6 – Pride and Prejudice #5 w/ Amanda Faye

Join us for the final chapters of Pride and Prejudice plus a lovely discussion about Twilight for some reason? Find out all of Amanda’s favorite Pride and Prejudice remakes so you can watch them for yourself.

Also, this is your daily self-care reminder, especially after the stress of election day. Please be sure to take of yourself.

If you would like to find any of my socials, I am at https://barelybookish.com/connect and I would love to see your thoughts and everything online!

If you would like to see more of Amanda Faye, go to any of the links below:

IG: instagram.com/amanda_faye_books/

FB: facebook.com/amandafayebooks

Web: amandafayebooks.com

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Amanda-Faye/e/B07T7HYMLW?ref=sr_ntt_srch_lnk_2&qid=1601935884&sr=1-2

Transcript

Rachel: Hey, hi, hello everybody! Welcome back to the Barely Bookish podcast! So before we jump into our discussion on the continuation of Pride and Prejudice, we’re finishing up the book, I just wanted to take a second and say I record these a day in advance so at this point I still don’t know the results. And if you’re listening to this in the future, you know, you obviously know but, I just want to remind everyone to take time to take care of yourselves, whatever the outcome, take some time away from social media if you need it. Just do whatever you need to do to get over a lot of the anxiety that many of us are feeling right now.  And hopefully this works out for the best.  Yeah, I just wanted to take that second to remind you all that-put yourself first if you need to listen to this later.  Do it. If you need to just spend some time outdoors today. Do it. Just do whatever you need to do to restore some balance in your life and this will be back here for you whenever you are wanting to listen to it and if you want to use this as a distraction, totally do that. But just take care of yourself first, but without further ado, we are going to get right in on to the episode.

(Intro Music)

Rachel: Hello everybody, we are back and we are reading Pride and Prejudice and I am joined by the wonderful Amanda.

Amanda: Hello! 

Rachel: We are starting with Chapter 53 so if you haven’t read the-sorry-watched the last two episodes not read it. Also read the book. These are spoiler inclusive so you will want to read those and watch those first so that you don’t spoil things for yourself, so make sure you do that and then come back and join us over here. So Chapter 53 starts out and Bingley is coming back to Netherfield. And I’m like, Darcy, Darcy, Darcy, yes!  Because to me I don’t even care about Bingley, I just care his relation to Darcy and if Bingley is coming, that means Darcy is coming.

Amanda: Yeah, maybe. At least we could hope.

Rachel: Yeah, fingers crossed, but then it says yes Darcy is with Bingley and they came to the house like pretty much immediately like, I have this feeling that Darcy wouldn’t even let them go home first, or like we’re going over there right now, like get it together. We’re going. It’s happening. Like I don’t think even let them walk in the door. I think they basically were like drop the carriage off with our stuff. Get on this other horse and let’s go like. Like I have a feeling that Darcy is like, “I’m sorry I can’t wait to see it my wife.”

Amanda: But I wonder if, I wonder if Bingley knows the way Darcy feels. Darcy is a very private person that I don’t know if he would share with Bingley that he’s got a thing for Elizabeth.

Rachel: Yeah, I don’t know if he would either. I don’t, well, he did tell Bingley’s sister, so I don’t know if Bingley’s sister might have told Bingley.

Amanda: But I mean all he said is, that he thinks she’s beautiful, he didn’t come out and say-

Rachel: That’s true.

Amanda: – Hey, I’ve already proposed to this woman once.

Rachel: Maybe he played it up like go, like saying, “Okay, you haven’t seen Jane in a while. We should really get over there right now. You know, this moment. You know, you don’t want to wait home. Let’s just get straight over there” and then Bingley’s like “yeah yeah, let’s do it.” Darcy’s like “thank gosh good. I’m so happy.” That’s how I’m gonna guess he played it.

Amanda: I hope so.

Rachel: So, Bingley is very awkward or no, not Bingley. Darcy is very awkward and quiet and Elizabeth is confused like “did you not like me anymore? What’s happening? Are we good?” Bingley is really liking Jane again immediately, and Elizabeth is pretty happy about this ’cause it’s noticeable how quickly he’s like, “oh yeah, I do love this girl.” So Chapter 54, the Gents come back a few days later for dinner. Bingley sat next to Jane because Mrs Bennett will not allow it to be any other way. Elizabeth admits that she’s in love with Darcy to herself at least, and I’m like, yes, thank goodness. 

Amanda: Baby steps. 

Rachel: I know baby steps, we’re getting there we’re getting close to handholding. And then Elizabeth did not get to talk to Darcy all night and she is not happy about it ’cause she wants to talk to her husband. So Chapter 55, Darcy went off to London, and in my notes there is a sad face right next to it. As they should. Bingley arrived really early in the morning to the point where all the ladies were still getting ready. And my favorite thing is the way they do this in the 2005 movie. They all get up and they like, they’re like, oh my gosh, everyone act natural and they’re all like throwing things everywhere trying to like pick up and then they’re sitting down and they’re like reading a book all like pretty and stuff. I just thought it was so funny because that’s basically exactly how I imagined it in my head too.

Amanda: Yes!

Rachel: And then I was like I think Bingley and Jane just got engaged before I even finished reading it, I looked at the next sentence and I was like I was correct. Jane and Bingley are super happy, and I am so happy for them, and Elizabeth thinks that no one will marry her. And I’m like you wait, just wait 5 minutes, 5 minutes please. I’m just so happy like I’m getting ready, but I was like when is Elizabeth getting married like, great like I’m married but like Elizabeth, like my girl. Where? Where is this at? So Chapter 56 and I just said OMG Lady Catherine just showed up at Elizabeth’s House. So she didn’t do this in the middle of the night in the book right?

Amanda: Right. Yeah, right it’s in the middle of the day and she…

Rachel: Okay.

Amanda: In the book, that they, they do it in private and then in the movie they do it in front of everybody.

Rachel: Yeah, I knew she didn’t do it in front of everybody in the actual book, but I was like I don’t think she showed up at night, right? 

Amanda: Uh-uh.

Rachel: And then Lady Catherine just walked in her house, being super rude as usual. And she tells Elizabeth to go out walking with her. And then she’s telling Elizabeth she’s not too happy to hear that she’s going to be marrying Darcy soon. So Elizabeth goes off on Catherine and I’m like, yes. But she basically is saying, that Lady Catherine saying like “oh, you know you are going to make my family look bad by marrying Darcy” and all this kind of stuff. But Elizabeth was like “I don’t care, like I do not care. Does not matter to me like, you’re trash.” And she insults Elizabeth’s family and everything. 

Amanda: Yep. And, she just irritates me. I can’t, but

Rachel:  I know.

Amanda: It all works out in the end.

Rachel: Yeah I know, Lady Catherine is so annoying.

Amanda: But even then, Elizabeth is faced with this horrible woman who is saying horrible things. Who has so much authority and is so much higher than Elizabeth in her station and Elizabeth still stands her ground. She looks her in the eye and says “if this man were to propose to me again, cough cough, then I’m gonna be his wife and there ain’t nothing you can do about it.”

Rachel: I know, I love it and she said something about, “oh, promise me, you will not marry him.” She’s like “I’m not gonna make that promise, like not gonna do it.” And I just like I love Elizabeth as a character solely because she’s able to stand her own ground. Like that’s my favorite part about her.

Amanda: Yeah, and that’s what’s one of the things that have made the book stand the test of time, you know, 200 years on. And this is still relegated as one of the best literary works for female empowerment. There is.

Rachel: Yeah. Yeah, I think that Jane Austen knew what she was doing. Like she – one of the things that I really like too is that she was like during that time that books were mostly written in like letter format. And I love that she was like I’m not going to do that like she start-originally wrote it that way. But then, she’s like, you know, this is going to tell the story better and switched it. 

Amanda: Yep. 

Rachel: I’d love that for her. So Chapter 57, Elizabeth is not too sure where Catherine got the idea that they were engaged from and I’m still not sure where she got this idea from.

Amanda: I just think everybody, everybody around them even though Darcy and Elizabeth had not said anything themselves about themselves or to any other people. Everybody around them can see the tension in the air. They see the way they look at each other even before, before they separated the first time. I mean only people that truly love each other, that truly want each other, fight like that. 

Rachel: Yeah, that’s true. 

Amanda: So I think I just think everybody could see the way they are and, and just assumed you know, they took it amongst themselves.

Rachel: Yeah, that’s probably it. I’m just trying to think how it could have gotten back to Catherine.

Amanda: Oh well, they say in the book how it did.

Rachel: Did I miss that?

Amanda: Yeah, they say in the book how it did. The people from Meriton wrote to Charlotte, Charlotte told Collins, Collins told what’s her name.

Rachel: Oh, okay. I guess I missed that ’cause then immediately after that Colin sends a letter to Mr Bennett about Jane, but also mentions that Elizabeth might be married soon. And Mr Bennett’s like what?

Amanda: Yep. 

Rachel: So chapter 58, Darcy is already back from London, which is good because the more Darcy the better. So Elizabeth ends up talking to Darcy and says that she knows she’s not supposed to know, but she’s really thankful of what he did, and Darcy says what he did for Lydia he was doing for Elizabeth, and I was like, yes, yes, they’re going to propose, yes. Then Darcy says he feels the same way towards Elizabeth that he did the day he proposed, and Elizabeth says she cares for him now. And then they’re flirting. And I’m like, yes, and so now they’re technically engaged. I guess.

Amanda: Bingley and? Yes.

Rachel: No, Elizabeth and Darcy at that point. 

Amanda: Oh yeah, I’m sorry.

Rachel: They admit that they love each other.

Amanda: Yeah, Yep, they’re engaged by that point in time.

Rachel: They didn’t actually come out and say it though, but I was like oh, they just kinda were like, okay we like each other now we’re engaged.

Amanda: It’s a secret engagement.

Rachel: That’s true. So Darcy has some self reflection here and talks about how he was spoiled and self centered and how he’s trying to grow. And he says that Elizabeth has humbled him, which makes me so happy ’cause I was like I love seeing Darcy grow as a person.

Amanda: Yes, and he had the most character growth of everybody in this book.

Rachel: Oh yeah, absolutely. Just like he had a full character arc, he went from snobby rich boy to Dreamboat basically. And then Darcy admits that he was the one that told Bingley he was wrong and to go after Jane, which I think Elizabeth was really happy about. 

Amanda: Yes.

Rachel: So chapter 59, Elizabeth and Darcy are engaged now, but no one knows. Elizabeth tells Jane and Jane is like, wait, what, I thought you hated that dude like what do you mean you’re engaged?

Amanda: I love people’s responses. They’re like what the what?

Rachel: I know. I know, I love it. Mrs. Bennett says that she’s annoyed that Darcy keeps coming over and tells Elizabeth to go out walking with him again so she doesn’t have to deal with him. I was crying. I was laughing so hard when I read that part.

Amanda: She’s funny

Rachel: It’s like little does she know.  Last walk they got engaged, so what’s gonna happen now, you know?

Amanda: I know and, and, and they’re all like yes, please, I definitely want to go walking. I can’t stand to be close to him.

Rachel: And I’m just imagining, like Mrs. Bennett’s like, “I know this is such a toll on you. You know, I can’t even imagine how this hurts you to go walking with this horrible person” and Elizabeth’s just like “Oh no the pain.”

Amanda: The original secret relationship.

Rachel: Yeah honestly. So then they go out walking and Darcy as he’s coming back is gonna go ask her Mrs-Mr Bennett’s consent and so Darcy talks to Mr. Bennett and Mr Bennett’s like, “okay, Elizabeth, you have to come in here” and as he shuts the door, Mr Bennett, like “Didn’t you hate him?” So they have this entire conversation of him being like “I want you to be happy like you’re my favorite daughter like the rest of the others,I don’t care about them” like he’s like “your happiness is the only one that matters to me is like do you like this dude? Or like nah so?”

Amanda: That’s exactly what he says too! He’s like “I don’t give a crap about Lydia. She could be-I’m gonna enjoy laughing at her for the rest of my life. But you, my dearest Lizzy, I need you to be happy.”

Rachel: Yeah, and she’s like “okay, but like if you thought I liked him would you say it was okay?” And he’s like “this dude’s loaded like you know that’s fine if you like him like he’s loaded you can’t really get much better than that.”

Amanda: This chapter also has my favorite, it’s got my favorite quote in the entire book, excluding Darcy professing his love, okay, how much I ardently admire you. But when at the very end, when Mr. Bennett says, “if any young men come for Kitty or Mary, please send them in, I’m quite at my leisure.” That’s my favorite, that’s my favorite line at all.

Rachel: That’s so funny.

Amanda: He’s like “let’s just marry off the rest of them while we’re at it.” 

Rachel: I know ‘cause basically just two of his daughters got married in like the span of two days.

Amanda: I know!

Rachel: And he’s like he’s like well there goes my favorites and I already got rid of the one I absolutely hate, so like anybody taking the rest of them ’cause like I, you know? Get ‘em off my hair like whatever at this point.

Amanda: We’re having a buy one, get one sale this week. Come on!

Rachel: You think about it, his his youngest daughter basically just ran away. And did an elopement with some poor guy. And then his eldest daughter is like I’m gonna marry this kind of rich dude and he’s like “alright”. And Jane walks in, or Elizabeth walks in after hating this dude forever and she goes “I’m gonna wear-marry this billionaire he’s already proposed.” And her dad’s, her dad’s gotta be like-

Amanda: What the what?

Rachel: -You know, like okay, sure. So now I have two loaded daughters, a daughter that’s basically going to struggle for her entire life. I don’t care about the rest of you because you know, everyone can find it. So Mr Bennett gives his consent after Elizabeth told him what Darcy did for Lydia, and he’s like “alright, this dude chill like this dude chill. I’ll allow it. You know, just because he’s a multimillionaire, you know also that.” 

Amanda: No reason. 

Rachel: So Elizabeth tells Mrs. Bennett and she immediately starts going on about how lovely Darcy is.

Amanda: In just the beginning she was like, “I hate him. He’s so annoying.”

Rachel: It’s like she flips the script so quickly.

Amanda: I mean, wouldn’t you?

Rachel: Honestly, if my child was like I’m marrying a multimillionaire and I’d be like “alright” like, say less. I mean that’s Mrs. Bennett and Mrs. Bennett’s gonna do you know? 

Amanda: Yeah. 

Rachel: So everyone immediately starts being nice to Darcy and starts getting to know him for the first time ever. And they’re like, oh, wait, this dude’s not that bad. So chapter 60. Elizabeth starts asking Darcy when he knew he loved her. Which I always think that’s cute, like in books they’re like “when’s the first moment?”. And it’s like in real life we both know-everyone in this group knows that no one knows. But like you have to make something up on the spot and you’re like it’s that time that you were that purple shirt and your hair was. But Darcy says he wasn’t too sure when he started to fall in love, just that he suddenly was, which I was like, oh, that’s cute.

Amanda: It’s a great answer.

Rachel: Yep. Alright, so Darcy admits the entire reason he came with Bingley was to see if he can make Elizabeth love him. It’s like oh, it’s so cute.

Amanda: You don’t have to make her. She already does.

Rachel: I know, I’m like he had no idea.  So Elizabeth wrote to her aunt and uncle to announce the engagement while Darcy wrote to Catherine.  I just I want to read that letter that Darcy wrote to Catherine.

Amanda: I know, oh I, I get his picture. He’s all I can grab. He’s you know,” congratulate me I wanna thank you it’s because of you. I-I was able to do this” and she’s gonna be like “what?”

Rachel: It was so shady, I bet.

Amanda: It was awesome.

Rachel: I would love to read it so much. So Mr. Bennett also wrote a shady letter to Collins announcing Elizabeth engagement. I love the shade in that family.

Amanda: I do too. Especially, he’s like I would if I were you. I’d pick the nephew and obviously they do because they hightail it right out of there.

Rachel: Yeah. Oh my goodness, so funny. So Miss Darcy wrote a four page is about how happy she is that Darcy and Elizabeth are engaged and it’s I just, I love that Elizabeth and George-Georgiana get along. It just makes me so happy.

Amanda: You know that Elizabeth is going to take such good care of her. 

Rachel: Oh yeah.

Amanda: She’s such a good influence on Georgiana.

Rachel: Yeah, and it’s gonna be like basically another sister like Jane for her ’cause she doesn’t really seem to get along with her younger sisters like she never talks to Mary at all throughout the book and then she doesn’t talk. She doesn’t like Lydia. Or Kitty all that much.

Amanda: Who would?

Rachel: I know. Really though? So Lady Catherine is so mad about their engagement that she that-wait-oh that the Collinses end up coming to visit so that Charlotte could get away from Lady Catherine for a little bit. Which I just thought was so funny.

Amanda: It’s awesome.

Rachel: So Chapter 61, Mr. Bennett is really missing Elizabeth now that she’s married, so he’s gotten joy out of going to Pemberley when he’s least expected to.  And I just think that’s such a dad move. I think it’s hilarious. 

Amanda: And you know how much he likes to read. He’s gotta be in love with their library. 

Rachel: Oh yeah, he definitely does not leave that room like he says hi to everyone and then just walks straight into the library. Which I would definitely do. I’d be like have a bed set up in the library and then they’d walk in and be like “what?”  And I’d be like, “oh hey.”

Amanda: Heck yeah!

Rachel: So Bingley bought an estate only 30 miles from Elizabeth and Darcy, because Mrs. Bennett was trying to get on their last nerves. Which it feels right. It feels right.

Amanda: And you know it’s gonna be bad if you’re getting on their nerves.

Rachel: Yeah, ’cause Jane and Bingley are very nice people. 

Amanda: Yep 

Rachel: So like to be on their nerves. I bet Mrs. Bennett was there every single day.

Amanda: All the time.

Rachel: And Jane’s, like, alright, I’m out. So Mr Bennett will not allow Kitty to go stay with Wickham and Lydia, so she’s gotten a lot more respectable under the guidance of Elizabeth and Jane. And I thought that was a good note to add. 

Amanda: Yes.

Rachel:  Because I-I think that Kitty had a lot of potential, but she just couldn’t develop under Lydia’s wing so much. Wickham and Lydia are still trying to get money out of Darcy, which is not surprising at all, but it’s so annoying. Like Lydia literally writes to him every, like writes to Elizabeth all the time. Being like can’t you give us more money, please?

Amanda: More money, more money, more money.

Rachel: It’s like no leave. So Wickham and Lydia move from place to place trying to improve their money situation. But they’re continuously spending more than they make, and eventually they fall out of love, which is kind of sad.

Amanda: I don’t think they were ever in love to begin with.

Rachel: Yeah, I think Lydia cared a lot about Wickham, but she didn’t love him and I don’t think she understood what loving someone would be like.

Amanda: You see I don’t think I think she cared about being.

Rachel: Married?

Amanda: Yeah.

Rachel: That could be true. 

Amanda: And then she realized that he didn’t care about her and she’s like, well, crap. 

Rachel: Yeah. Now I’m guessing, I’m guessing she probably thought it was hot and that was basically the extent of it. 

Amanda: Yep.

Rachel: So Wickham is not allowed to be received at Pemberley, but Lydia occasionally visits, which is nice that she comes and sees her sisters, I guess. And I’m guessing that she’s just so sad being at home that she wants the nice things that Darcy has to offer, and that’s why she probably comes a lot. Georgiana Darcy lives at Pemberley now and she absolutely loves Elizabeth, and they get along very well, which is like, yes, like, it just makes me happy that they have a good relationship. And then Kathy and Darcy didn’t talk for a while, but Elizabeth persuaded him to extend an olive branch. And eventually Catherine agreed and came to Pemberley.  And that’s the end of the book.

Amanda: Yay! So you liked it?

Rachel: I loved it so good. I was just so nice. It was so nice to have, like a book that I enjoyed and like could fall in love with right now.

Amanda:  Yeah, I’m glad you did. ’cause I love it.

Rachel: I guess my first question is what made you love Pride and Prejudice?

Amanda: Oh. I-I love the emotion that’s able to come through the book without, without saying it ’cause I’m, I’m used to reading, I’m used to reading first person books or third person books that are often one point of view. And Pride and Prejudice was like the first book I read in an Omni God sort of point of view ’cause you know she, she writes it so where you get a little bit of taste of everybody, what everybody is thinking and feeling and I just, I love the emotion that comes through. I love how you can,you can feel the anguish that Darcy is feeling. And,

Rachel: Yeah.

Amanda: The nervousness from Elizabeth whenever she’s in his presence even, even when they think they hate each other. We as the reader can feel that that hate is really just attraction that’s building up stronger and stronger. I just love the way, the way that they come together. I love everything about it.

Rachel: Their slow burn romance is real. 

Amanda: Yes, the burn is real.

Rachel: I know.  It’s one of those books that it’s just, it did not bother me how slow the romance happened. This is just beautiful the entire time. 

Amanda: Yes, I agree.

Rachel: What is your absolute biggest fault with Pride and Prejudice?

Amanda: My biggest fault with Pride and Prejudice, I don’t know. The extreme personalities, I think.

Rachel: Yeah. 

Amanda: When people were good, they were super, super good like Bingley and Jane. Or when people were annoying, they were just horribly obnoxious, like Mrs Bennett, and like Kitty, I think that’s really the only thing that-or Collins. Oh, God Collins.

Rachel: I hate Collins.

Amanda: The only thing that really irritates me is just how far she went with their personalities. I feel like she could have pulled it back just a little.

Rachel: But I do wonder if that says something about like what she was experiencing in the world too.

Amanda: Maybe, most definitely.

Rachel: I wonder if she met like a lot of Collines and like she did that writer thing where you’re like, hate someone. So like I’m gonna write you in the book and then I’m gonna kill you. Just get out all that anger.

Amanda: That would be, that’s that’s something to look in on. I might have to look into that.

Rachel: Yeah. I still-What do you think of this? I have not researched it, but the idea of Charlotte being a tabby cat.

Amanda: I don’t, I don’t think of Charlotte as a tabby cat. Now, I, I certainly think that, I certainly think that there was more to her than meets the eye, but she was, the way she handled, Collins was just fantastic. She was super manipulative and that is not something that I was, you know, you would expect from her from the first few sights we have over. I definitely think that that maybe she was a lesbian.

Rachel: Uh huh.

Amanda: But yeah, I don’t know about a tabby cat. I have to look in to see what, what that was about.

Rachel: Yeah, for some reason the rewrite that someone pitched was that Elizabeth and Darcy don’t end up together. And Charlotte is a tabby cat.

Amanda: Now there now I, I have read one rewrite that was dirty. It was, it was, it was meant to be dirty though it was a playoff of Pride and Prejudice. They are both bing- both Bingleys, so Miss Bingley and Charles Bingley were trying to nab Darcy for themselves. 

Rachel: Oh, I love that though. 

Amanda: And then in that one, Charlotte was gay. Charlotte was gay in that one, but she still, she still needed a comfortable home, so she wrapped she, she still took Mr. Collins but while he was outside puttering around in his garden, she was inside puttering around with the neighbors, if you know what I mean.

Rachel: We love to see it. Honestly I feel like Charlotte deserves it. I can see, I could get behind it. It would explain why she waited so long to get married. 

Amanda: Yes.

Rachel: Cause she’s like I have all these other people I’m interested in. Go, go Charlotte like I would read that book like just Charlotte’s life.

Amanda: Yes, most definitely.

Rachel: Going off of that. Do you wish there was something that you would have-that is something that Jane Austen would have developed more.

Amanda: No, I do wish that when they were, I do wish that when they were at Pemberley together, that the letter would have come a little bit later, I would have loved to have watched her interact with like at a family dinner or something I would have loved to see, to seen everybody interact together. But no, there’s nothing in that I really wish she would have filled out more and it’s hard for me to think about changes when it’s, when it’s

Rachel: Done.

Amanda: Yeah. It’s one of my favorite, my favorite books. Even there’s a whole, Abigail Reynolds, writes Pride and Prejudice variations so it’s not a sequel, it’s what if this happened? What if Elizabeth agreed to Mr Collins? Or what if Elizabeth and, and just a whole bunch of different scenarios? And I’ve never been able to get into those because I like the sequels. I like to read what will happen afterwards. I like the modern retellings, but I like Pride and Prejudice just the way it is, so I don’t want to think about it changing in anyway.

Rachel: The only thing I wish we had is I wish we had like one chapter of her talking with Darcy after they’ve been married.

Amanda: Yes, well and there is tons discussion out there because Jane Austen never got married.

Rachel: Yeah.

Amanda: She, she never court-she got close with one guy but they never, they never made it that far, so all of her books stop at the wedding because she doesn’t know-

Rachel: She doesn’t have the experience, yeah. 

Amanda: She doesn’t know what happens afterwards. So every one of her books stops at the wedding.

Rachel: That’s kind of wild. I didn’t know that. 

Amanda: Yep.

Rachel: I don’t know. I just want, I just want all tidbit of their fight flirting. Just a little bit more.

Amanda: I mean, you know there’s not even any kissing there. 

Rachel: Yeah. 

Amanda: Because she’s never experienced any of that herself, so how could she write it? 

Rachel: Yeah, apparently she-the kiss ending that’s on the 2005 movie, it did not resonate well with the British audience, so they changed that ending when they released.

Amanda: Really?

Rachel: Yeah, that’s one of my, I didn’t write it down, but I did remember reading that.

Amanda: I did not know that.

Rachel: Yeah, I was like that’s so weird, but I guess that ending just didn’t sit well with them because you know that they don’t kiss at all during the actual book, so the audience did not like it. They wanted the tension. But I thought that was kind of wild that they changed that ending.

Amanda: Yep, I didn’t know that. 

Rachel: I didn’t know that either. Oh and then so according to Wikipedia, which is not a good source, but I used it anyways, so Jane, the Pride and Prejudice is actually incredibly well received when it came out, which is like something you don’t really see in most classic literature. Most of it gets popular later, but it was actually well received and her entire family actually like the book. But Charlotte Bronte, which is, I think how you say it 

Amanda: Uh-huh. 

Rachel: She apparently did not like Pride and Prejudice at all. She said something about it being like, my understanding of kind of what she said is basically she said it was kind of stuck up.

Amanda: Well, she didn’t know anything anyways, so who cares about her?

Rachel: I haven’t read any of her books to be honest.

Amanda: No, I have. I mean, I’ve read, I’ve read almost all the classics. But,

Rachel: Yeah. 

Amanda: No, she’s wrong. ’cause Pride and Prejudice is amazing. 

Rachel: Mood, mood. I feel that. And then the scene where Bingley practices proposing to Jane was completely improvised.

Amanda: Was it really?

Rachel: Uh-huh.

Amanda: Oh, I love that scene too. That’s one of them. And he did such a good job playing Bingley. I think.

Rachel: Yeah, I think so. 

Amanda: I love. I, I do not think they could have cast that movie any better if they tried. 

Rachel: Yeah.

Amanda: Behind me again? Yeah, I I I, I think that the whole casting is just perfect.

Rachel: Yeah, I think so too. I think they did an absolutely fantastic job like I wouldn’t change anybody like even the person they had that played Charlotte did really good.

Amanda: Yes, well I like that actress in real life too. 

Rachel: I’ve never seen her before. 

Amanda: Now did, did you know that during that movie Keira Knightley had just and I don’t remember the name of the movie, but she had just finished filming the movie where she had like super, super short hair and so she’s got a wig on this entire movie and it cracks me up because you could see like in all the scenes where her hair is, is up like at the base of her neck you can see the little hairs coming out from her Pixie cut. 

Rachel: Oh my goodness, I didn’t know that. 

Amanda: It cracks me up the whole movie. Next time you watch the movie, you’ll you’ll look for it. You’ll see.

Rachel: Oh yeah. 

Amanda: Cracks me up the whole movie.

Rachel: I got Keira Knightley and Kristen Stewart mixed up in my head for like half of the movie and then I was like I was like wow, you know this really is like they have a lot of like good energy together. Her and Darcy like oh so they play really well against each other. And it’s like I remember that being my big thing with Twilight is because Kristen Stewart has no energy with Robert Pattison and so I was like oh wow and then I was like, well I’m a moron. This is not even Kristen Stewart this is Keira Knightley like I don’t know what like how I got so confused.

Amanda: Now have you have you seen her in Pride and-not Pride and Prejudice? Have you seen her in Pirates of the Caribbean?

Rachel: Yes, yeah I have.

Amanda: I love she’s just such a good actress. 

Rachel: Yeah, I know.

Amanda: She’s, she’s good at like play fighting with people on screen.

Rachel: I, she has to be good at that in real life because she is like exceptionally good with that enemies to lovers.

Amanda: Yes she is.

Rachel: I like her a lot.  But I don’t know why I got her and Kristen Stewart confused. I think it’s just because right now Midnight Sun is so popular that there’s all these memes and stuff about it. I have not read it. I don’t think I’m going to.

Amanda: No, no, I’m not a I’m a, I’m a Potterhead all the way. I just couldn’t jump on the Twihard books.

Rachel: I read them as a kid, but I remember parts of being problematic and it’s like now that I’m an adult and like people are going to come at me in the comments for this, but I just I don’t like to read problematic books like Edward stalked Bella, you know. And I, I’m not OK with that.

Amanda: No, I’m I’m the same way. I started reading the series and people are like oh these got they-the male characters were lauded for like being the best Alpha males and it’s so great .

Rachel: Yeah. 

Amanda: And this is an internationally best selling series, right? And I got like into Chapter 2 and I’m like what you’re considering Alpha male behavior. 

Rachel: Is toxic. 

Amanda: I’m considering assault and kidnapping. 

Rachel: Yeah

Amanda: So, I’m not I, I just couldn’t do it. I couldn’t do it. 

Rachel: Want to know my biggest shame?

Amanda: What?

Rachel: At like the ripe age of like 12, when I read this, I was team Jacob. And I will be honest because Jacobs, way worse than Edward is the only reason I was team Jacob because Taylor Lautner is upstand-like absurdly hot.

Amanda: God, he’s gorgeous. But on that note, have you seen Robert, Robert, Robert Patterson lately?

Rachel: Not lately like. 

Amanda: Gosh, he has aged well.

Rachel: Really?

Amanda: Yes ma’am.

Rachel: Yeah, I’m mostly pulling up him from the old interviews he did and like sharing them on on like Tik Tok and stuff like that right now, so I haven’t seen him lately, but.

Amanda: Oh no, he’s, he’s aged well, his hair is a little bit longer. He’s a little bit scruffy. He’s he’s looking good these days. ’cause I was. I was certainly not a fan of him and he’s so pale and skinny. And,

Rachel: Yeah. 

Amanda: Twilight Robert Patterson was not my deal.

Rachel: Yeah no. I just think how could she even look at it, him when Taylor Lautner is standing right there like.

Amanda: Preach.

Rachel: We like the dark haired boys.

Amanda: I I did not realize I had a thing until I’m like Darcy and then Kylo Ren. 

Rachel: Yes.

Amanda: Kylo Ren, which is basically Darcy in the Sky.

Rachel: Yeah literally. So once-okay that was just a Tik Tok I almost sent it to you. They said that Kylo Ren is space Darcy.

Amanda: Yes, yes he so is. Oh!

Rachel: That made me laugh so hard. 

Amanda: I’m gonna have to tell that to my husband. Yes.

Rachel: Text him right now. No context space Darcy. 

Amanda: Space Darcy, absolutely.

Rachel: You can kind of see it because he kind of trails after, how do I just forget her name?

Amanda: Rey? 

Rachel: There we go. He trails after Rey like she’s Elizabeth in the same way.

Amanda: They fight and the more they fight, the more they fall in love. He proposes to her in the middle of the series. She declines and then by the end of the series he has switched sides. And they make sweet passionate fighting together before-

Rachel: One single kiss. 

Amanda: Oh my God, it is Pride and Prejudice.

Rachel: It is its Space Pride and Prejudice.

Amanda: Oh man. My mind has been blown. 

Rachel: You’re gonna rewatch it and you’re just gonna be like Kylo equal. 

Amanda: There’s no need to rewatch it. I’m I’m. I’m a big Reylo fan. Let’s just put it that way.

Rachel: Yeah, Adam Driver is just beautiful so.

Amanda: Yes, yes he is like I started watching after the first Star Wars with him in it. I started watching Girls and it got to the point where by like season three I was no longer interested in Girls but I was interested in Adam Driver. So I’d like fast forward to the episodes until Adam Driver came on. 

Rachel: That feels right. That feels right. Love to see him. So what is the wildest remake for you? 

Amanda: Oh okay. 

Rachel: Besides Star Wars apparently.

Amanda: Now, besides Star Wars, apparently. Well, if we’re talking Pride and Prejudice remake, we okay, let’s. let’s get specific. We going book, TV show or movie?

Rachel: Let’s, Let’s do movie. 

Amanda: 2005 for sure. Yeah, the 2005 with Matthew McFadden who is a fantastic.

Rachel: So that’s your favorite remake?

Amanda: Yeah, yeah.

Rachel: Okay.

Amanda: That’s my favorite remake now. Speaking Matthew McFadden, have you heard him read Pride and Prejudice? 

Rachel: No.

Amanda: There’s a-he doesn’t, he doesn’t audio the entire book, unfortunately, but there’s a clip out there with him reading Pride and Prejudice for about 15 minutes.

Rachel: I need that. 

Amanda: Oh, you do you need that in your life. It is just his deep voice reading is.  Look at me, I’m getting all worked up. 

Rachel: It’s just too good. 

Amanda: It’s perfect it-you need it in your life.

Rachel: What’s the remake that you just think is the weirdest version?

Amanda: Oh God. I don’t know about movies, but I certainly have books. I thought the Pride and Prejudice and Zombies while fantastic was weird. The first time I saw, I’m like what the what like? How could you desecrate my Pride and Prejudice like that? 

Rachel: Yeah.

Amanda: You know? There is a Bollywood Pride and Prejudice that’s really cool. I’m not answering the right question. 

Rachel: You’re fine. 

Amanda: The weirdest. I-I’m gonna have to go with, probably Abigail Reynolds adaptations because I really don’t like it when they mess with the original storyline gives me-

Rachel: That’s the one?

Amanda: Yeah, that’s the one where she she changes things. She’s got a whole series of what would happen if this?What would happen with that? What would happen? Well, a bit of this, a little bit of that. So she’s got a whole series where she changes the plotline. And I just think the whole thing, the whole thing is is weird because Pride and Prejudice is perfect and it should not be messed with in anyway. The Pemberley variations. That’s what they’re called the Pemberley variation.

Rachel: Okay alright, I’ll have to look at those.

Amanda: So those are my-though to answer the same question. There is a 50 Shades of Darcy. 

Rachel: What?

Amanda: So it is a play on 50 Shades of Gray and Pride and Prejudice. 

Rachel: Oh my gosh. 

Amanda: It is exactly what you’re thinking.

Rachel: Is are we talk-is this like a fanfiction or is this a published book?

Amanda: No, it’s a published book. It’s on Amazon. Yeah, it’s a public book. And it’s got its, its reviews are in the threes, but that’s because there is no middle ground. 

Rachel: Yeah. 

Amanda: People either adore this book or they hate it. And I think, I think for you to adore it, you have to be a fan of both 50 Shades and Pemberley. 

Rachel: Yeah. 

Amanda: Pride and Prejudice. That’s the word I’m looking for. 

Rachel: Yep.

Amanda: So yeah people either adore it or they despise it. It was-I liked it, but it was

Rachel: I’m guessing they’ve got much more than handholding.

Amanda: Darcy, with a riding crop is-

Rachel: Oh!

Amanda: An image I’ll never forget. 

Rachel: Oh my gosh, it’s like, wasn’t it? I’m just trying to imagine like. You go hey, what if we had Pride and Prejudice, But like 

Amanda: Yes.

Rachel: A little more.

Amanda: Yes.That’s exactly what it is.

Rachel: Oh my goodness I, I’m curious, but I’ve also never read read 50 Shades of Grey.

Amanda: I won’t get started on 50 Shades of Grey. But yeah, so that’s probably that’s a weird one.

Rachel: I just feel like I kind of want to know like I don’t know if I actually want to read it, but like I’m curious so.

Amanda: Now Goodreads has a whole list, they’ve got, you know, the Goodreads lists and stuff. They’ve got a whole list of the bret-best Pride and Prejudice variations and sequels. Let me, let me, you know what I’m gonna log into my I should have done it before. Let me log into my Goodreads real quick and let me tell you how many of those on the list that I’ve read. 

Rachel: Yes, I’m ready. 

Amanda: So out of a list of, out of 414. So the first out of the first page, which has 100 books on it. I have read-there’s four that I have a, a click of have not read, so I read quite a few of the variations 

Rachel: Nice. 

Amanda: And the, the I just I love everything that has to do with Darcy.

Rachel: I mean, how could you not? He’s like beautiful and awkward and I love him.

Amanda: Yes me too.

Rachel: So overall, fantastic book. I will probably read it again. By probably. I mean, I’m definitely going to end up reading it again. 

Amanda: Yes! 

Rachel: And I’m probably going to deep dive into at least the BBC miniseries because I feel like the 2005 while it was good, I just need more of it.

Amanda: Well, you certainly get it through the BBC miniseries. I mean, it’s it’s six like six hours of Pride and Prejudice.  You can’t go wrong. 

Rachel: Ah, yes, perfect. So that’s all I have for this episode. Do you have anything else you wanna say about the overall book?

Amanda: Nope, other than I love it. And if you haven’t read it, I’m disgusted and hurt and upset with you. Reach out to me and I’ll walk you through the process because it’s something everybody needs to read at least once in their life.

Rachel: So where can all the people on the Internet find you to reach out to you?

Amanda: I am all over the Internet. I have my own website its amandafayebooks.com. I am on Facebook at facebook.com/Amandafayebooks.com. I am on Instagram Amandafayebooks. I think you’re sensing the theme here. On Facebook you can look for me personally. It’s author Amanda Faye or just plain old Amanda Faye. And so I’m on bookbub. Apparently, I found that out recently. 

Rachel: Oh, nice.

Amanda: I’m just everywhere, so you can, you can find me everywhere.

Rachel: Perfect well thank you so much for joining me for this episode.

Amanda: My pleasure, thank you so much for having me.

Rachel: And bye everybody 

Amanda: Bye.

(Outro Music)

Rachel: Thank you all so much for tuning into this episode of the Barely Bookish Podcast. If you want to find me anywhere, I’m at barelybookish on basically everything, or you can go to barelybookish.com/connect and it’ll have all the links to everything so you can find me on there. Our logo was made by my little sister Sara. The theme song is from freepdpd.com and it is by Raphael Crux. And yeah, we’re about to pick our next book for the Barely Book Club. So if you want to join a virtual book club, it’s on Discord and you can find it by one of the links below, in the show notes. And you just gotta, we’re still suggesting books right now, so if you want to join now is the perfect time because you can suggest new books. Yeah, that’s about it. That’s all I have for you all, and I will catch you in the next one. The next one will be about the Pride and Prejudice movie, so you know, if you and it’s a 2005 movie, which I know we talk about a lot on here. So if you wanna watch it before totally do that, now is the time to watch it. And then you can you know, not get spoilers for that next episode, but I will catch you in the next one. Bye.