Meredith's S&S Book Club Answers

Ooh, I love this sort of thing! And I can totally justify it as work related. So here we go.

1. My favorite scene is when Marianne finally finds out about the secret Eleanor has been keeping.

2. I just barely read the book for the first time, and it really does seem like Eleanor and Colonel Brandon go together better. As for Marianne, I can't help but think that if she had been older and a little smarter, she could have had both!

3. Ooh, secrets. I don't have the gumption to make a list. But Marianne is totally isolated. She isolates herself, I think in part to further that romantic ideal she has. For her, I think the more drama, the more romance. If that makes sense.

4. Hmm, who is the most sexy? Was it Willoughby? I don't remember. Frankly, I never found any of the S&S guys to be super sexy. I like some of them (Colonel Brandon), but I still didn't really think he was sexy.

5. Those goobers totally deserve each other.

6. In the book, I don't really think he is a hero. This one is all about Eleanor and Marianne for me. He's too passive to be the ideal Austen hero that I always think of.

7. Good question. I never really thought about it. We'll say some random servants. They don't get much to do in these books.

8. Willoughby got way more happiness than he deserved. True, Lucy is kind of mean, but really, I hardly blame her. I'd be bitter against someone I thought my fiance loved more than me. Even if I didn't love him that much. But Willoughby ruined that girl's life, and he never shows any remorse for it. He's sad that he got caught and he's sad he can't be with Marianne, but he doesn't feel bad at all for what he did to poor what's her face. I can't remember her name. Obviously.

9. Heck if I know. I've wondered about the title for years.

10. Probably not. I think Mr. Palmer enjoys having a silly wife. It gives him and excuse to be grumpy, which I'm quite certain he enjoys.

11. Those darn talkative women are all extremely silly. But, to be fair, even Marianne, who's certainly not as loud as some of these other women, is kind of an idiot. Maybe this is totally wrong, but I think this shows why women should have more opportunities for education, employment, etc. If the only thing I had to do was sit around and gossip or do needlework, I think I'd be stupid too.

12. Well, I don't think Marianne would have believed him. But that part still drives me crazy. It's the crazy system of honor and privacy that everyone had back then. Not that those things are necessarily bad, but there's a time and a place, Brandon! That's the kind of thing to speak up about!