Book differences

I think the biggest difference is not in the narrative but in the way Lizzy and Darcy are portrayed. the book give Lizzy much more... gusto. I mean she seems more anamated, livlier, with more sexual tension than she appears in this version what do you think?

One difference is that the characters speak much less. For example, when Mr.Darcy first proposed beyond the words,"In vain I have struggled. It will not do. My feelings will not be repressed. You must allow me to tell how ardently I admire and love you," the rest of his speech is in narrative. Another is that little scenes, like Mr.Bingley looking out the window after Jane and Elisabeth have left Netherfield and Mr.Bennet asking Elisabeth is she in love after she comes home from visting Charlotte, are not in the book at all. However, some scenes that are in the book are not in the series, such as Elisabeth telling her parents she is going to marry Mr.Darcy.

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A lot of the conversation between Lizzie and Jane seems to be cut out in this version. Also, it seems like huge swaths of important conversation are cut out when Lizzie returns to Longbourn and tells Jane of Darcy's letter and Wickham's character. Jane tries to rescue both Darcy's and Wickham's characters, but Lizzie will not let her. This version doesn't really capture important parts of this conversation, and the result makes no sense if you haven't read the book or seen another version.

The only way to really know the differences is to read the book.
Just set yourself down and start reading. You won't regret a single second of it.



"I'm not a witch, I'm not a witch!"
"But you're dressed up as one."
"They dressed me like this!"

the book is absolutely amazing, despite the date, i was not bored once. i think the greatest differnce between the movie and book, is that a lot of the narratvie, has been turned into conversation. a lot of what was said, was never actually said. some people's remarks have been given to other characters, and some of the people have been omited.

Well, when Lizzy tells Darcy about Lydia running away in the book, Darcy was visiting HER when she got the news, she didnt run to Pemberly. Also, at the end Darcy didn't write her a letter asking her to meet him, he visited with Bingley and they all went walking.

The fire burns from better days

I thank the contributors to this thread for pointing out so many differences between this adaptation and the original novel. I would like to point out another change in the way Elizabeth and Darcy's growing relationship is presented: In this adaptation, when Elizabeth first visits Rosings, Darcy is already there. In the book he's not there, and when he does arrive he goes to the Parsonage--to see Elizabeth, Charlotte suspects, though he remains reserved with Elizabeth. But the most jarring change in this adaptation, for me, is Elizabeth's run to Pemberley with the news of Lydia's elopement. As other viewers have noted as well, in the book she gives Darcy that news when he comes to visit her.

In both changes, Darcy is made more passive toward Elizabeth than he is in the book. I can't understand why these changes were made, if not to distinguish the adaptation as "an interpretation" rather than as the most faithful dramatization of the novel. My impression is that some of the changes, as well as David Rintoul's performance, are meant to portray Darcy just as Elizabeth sees him, so viewers will be as unaware of or unsure of his regard for her as she is. Jane Austen doesn't leave us quite so much in the dark about him.

But some people enjoy this presentation of Darcy, and it's a legitimate interpretion for a film adaptation, which can never precisely reflect the book.

A more serious problem with this adaptation has already been pointed out in this thread--turning Jane Austen's narrative into dialogue, as well as taking some of her dialogue out of the mouths of the characters she gave it to and giving it to other characters. The long scenes in which characters tell each other what happens in the story can be taxing even to viewers who know the book well.

Again, thanks to all who have pointed out these differences--you've helped me understand why I don't enjoy this adaptation as much as some do, although I do enjoy parts of it.