Pride and Prejudice discussion

When I was younger, yes I probably would have. I was shy and very self conscious, so if the wrong guy gave me attention and charm, I would have fallen for it. Now at 32, I would have seen through him a mile away :)

No, probably not.

At their age, yes, heck yes! Now that I am ancient, maybe not. Maybe.

I think I wouldn't have. I got a knack for pinpointing inconsistencies in character. He was a smooth talker but not good in body language (movie version) or keeping track of what he said (book) thus leading to contradictory behavior, and that would have put me off.

That is what is so good about Jane Austen. She painted him as a handsome person, but you could see cad underneath. I didn't believe his tale about Darcy's sister.

I think most women do fall for a Wickham at some point in their lives.

I don't think I would have fallen for Mr Wickham; surely at the beginning I would thought him handsome but nobody is perfect. His ways are too perfect to be real.
I am quite good at seeing through people, I guess my sixth sense is quite efficient.

Chanah wrote: "I don't know if I am looking back in hindsight, but I think that when I first encountered this story (through the 1995 mini series) I was kind of shocked at his willingness to disclose this "inform..."

But Wentworth was a good guy! So maybe not all W's were bad.

For those who have watched "Miss Austen Regrets" I will just remind the last words: "Listen to your own heart now".
W might be a good beginning for a name after all, and as Amy said, Wentworth was a pretty good gentleman.

I'm sorry to say that yes, I probably would've fallen for Wickham. But I also liked Willoughby at first from Sense and Sensibility too.

I guess I'm just a sucker for a handsome, smooth-talker.

I would have to say as much as I hate to admit it, I would in fact fall very hard for Mr. Wickham because he is such a handsome smooth-talker that I would be won over in a few minutes.

I think that, given the age of all 3 women and the time period i would have believed in his misfortunes, firstly because...Darcy was not there to counterpoint them, to challenge the accusations. Whickam got the upper hand on Elizabeth and Lydia because he was the 1st one to "disclosure" the supposed foul play by Mr. Darcy and since, for quite some time his actions did his justice as a gentleman, he got that advantage; but as soon as Darcy revealed what happened and that all of his bad deed were knownwed, he got nowhere or nobody to turn to.

In the beginning, I enjoyed Mr. Wickham's character a great deal, but I was always in love with Mr. Darcy. Mr. Wickham seemed to perfect of a character, and I knew he must be up to something. Elizabeth was his favorite out of the Bennet sisters and he did everything in his power to keep her from Mr. Darcy. Elizabeth liked him a great deal until his actions were made known to her by Mr. Darcy. I love this book so much! Anyone who has never read it should go to the bookstore or download it on your nook right now.

Yes, I would have, I did, and I probably would again if I had the chance.

Have mercy! Yes, I would have; yes, I have. I've been looking for a Darcy and just barely fell for a Wickham, who I thought was a Darcy .... At least it only took me two months to figure it out this time ... instead of two years like the last time. If only I could have learned from Austen....

Shannon wrote: "Have mercy! Yes, I would have; yes, I have. I've been looking for a Darcy and just barely fell for a Wickham, who I thought was a Darcy .... At least it only took me two months to figure it out ..."

It was easier for Austen -- she wrote the book; we have to live it.

Susan wrote: "It was easier for Austen -- she wrote the book; we have to live it. "

Ha! So true. That makes me feel a bit better!

Susan wrote: "Shannon wrote: "Have mercy! Yes, I would have; yes, I have. I've been looking for a Darcy and just barely fell for a Wickham, who I thought was a Darcy .... At least it only took me two months t..."

Hahaha very well put out!

No. I would have been suspicious of him right off the bat. An honorable person doesn't relate stories of other peoples actions, unless there is something that the person needs to be informed of for their own safety. He said horrible things about Mr. Darcy without any good reason, it wasn't as if Elizabeth was about to marry Darcy. I'm pretty sure I would have smelled a rat.

I think I am like Elizabeth. She liked his attention at first, but sure wasn't heart broken when he started chasing someone else. She saw through him even before she knew the truth about him.
I hope I'm not like Lydia, because she only fell for Wickham when he paid attention to her. She was ready to fall for anyone who gave her the time of day.

Same here. Like I said before Wickham's character seemed a little too perfect to be real to me.

Possibly for a moment(fall in lust I mean) but then reality would set in, I'm not the romantic type but I think they were, especially at such a young and inexperienced age.

I think I probably would have, annoyingly! Although I did think it was a bit strange the first time I read the book, when he told Elizabeth about how Darcy had treated him. I thought it a bit forward of him to tell that to a stranger. But he seemed like such a gentleman, so I put aside any doubts I had. I think that was his main talent: he could make women ignore anything that didn't quite fit.

Sophie-Lousie wrote: "I think I probably would have, annoyingly! Although I did think it was a bit strange the first time I read the book, when he told Elizabeth about how Darcy had treated him. I thought it a bit forwa..."

agreed

I don't think I would have, I much prefer a quieter more modest man, I dislike over confidence. And I was shocked at how much he told her even though they had only just met. Gossipers really put me off! I think most people like to hear both sides of the story,

If I had already disliked Darcy and Wickham told me his story I would have fallen for it.I already thought Darcy was jerk that would have just made me think I was right about him.Plus Wickham is so charming and nice when compared to Darcy's manners.

If I just meet him at a random party I would hope I wouldn't fall for his charm.

No, I Wouldn't. He is a liar.

But, how would you know he was a liar?

Of course not! Wickham's a jerk!

I think that those who usually say bad things about others turn out to be liars.

Heba wrote: "I think that those who usually say bad things about others turn out to be liars."

Agreed! Nice people don't say bad things about other people, unless it is absolutely necessary. He was kind of like "Hello I'm Mr. Wickham and Mr. Darcy is a jerk. Would you like to hear more?"

Rachael wrote: "I don't think I would have, I much prefer a quieter more modest man, I dislike over confidence. And I was shocked at how much he told her even though they had only just met. Gossipers really put me..."

Yes. Mr. Wickham seemed really forward with Elizabeth about his whole past with Mr. Darcy and his misfortunes was literally all he talked about. It drove me insane.

I always fall for the bitter standoffish guy so I would have liked Darcy from the start. Unfortunately I probably would have been more like Miss Bingley than Elizabeth though, (although hopefully less catty) and harbor unrequited love for him.

I feel a bit like I'm butting in on "girls' talk" here, but don't we all follow Elizabeth's lead in falling for Wickham first time around? Same with Willoughby in S&S. Part of Austen's genius is having us see that we are seduced not so much by the plausible deceiver as by our own romantic wish to believe the fairy tale--in 19th C terms, our "sensibility."

Oh, Bill .... I do believe you've described it perfectly.

You're absolutely right, Bill.

Bill thanks for butting in on "girls talk" as you call it because the way you put it is perfect.Didn't we all fall for it?

Nicole wrote: "Bill thanks for butting in on "girls talk" as you call it because the way you put it is perfect.Didn't we all fall for it?"

Not me. Probably because I have a cool Dad who has a lovely baseball bat. Any Wickham/Willoughby run for cover. :D

When I saw the film S&S (yes shame on me I haven't read the book) I always like Colonel Brandon better, even before I knew Willoughby was really despicable.

I can see how some people would fall for them. They both are very attractive men. But even if Wickham was telling the truth about Mr. Darcy, I wouldn't care for him, because there was no earthly reason he had to badmouth him.

If Elizabeth was going to marry Darcy or some such thing and Wickham wanted to warn her that is fine, but I wouldn't have liked him saying bad things about another person for no reason even if they were true. As the saying goes "treat others how you'd like to be treated"

I also saw the film of S&S before I read the book and did alwas like Brandon more but I did fall for Wickham when reading P&P.After reading P&P and watching S&S.I can say I didn't fall under the spell of any other Austen bad boys.If fact I was just waiting for them to show up.But like Elizabeth I would(and thorw her eyes did) have fallen for Wickham's story and been happy that my judgement about the rude Mr.Darcy was right.

I could see being attracted Wickham, he was charming and handsome in a rogue-ish way. But I am more reserved than Elizabeth and would have been a little worried about what Wickham saw in me.

I would have fallen for him at first but gradually the charm would have faded as the empty words never rocks the soul.
And Bill I certainly do agree, a fragment of us does believe in prince charming of the fairy tale:)Ah dreamers!

Hopefully not!

I always make the grand mistake of falling for Mr. Wickham whenever I read the book. In reality, though, I don't think I would. Maybe a few years ago I would've, but judging from experience of recent, I'm rather comfortable with my judgement of how 'fake' the top layer of a person is.

That and I heavily fancy someone already, so.

Suicide-blonde wrote: "I always make the grand mistake of falling for Mr. Wickham whenever I read the book. In reality, though, I don't think I would. Maybe a few years ago I would've, but judging from experience of rece..."

Ya at first I though Wickham's character was good, but Mr. Darcy will always be the one for me. Wickham can not even compare. I love Mr. Darcy.

Obviously I would! I actually did the first time I read the book, I was so in love with him and it was Mr. Darcy the one I found despicable. I thought that maybe Elizabeth and Wickham would end up together, and Mr. Darcy would be miserable the rest of his life. Wickham was so nice and gentle, and when Mr. Darcy finally told us the truth I couldn't believe I had been so stupid!
So definitely yes, I would have fallen for Mr. Wickham but later regret and married Mr. Darcy (:

Hells no! I fell for Mr.Darcy from the very beginning!!!

He simpers too much for me. It would have ended there :)

Chantelle wrote: "Hells no! I fell for Mr.Darcy from the very beginning!!!"

The first time I fell for Wickham, but every single day after that I have been hopelessly in love with Fitzwilliam Darcy ;)

Rebekah wrote: "He simpers too much for me. It would have ended there :)"

Maybe I simper a lot myself, but definitely I got a surprise with Mr. Wickham.

I have to admit, yes, I probably would have. I have a thing for the bad boys ;)