The thing about Elizabeth and Darcy is that they are only ever enemies because they misjudge and misunderstand each other at the start. Their own biases over how the other would act doesn't allow them to see each other clearly. But as soon as defenses are down and they get to know one another for who they truly are, they see very quickly how well matched they are. And of course they are both incredibly attracted to each other from the jump anyway. Meaning, their "enemy" status is not based on anything really, well, important enough that it should prevent them from being lovers. That's different from something like.... Dramione, as an analog popular internet toxic ship. Draco's entire upbringing is based on the denial of Hermione's humanity. Sure, some fanfic writers go through the effort of actually redeeming Draco difficultly and there is that delicious angst there. But otherwise it's like shipping a Jewish person with a Nazi. It's bizarre and just... wrong. Elizabeth and Darcy do not have that problem. Sure, Darcy is much much richer, but even as Elizabeth says, he is a gentleman and she is a gentleman's daughter. They are societally equal.
I have never red Dramiome for that reason but it’s such a popular ship I imagine there are good ones out there…but I can’t see them working without huge changes to their characters which I hate if done too much and without logical growth and circumstances which is fine if it’s done well but can make the fic seem pointless when paired with characters changes, just write about some other people. But maybe I am just judgemental since I love Tomione lol. There I am not really expecting happy endings however but intellectual games and time travel craziness as primary draw. Hermione didn’t really have potential romantic interests to match her interests and abilities. And Tom’s racism is not something that was integrated but what he ended up with due his ambitions and what people around him already believed in. And probably more about him trying to make himself feel important as a teen and not really a deep held belief. So it’s possible to be changed with interactions with different people and under different circumstances (at that age, not later of course!). But like I said I don’t really expect happy endings with that pairing but lots of tension and and tragic drama but in a entertaining way.
It’s a bit different though because with Dramione, they’re schoolchildren and that makes it a bit more complex. A tragic friendship/love story between a Nazi kid and a Jewish kid could possibly work, but trying to do the same thing with adults never ever will.
@@sarasamaletdin4574 forgive me, i'm not a huge fan of harry potter so my knowledge of the characters is limited. who is tom? tom riddle? i'm wrong, right?
I think the main reason why this works with such endurance and why do many imitations fail is the fact that Darcy and Lizzie are never true enemies. His manners offended her and his interference with Bingley hurt her on behalf of her sister. But the main fault attributed to his re Wickham was untrue. Darcy was not a bad boy, or cruel or rude in a malicious way. He didn't work against her for his own selfish gain. Once the misunderstandings were cleared they were remarkably well suited. In the end, all that was to forgive was hasty judgment on both sides. A lot of cheap imitations make "Lizzie" shrill, argumentative, rigid and stuck up and "Darcy" scheming, rude and patronising.
I love that Elizabeth turning down Darcy more than once just makes him like her more. He thinks that his money and her postion should mean that she wouldn't dare turn down his favor. That his postion in life should qualify him alone. It forced him to self reflect grow and become a better person. He couldn't rely on his good name and good fortune he also needed to be a good person. She had to admit she was wrong and grow in her understanding of others. This is what people mean when they say their partner makes them want to be a better person.
the thing i find striking after reading pride&prejudice is that mr.darcy immediately changed his mind about lizzie the first few chapters of the book. he already liked her but was too awkward to do anything. it was lizzie who kept her biases until mr darcy gave her the letter. so it wasn’t really much of an enemies to lovers romance after all
I think Lizzie also liked him from the start but was irritated at his dislike of her. Also, Wickham's tall tales probably made her believe that he was a horrible human which made her have a bias in the first rate. It was obvious though that she really liked him even then.
Julie, this is marvelous. Please make this a recurring feature in your content-I think you found your niche! You’d be so fun and insightful to lead a book club!
Its not the trope of Enemies to lovers that is toxic, it is how it can unfortunately be written. True enemies to lovers tropes have to have the couple people root for like each other and/or be attracted to each other to begin with, even if they are unaware of it. It doesn't work if they hate each other and aren't attracted to one another from the start. That is why _Pride and Prejudice_ works. Because they both liked each other, but their prides and prejudices got in the way.
My God! This is the most relatable review of this book. Every literature student having a hard time with Pride and Prejudice should come here and find bliss.
From the very beginning of this story it sounds like its less about “Enemies to Lovers” and more about “acquaintances who are judg-y about each other” in today’s version “Enemies to Lovers” meant they want to kill each other, have the same equal powers that matches, then fall in love
This is so good! My side note about the movie (the Hollywood version) and favorite thing is how Mr. Darcys looks get softer. His mimics, gestures, even his clothes get more loose. I just love it.
whether you've read the book, watched the movies or neither you would still really enjoy this video. it was super captivating, i think you might have just unlocked a talent for retelling stories in an entertaining, informative and funny way. bravos!
I've read the book and seen the adaptations countless number of times and yet I still thoroughly enjoyed you recapping of the story. There is just something about Austen that warms a person's soul. The closest I have come to it in literature is the works of Elizabeth Gaskell. Many people compare "North and South" to Pride and Prejudice in terms of story but they have very different feels. What I like about Gaskell over Austen is perhaps the way she weaves good and bad qualities into everyone--i.e. everyone feels "real." That being said, Austen is hands-down the queen of literary wit. No matter how many times I read her stories, I still feel like I'm holding my breathe until, at least, the hero and heroines find proper understanding and come together in the end.
Never in my life did I think I would enjoy an almost hour long youtube video but this was really well done. Its so conversational and somehow you make the whole plot seem like hot tea. This would definetly be the most enjoyable sparknotes version of this story for anyone unwilling to read the book or confused by the prose. Keep it up!
A great summary/commentary. I love the language of Jane Austen so much. My favourite funny line will forever be Lady Catherine "I take no leave of you; I send compliments to your mother!!". That is the ultimate insult from someone so haughty as Lady C. Her narcissism is just insanely funny.
This is my favorite romance movie ever. It’s honestly a perfect way how people perceive each other and how we can be more conscious about how we treat and see each other. Enemies to lovers is at its finest in this film and book.
Call me by your name did it well too. It’s not like Elio & Oliver are “enemies” but it’s more like Oliver shows that he “doesn’t care” about the other and Elio shows dislike towards Oliver’s manners (to hide his attraction towards him)… A very well directed movie
Have I read this book several times as well as watched the movies and BBC series dozens and dozens of times? Yes. Am I still gonna watch this detailed recap? Also yes.
I found you through the whole squad a couple months ago and have been binging everyone's content! - as an English lit graduate I LOVE THIS and the energy you bring to this story and plot line! PLEASE do more of these!!
this is AMAZING. i wish i could watch this for the first time again. i have read the book and rewatched both adaptations countless times (1995 all the way for me but i love both) but you brought such a fresh take to the story and made me notice small details i hadn't before. THANK YOU!!!! PLEASE MAKE MORE!!!
Just commenting to say the algorithm gave me this video. It was excellent and I assumed you were a much larger channel than you are based off of quality. Keep up the good work friend :)
I love watching any video talking about Pride and Prejudice, but your video is chef's kiss. I love both adaptations but, if you want the whole truth you should go for the 1995 version. The chemistry between Jennifer Ehle and Colin Firth is off the charts, so much so that they had a thing during the shooting. The gaze Darcy gives Elizabeth on episode 5 after she saves Georgiana.... Makes me want to be looked like that. The 2005 is excellent for a rainy day with popcorn and chocolate and the declaration scene with the almost kiss... Makes me breathless, and I kinda wished for the kiss. If you were to make another video can you do one about Jane Eyre? I think the best adaptations are the 2011 and the 2006.
i got to see the full video, i much enjoyed it, it s the first time i m watching one of your videos and i appreciate all the bits, the way you expressed everything and your darcy moment was great. Also I love that you choose to talk over the 1995 version, i personally didnt see videos that talk about that one, a lot of people are fond of the 2005 one which i also love but my crush on colin firth is undeniable and i love the way he plays. Anyway thank you, loved this.
Thank you so much!! I’m the same way, love both versions but I definitely want more hype for 1995. It’s so good and I think it really plays up the comedic aspects of the book. ❤️ appreciate you watching!!
You liking enemies to lovers has more to do with being an avid reader and having a good grasp of storytelling structure, because in most genres the protagonist-antagonist dynamic is the most crucial relationship, the axis around which the storyworld revolves, but romance genre, where the central plot is two people falling in love instead of a quest, war, etc, the narrator is written as the protagonist and love interest the antagonist but with lower stakes, like your protag wants nothing to do with love and only focus on their career...enter love interest to antagonize them with puppy eyes and thoughtfulness, or protag pining for love interest and them seeming uninterested, etc. That's why protagonist-antagonist fanfiction is most popular because its the perfect translation from another genre to romance genre and a high drama high conflict slightly more upped stakes enemies to lovers romances make for more engaging storytelling. I don't know why people keep interpreting it as there being something wrong with the reader. People have never consumed stories as wish fulfillment vision boards in the history of storytelling.
In your closing line, I totally agree with you… I immediately thought that only Bridget Jones Diary could compare… and then you said it!! I loved the video, looking forward for more
I don't know what else you do, but DANG! This piece on my favaorite novel has earned you a subscription from me! Do you do Sense and Sensibility? Mansfield Park? Persuasion? Do you know that Love and Friendship was actually an adaptation of Lady Susan, and "Love and Freindship" (spelling by the author) is an entirely different story, written in her youth?: Do you? Do you? Huh? Huh? Huh?! I have to go to your channel page and see! Whhhhheeeeeee! No, seriously, though, I REALLY like what you did here. It's not JUST the content matter, but the WAY you did it. You make it really relatable to modern audiences, who don't necessarily understand the language of Jane Austen's period. And I just LOVE your attitude! More, please!
I believe "enemies to lovers" did very often happen in real life if you consider the ages of the people falling in love. We're talking about very young people here. They might have known each other for years, teased, insulted, pretended to hate - as in Anne of Green Gables. When the teenage hormones kicked in, we have the phenomenon of boys teasing the girls they like the most - misunderstandings can happen. I think this situation even happens to this day in small town high schools everywhere.
Y'know if I had heard someone say "she's tolerable I suppose, but not handsome to dance with" about myself, I'd be like "tbh I can't argue against that, since I also wouldn't think of myself handsome enough to dance with" 🤷♀ People being beautiful and aware of their own beauty is such a foreign concept to me lol
I feel like I just stumbled on the beginning of a wonderful series and I am eager to watch more from you! More tipsy gossip book/romantic trope discussions please!! ✨❤️
julie i think this is a great freaking idea for your channel! even like shorter videos reviewing books, or whatever you want to talk about (news, topics you like/hate, people, etc). I love this stuff because i can always tell you are freaking smart af, either through your humor or through your general knowledge comments, its always coming out. You are amazing, so keep experimenting with ur channel
I adore this content! Anyway... 1995, I believe Mr Darcy played by Colin Firth is perfect for it very noble but mysterious and shy the 2005 version is too loose.. I don't feel it's faithful to the book
This is definitely my favorite analysis for Pride and Prejudice, and the more I hear the story the more I think Wickham did what he did because he realized that Darcy was into Elizabeth and vice versa, so he went all in by using Lydia as a pawn in his dirty schemes. Have you ever watched Death Comes to Pemberley? I love how they had reimagined Darcy and Elizabeth as a married couple.
