I finished watched the BBC miniseries of Pride and Prejudice. Now, I own the book version but it’s sitting on my bookshelf still unread. There’s just something about the way Jane Austen writes that utterly bores me to death.

The series however, has been utterly delightful and I enjoyed every moment of the six episodes. Call me plebeian, but just seeing the people interacting and moving about amongst quaint (and on occasions, grand) English country settings is enough to sustain an interest in me to keep watching (as opposed to having to read Austenian descriptions of people and places), even if the dialogue at times gets a little difficult to understand.

My favourite characters are definitely, Elizabeth Bennet, her father and of course, everyone’s favourite, Mr. Darcy. I absolutely love the character of Elizabeth, for her sensibility, her quick wit and her courage to stand up to people who offend her, regardless of class. One of my favourite scenes was her argument with Lady Catherine de Bourgh. Of course, she wasn’t without flaw in how she was quick to judge and presume things but hey that makes her a more real character. Her father too, is one of the most awesome fictional dads I’ve ever come across! I loved his snarky attitude towards his wife and silly daughters.

And Mr. Darcy. Apart from his subtle little mannerisms that are just adorable (giant top-hat!!), he’s just an awesome person. I loved that he fell in love with Elizabeth because she was different from the other flighty women around her. He merely accepted the fact that Elizabeth was a brilliant and different young woman, without any condescension. Sure, he had his whole superiority complex at the very beginning (but who can blame him when he lives in a gigantic brick-box of a house and resides in a social class way above her own). I love the fact that Darcy’s so willing to be frank and honest (even if it might slight and offend) and yet willing to apologise when he makes mistakes, and only when he makes mistakes. And that, in my opinion, is the template of an admirable person.

Mr. Collins is definitely a character I dislike the most in the series. He’s such a slimy character; thinking so highly of himself and so willing to condescend. His initial attraction to Elizabeth had nothing to do with her personality, but only her looks. He fumbles and flops all over himself while he tries to catch her eye, by making one foolish remark after another about his station in life. He patronisingly assumes that Elizabeth would be falling head over heels for him for his meager wealth and it was another favourite scene of mine when Elizabeth laid her smackdown on him.

Anyway, I’m just another person who highly recommend this series to anyone. Does anyone know anything about the 2005 movie adaptation? I have a feeling that Keira Knightley would do a terrible job as Elizabeth (ugh, I can imagine her doing her whole “Pirates of the Caribbean”, indignant, angry, “OMG shut up okay at least you don’t have to wear a corset!!” spiel and tying that in with her version of Elizabeth) and he looks too pansy to be a proper Mr. Darcy.