, “Breast cancer?” I said, “Yes, but it says ‘I love Matthew Macfadyen.’” He laughed and said it was “bloody sacrilegious.” He chatted with me for another minute or so and then moved on. I did tell him I had been watching him since he played Armand in “Camille,” and he laughed again. “One of my first films.” Then he asked when I first watched Matthew. I told him it was in Wuthering Heights as Hareton Earnshaw in 1998. Colin said, “He is younger than me then.” I told him him it was Matthew’s smile which first caught my eye. “Infectious.”

    1. Kirstin Odegaard Avatar

      What a great story. The Matthew Macfayden bracelet–perfect banter. Feels like a meet cute.

      Gianna, I’m with you. Darcy’s my favorite. The proposal/ rejection scene is so well done.

      1. Gianna Thomas Avatar
        Gianna Thomas

        Kirstin, I suspect no matter how many different books I read and no matter how many different heroes I come across, Darcy will always be my favorite, and I will wish to be the one to smooth life’s path for him. 🙂

    2. Gianna Thomas Avatar
      Gianna Thomas

      Regina, I love it that you met in person Colin Firth, and I laughed at his responses. What a neat memory you have of meeting a ‘real’ Mr. Darcy. I bet he’s taken a lot of teasing and being chased by lovelorn females in love with Darcy. He could probably entertain us for an entire evening concerning the ‘Darcy’ fans. 🙂

      1. Regina Jeffers Avatar

        I laughed last evening as I was screening through Amazon Prime for something other than basketball to watch, only to find the movie I mentioned in my comments available. It was originally to be called “Durham,” but was renamed “Main Street.” It also has Orlando Bloom, Amber Tamblyn, Ellen Burstyn, and Andrew McCarthy in it. The British accents just do not translate well into North Carolinian accents, which is ironic because Jennifer Ehle is from Winston-Salem, NC. I heard Matthew Macfadyen on the Today show talking about the difference in a British accent and an American one, for he does not sound British on the show “Succession.” It is where the tongue is placed. Americans use the tongue closer to the teeth. Anyway, could not find that interview to share, but here is a similar one with him and Jimmy Falon. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1579178555887589

  4. Adriana Ivo Avatar
    Adriana Ivo

    Despite loving Mr. Knightley and Colonel Brandon, my favorite without a doubt is Mr. Darcy.
    I confess, that at the beginning of the book, I did not have warm feelings towards him, until Hunsford. I was impressed by the intensity of feelings towards Elizabeth, declared despite his immense pride, as well as the lack of awareness of how offensive his proposal would be. It was then that I realized the “mask” he wore to try to avoid compromising social situations, while disguising his lack of interpersonal skills. Elizabeth’s refusal of him, made me feel for him, not just for the her rejection, but the way it was done. From there, I could see other characteristics of Darcy, and they were and are impressive!
    I was thrilled when Colin Firth won his Oscar, but Matthew Macfadyen, for me, best conveyed my view of Mr. Darcy.

    1. Gianna Thomas Avatar
      Gianna Thomas

      Thank you for your comment, Adriana.

      Darcy reminds me of a lovestruck teenage boy who doesn’t know how to talk to girls, then falls in love with one (Elizabeth) and doesn’t know what to say, so he says the wrong things all the time. And, yes, I agree that Elizabeth’s refusal was rather cruel but understandable after his insulting marriage proposal. Poor Darcy! He just couldn’t win.

      I agree that Matthew Macfadyen’s depiction of Darcy, I feel, was more accurate. Colin Firth’s portrayal was a little too stiff for me, and I got the impression he didn’t like playing that role. Later on YouTube, I saw an interview that mentioned, if I’m remembering correctly, that he didn’t want to play Darcy. However, I’m sure he’s glad he did as it was very favorably received. The BBC presentation apparently stuck close to the book while the 2005 only had around two hours to cover Austen’s writing about Elizabeth and Darcy. Joe Wright melded more than a couple of scenes into one scene to bring across the same points but in a shorter period of time, and he added a little bit more of an artistic touch?

      I will eventually watch the BBC presentation in its entirety. I’ve seen one hour so far and found it okay. I will need to see all 6+ hours before giving a final opinion. Who knows? I might agree with all the other fans of the BBC version.

      At any rate, I hope you got a laugh out of this post. 🙂

  5. Heather Dreith Avatar
    Heather Dreith

    My first Darcy was David Rintoul in the 1980 BBC Pride and Prejudice. I’ve seen both Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen portray Darcy. Truthfully, I don’t think it matters who portrays Darcy…I always fall in love with him. What a great character! We are so indebted to Jane Austen for characters that continue to inspire us.

    1. Gianna Thomas Avatar
      Gianna Thomas

      I agree wholeheartedly, Heather. I think there is something good to say about each of the actors who have portrayed Darcy, even Lawrence Olivier. And, yes, we do fall in love again and again, no matter who portrays Darcy. <3

  6. cindie snyder Avatar
    cindie snyder

    I like both Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen! It would be hard to decide. I first saw Colin Firth so he would be my favorite. But they both play Darcy great in their own way.💗

  7. Gianna Thomas Avatar
    Gianna Thomas

    Ah, Cindie, you are the second person to post today who likes both Colin and Matthew. And I agree that both probably do the role justice in their own way.

  8. Hollis Avatar
    Hollis

    Firth is rather stiff but the smoulder factor is certainly there. I have seen the Kingsmen movies and still photos of Firth as a Roman soldier and really like a more relaxed Firth.

  9. Gianna Thomas Avatar
    Gianna Thomas

    I’ve not seen Colin Firth in any other movie. The one hour of the BBC production that I saw showed Firth stiff but not sexy to me, but it also was not toward the end either. He may be more appealing as the BBC show wrapped up. I will reserve commenting until I’ve seen all six hours. I figure that’s the only fair way to judge his performance. 🙂

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