Comments on: Emma Readalong! Part Two: Frank Churchill is the worst

By: litlove

litlove — Sun, 16 Feb 2014 21:44:52 +0000

I’d never really thought about the boredom thing, but you are SO correct. There’s a tendency in Austen to teach her characters to love awful people (whose hearts may be in the right place, but who have some other defining flaw, like being crushing bores) rather than teaching awful people to mix it up a bit and maybe find some more jolly topics of conversation. I am not sure about this. It’s probably because I am a democratic educator and think everyone has something to learn. It wouldn’t do Miss Bates any harm to just try to calm it down a bit, after all.

By: Jeanne

Jeanne — Wed, 12 Feb 2014 20:35:34 +0000

The other thing I don’t like as much as I want to about the movie Clueless (which I just watched on an airplane flying back from rainy California) is that the Emma character isn’t written to be so massively more intelligent than everyone around her that of course she’s bored beyond belief (to borrow the phrase written on the window in LA Story). I like the sense that the way she’s employed her intelligence heretofore veiled it from Mr. Knightley, but that the more they get to know each other, the more they each see a kindred mind.

By: Gin Jenny

Gin Jenny — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:59:45 +0000

In reply to Alison. I do too, actually. His amiable qualities are more readily apparent, and I like him for hating surprises, and he does nice things for people without wanting a prize for it. (Darcy does too, but not right away.)

By: Gin Jenny

Gin Jenny — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:59:06 +0000

In reply to Ela. I suppose not, but still, Frank! Get your shit together!

By: Gin Jenny

Gin Jenny — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:57:40 +0000

In reply to Lisa. I know, exactly! So much of her character (for good and bad) comes from her trying to escape boredom. (Poor thing.)

By: Gin Jenny

Gin Jenny — Tue, 11 Feb 2014 15:57:03 +0000

In reply to Karen K.. Hahahahaha, I sympathize! I tried thrice to read Emma before I eventually came to love the book, but now it's my favorite Jane Austen.

By: Lisa

Lisa — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 13:16:56 +0000

In reply to anna. Oops, I was thinking un-ensouled Angel.

By: anna

anna — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 05:42:22 +0000

In reply to Lisa. ANGEL? Henry Crawford? The one from Mansfield Park? The one who ran away with the married cousin of the main character?

By: Alison

Alison — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 03:18:16 +0000

UGH, Frank Churchill. I can only imagine how much more annoying he’s going to get.

Mr. Knightley is pretty great. I think I’m liking him more (at this moment) than I do Mr. Darcy.

By: Ela

Ela — Sun, 09 Feb 2014 00:00:59 +0000

Mr Knightley is awesome! And Austen does that really well, the sense that Emma is easily bored, and, while not thinking that she’s frustrated with life in a small town, really is. Frank is terrible – though he’s probably not the first person to have disguised his real feelings for someone by pretending they mean nothing to him!