The Jane Austen Book Club Page #9

I'm warning you, if Grigg starts

making little remarks, I'm gonna walk out.

You two just keep it together

for one more book.

I wish he'd just drop out of the group.

Austen sets up this juicy triangle

between Elinor, Edward and Lucy Steele.

And then at the end, she practically

has to whip a rabbit out of a hat

to make Lucy Steele run off

with Edward's brother?

- Yeah, that requires some hand-waving.

- I think the ending's well-plotted.

To me, the part that seems forced is

Marianne ending up with Colonel Brandon.

- Anyone else feel that?

- Oh, I have no problem with that.

He rides up on a big stallion,

sweeps her into his arms. I'm there.

From the time Colonel Brandon

meets Marianne,

he just lavishes all this attention on her.

And meanwhile,

she's throwing herself at Willoughby.

Willoughby is a player.

Women never go for the nice guy.

Please. Men say that, but you get to know

some of these men who complain the most,

you find out they're not as nice

as they like to think they are.

Okay. You know what struck me?

Is that Colonel Brandon is only

a few years younger than Mrs. Dashwood.

Well, why does he take up with

the daughter and not the mother?

Yeah, why not Mrs. Dashwood?

Maybe Mrs. Dashwood

won't give him the time of day.

- The book is about the young people.

- Yeah, because Jane Austen thinks

that nothing interesting can happen

to a woman over 25.

When actually, a novel about a woman

seducing a slightly younger man

just yields so much more.

Well, then maybe Mrs. Dashwood

should go for Willoughby.

Why not?

It's a long, hot summer.

Maybe Mrs. Dashwood

has more sense than that.

Okay, can I just point out,

she's hardly in the story.

Sex is messy.

Maybe Mrs. Dashwood

prefers a more well-ordered life.

Maybe that's why

she's such a minor character.

- I think if you read Austen's novels...

- Oh, I have.

You wanted me to, and I did.

I think you'll see she always writes

in favor of order and self-control.

- Nothing unwise.

- Nothing in haste.

Okay, so, this is...

This is what, this is a rulebook?

We could do worse.

I think Jane Austen wrote about women

falling in love because she was Ionely.

Oh, you couldn't be more wrong.

Austen lived a very full life.

She could've gotten married anytime.

- She almost did.

- That's right.

- But she decided not to.

- Why, too messy? Too out of control?

His name was Harris Bigg-Wither,

and they were engaged for one night.

"Oh, Harris Bigg-Wither!"

I can't believe you know that.

I understand why Colonel Brandon

goes for Marianne.

And it's not 'cause she's young.

It's because she's generous with herself.

She's willing to risk her heart.

No rules, no fear.

- And Willoughby tramples her.

- She just picked the wrong guy.

No rules, no fear.

I like that.

- Hi.

- You're wearing that to your book club?

It's Bernadette's idea to do this beach day,

'cause in the novel they all go to Lyme,

which is, you know,

like, the beach in England.

This is your last one, right?

I think we're gonna do some more books

after this one.

Prudie's gonna be hours late

and Grigg called. He's bringing a woman.

Thank God it's the last meeting.

Yes, there's getting to be

a little too much plot.

Not that I blame Grigg.

Something about reading Austen

sort of makes you wanna get it on.

Hi.

Started reading it with Allegra

at the hospital. This is a great book.

Are you joining our discussion?

- Am I? 'Cause I'd like to.

- Hi.

- Daniel wants to join us.

- Well he's not in the club, is he?

Oh, come on, this is my favorite Austen.

So far.

It's all about mistakes and second chances.

Yeah, you can stay.

Glass of wine?

I can't believe he brought a date

to our last meeting.

- I kinda had him in mind for you, as a fling.

- For me?

Honey, I took your boyfriend away from you

in high school.

Look how that turned out.

- Hi.

- Hey.

- How ya doing?

- Guys, this is Cat.

- Hello.

- I'm Grigg's big sister.

Oh, God, that's wonderful. That's so...

I'm... God, that's wonderful.

You're Grigg's sister.

I'm Jocelyn. This is Sylvia.

- How are you?

- Hi.

- Good, thank you.

- Hi. Bernadette.

- I don't believe it.

- Look at you!

- You look great.

- Good to see you.

Thank you.

- Wow, are you visiting from Idaho?

- Yeah, yeah.

We kept seeing these emails.

And we said, "What kind of strange power

"do these women have

that they got Grigg to read Jane Austen?"

Just thought I'd check it out.

You wanna take a walk?

Well, sure.

Excuse me.

Bernie! Mom! Hey. Hey!

- Hi.

- Dr. Yep?

Samantha. Thank you for inviting me.

- I'm sorry we're late.

- Oh. Yeah. Well, Prudie's not even here yet.

Is that Dad?

- Let's say hi.

- Okay.

A doctor.

Nothing in haste.

- Dad! Hi!

- Hey.

Would you do me a favor?

Would you read this?

Please. Right now.

Isn't that what your

special little book club's for?

I really want you to read it.

Please, Dean.

It doesn't... They don't...

Prudie, I feel like you want me

to be something that I'm not.

I just walk around being me.

I don't pretend to be anything else.

I'm the guy who thinks "Austen"

is a city in Texas.

I shouldn't have said that. That was mean.

You just set me up for a test

that you don't want me to pass.

No, no. This is not a test.

This is something to share.

Why don't you just tell me what it's about?

It's about these two people

who used to love each other.

And they don't anymore.

And it's how they persuade themselves

to give it another try.

Look, I can get you started off. Okay?

- "Sir Walter Eliot...

- Prudie.

"...of Kellynch Hall in Somersetshire

was a man who...

"for his own amusement, never took up

any book but the..."

Come on, you're really not gonna

read all of this out loud.

One page.

"There he found occupation

for an idle hour

"and consolation in a distressed one."

- Come on.

- So I've been trying to figure out

that moment in Persuasion when

Wentworth and Anne

just began to stop hating each other.

Maybe it's when they went

with everyone to Lyme.

After Louisa Musgrove fell.

After Wentworth used her

to make Anne jealous.

You think he was using Louisa?

Yeah. That's one interpretation.

- I think the guy was just trying to feel...

- Valued again.

It was a bonehead move.

I mean, he knows he's nothing

without Anne.

He loved her then, he loves her now.

I like how Austen always lets the men

explain themselves.

Darcy writes a letter to Elizabeth Bennet

in Pride and Prejudice,

and Frank writes to Emma.

Yeah, in Persuasion, everything hangs on

Wentworth leaving her that note

- when everybody's talking all around them.

- Yeah. Yeah. Sneaky.

No, smart guy. Perfect timing.

Yeah.

Let us never underestimate the power

of a well-written letter.

Grigg has always loved dogs.

You know, we were never allowed

to have one when we were kids.

Dogs and books. That's our Grigg.

Okay, he'd kill me for saying this,

but my brother likes you.

I'm figuring he'll never tell you.

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