Mr. Darcy! Why him?
(So happy to have Nina Benneton with us today with a post during 'All For The Love of Darcy Month'. Stop by HERE to enter for all of the wonderful give-aways this month, but ALSO comment on Nina's post for additional chances to win! Stop by MY POST for 'Hearts Through History Blog Tour', and don't forget to VOTE for Compulsively Mr. Darcy for Book of the year!)
“Mr. Darcy! Why him?” With a slight twitch of her nostrils to the right, a sign that she’s tittering between disdain and disgust, my anime-obsessed teenager asked me after she finished reading Pride and Prejudice for an English class recently. “I don’t see it. I don’t see why you love him so much you’ve even written a book about him.”
My daughter is into cosplaying anime characters. Through designing, sewing and then wearing and exhibiting her costumed creations, she brings to life the fictional anime characters. One of her favorite characters is Howl from the anime movie based on Diana Wynne Jones’s novel of the same name, Howl’s Moving Castle.
Just as I don’t see the attraction for the self-absorbed, lazy, coward Howl who makes Wickham appear like a choir boy, she doesn’t see my admiration for Mr. Darcy.
What should I tell a young teen what it was I learned at her age from reading Pride and Prejudice?
‘Don’t judge a guy by his manners.’
That’s it! Contrary to what every mother, including my own mother, and even myself, had often expressed, ‘Manners make the man’, I would tell my daughter the above. And I also would tell her:
That the most well-mannered, articulated, handsome guy every girl wanted may be a Wickham in disguise who has no heart.
That the most amiable, popular, peace-loving guy may be a Bingley who lacks self-conviction to follow his own heart.
That the most cultured, pedigreed, decorated-soldier guy may be a Colonel Fitzwilliam who lacks the courage to unfetter his heart.
That the ill-mannered, inarticulate, disagreeable, unpopular, undecorated guy you meet may be the Darcy with the unbridled, fearless, and selfless heart. A man who’s willing to admit his faults and overcome them is a powerful, authentic man, even without any wizardly tricks.
Judge a man by his actions, not his manners.
I’m going to find my daughter in her sewing room now and tell her all that.
Second, I’m also going to tell her I plan watch and reread Howl’s Moving Castle again. Perhaps I’d misjudged the wizard Howl by his manners and not his actions.
Lastly, I’m going to tell her that the book that was written from my love of Mr. Darcy is nominated for LASR Best Book of 2012 Poll, http://www.longandshortreviews.com/book-reviews/2012-book-of-the-year/ and that voting is until February 14th, and I’d love for her to vote for her mother’s Austenesque novel, Compulsively Mr. Darcy.
I would be so grateful for you all to vote for an Austenesque novel as the Best Book of the Year. http://www.longandshortreviews.com/book-reviews/2012-book-of-the-year/
As a thank you for your votes, one random lucky commenter will win an ‘I Love Mr. Darcy’ gift set (totebag, keychain, bumper sticket) from one of my favorite shops—the Jane Austen Centre in Bath.
Visit Nina at her website: www.NinaBenneton.com
Visit her Facebook Author Page at : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nina-Benneton/273543669356518
Follow on Twitter at: @NinaBenneton
My daughter is into cosplaying anime characters. Through designing, sewing and then wearing and exhibiting her costumed creations, she brings to life the fictional anime characters. One of her favorite characters is Howl from the anime movie based on Diana Wynne Jones’s novel of the same name, Howl’s Moving Castle.
Just as I don’t see the attraction for the self-absorbed, lazy, coward Howl who makes Wickham appear like a choir boy, she doesn’t see my admiration for Mr. Darcy.
What should I tell a young teen what it was I learned at her age from reading Pride and Prejudice?
‘Don’t judge a guy by his manners.’
That’s it! Contrary to what every mother, including my own mother, and even myself, had often expressed, ‘Manners make the man’, I would tell my daughter the above. And I also would tell her:
That the most well-mannered, articulated, handsome guy every girl wanted may be a Wickham in disguise who has no heart.
That the most amiable, popular, peace-loving guy may be a Bingley who lacks self-conviction to follow his own heart.
That the most cultured, pedigreed, decorated-soldier guy may be a Colonel Fitzwilliam who lacks the courage to unfetter his heart.
That the ill-mannered, inarticulate, disagreeable, unpopular, undecorated guy you meet may be the Darcy with the unbridled, fearless, and selfless heart. A man who’s willing to admit his faults and overcome them is a powerful, authentic man, even without any wizardly tricks.
Judge a man by his actions, not his manners.
I’m going to find my daughter in her sewing room now and tell her all that.
Second, I’m also going to tell her I plan watch and reread Howl’s Moving Castle again. Perhaps I’d misjudged the wizard Howl by his manners and not his actions.
Lastly, I’m going to tell her that the book that was written from my love of Mr. Darcy is nominated for LASR Best Book of 2012 Poll, http://www.longandshortreviews.com/book-reviews/2012-book-of-the-year/ and that voting is until February 14th, and I’d love for her to vote for her mother’s Austenesque novel, Compulsively Mr. Darcy.
I would be so grateful for you all to vote for an Austenesque novel as the Best Book of the Year. http://www.longandshortreviews.com/book-reviews/2012-book-of-the-year/
As a thank you for your votes, one random lucky commenter will win an ‘I Love Mr. Darcy’ gift set (totebag, keychain, bumper sticket) from one of my favorite shops—the Jane Austen Centre in Bath.
Visit Nina at her website: www.NinaBenneton.com
Visit her Facebook Author Page at : http://www.facebook.com/pages/Nina-Benneton/273543669356518
Follow on Twitter at: @NinaBenneton
Hi Nina! I love this! It's so true! Now, my daughters wouldn't like Darcy just because I do! ;)
ReplyDeleteI remember the pictures you showed Mary and I at JA Day that your daughter drew of the characters she likes. She does fantastic work!
Hi Candy!
DeleteIt's not cool to like the same thing your mother likes.
For that reason, I pretend I LOVE Justin Bieber--and my daughters can't stand him. Hehehehehe.
Nina
Oh, no, that's just what I would have said - ‘Manners make the man.’ I hope your daughter votes for you!
ReplyDelete
DeleteThat's what I still tell my son. But, the darn kid comes back with 'Look at the politicians, Mom!'
I hope she votes for me, too. Though, I suspect she longed to vote for Suzanne Collins!
I don't have a doubting kid, but I am surrounded by friends who think its nuts to like a hero from a classic let alone read them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing and congrats on your nomination!
Hi Sophia,
DeleteI suppose it is rather nuts of us to like a 200-year-old fictional character. I mean, if I wasn't so enthralled with MR. Darcy, I'd make fun of myself. ;)
Thank you!
Just voted and hope you'll win. As I've told you, I loved you book! Best of luck!
ReplyDeleteDearest Carolina,
DeleteI consider myself a winner because of reader like you!
Suzanne Collins can keep her millions!
My kids just laugh at me. Little do they know they're playing with their inheritance. :)
ReplyDeleteVoted.
DeleteLOL! Gayle!
Oh, what are we but to be sport for our children and neighbors, eh?
Voted Thank you so much for sharing! (hope you win)
ReplyDeleteThank you, Patricia!
DeleteI love sharing my love of Mr. Darcy!
Oh, I do hope your daughter votes for you!! Good luck and congratulations on your nomination. You deserve it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Lisa.
DeleteAs a mother, I do worry if she doesn't come to like Mr. Darcy. However is she going to end up with a Pemberley and let her mother live in comfort in her old age?
I voted for the second time. I hope you win but there's a long way to catch up with only 2 days remaining.
ReplyDelete
DeleteLuthien!!!!
Thank you! Hmmmm, a long way? ... darn.
I have to get myself a regimen of voters somehow.
Been sick in bed isn't helping.
I voted - good luck!!
ReplyDeletewhat an excellent post for p&p conversation with your daughter!
ReplyDeletewell said.. wonder what was her response? :)
wishing you every cont'd success on sharing your gift of writing...
Beautiful thoughts! Hope you win :)
ReplyDeleteYou could always show her the movie with Matthew MacFadyen and maybe then she'd end up loving Darcy.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your nomination!
ReplyDelete