Looking For a New Love: Why We Should Let Lizzy have Mr. Darcy, and Set Our Caps for George Knightley (a tongue-in-cheek male review)
All of Austen’s
heroes have their excellent qualities. Henry Tilney is charming. Captain
Wentworth is romantic. Edward Ferrars is loyal (sometimes to his detriment).
Edmund Bertram is kind.
But one Austen
gentleman is more famous than all the others combined (thank you, Colin Firth!)
Mr. Darcy is the ultimate catch, right? Brooding, rich, tall, and with that
noble demeanor, he has turned readers’ heads for 200 years. He fell for
Elizabeth Bennet when she never suspected that his feelings ran so deep. He saved
her family from certain disgrace. He changes his prideful ways for the woman he
loves.
He’s everyone’s
favorite book boyfriend.
But hold on a
minute…
Perhaps, the hero
of Jane Austen’s Emma slides in under
the radar, but he’s a worthy book boyfriend contender. Except he’s not a boy; Mr. Knightley is all man. He’s Colonel Fitzwilliam with
money and a nice house. He’s Colonel Brandon without the emotional baggage. At
thirty-seven years old, Mr. Knightley is no bumbling, awkward bachelor with a
stick up his…hmm. In fact, Knightley is man enough to let Emma take the stage
of Austen’s novel—he even gave over the book’s title to her—but in his elegant,
understated way, when he’s on the
stage, he often draws the feminine gaze.
If you’re looking
for a gentleman, Knightley’s your man. He’s kind to everyone. He thinks of Miss
Bates, sending her the last of his favorite apples. He saves Harriet’s pride by
asking her to dance at the ball after Elton snubs her. He and Emma work together
to calm her father when the snow threatens to ruin everyone’s Christmas Party.
Emma is constantly comparing other men to him: “You might not see one in a
hundred with gentleman so plainly written as in Mr. Knightley.” You’d think she would listen to herself and
get a clue about her feelings.
Mr. Knightley is
no pushover either. He knows his mind. He’s the only person in Highbury who can
tell Emma Woodhouse the truth (although she rarely listens). He’s observant and
wise, intuiting that something is happening between Jane Fairfax and Frank
Churchill. And he can put Mrs. Elton in her place when she tries to take over
his strawberry-picking party.
Yes, I know Mr. Darcy changes for the woman he loves, and we love him
for that. Wentworth writes one helluva
romantic letter, but readers have to wait almost until the end of the book for
that little gem. Tilney knows his muslin, indicating he’s in touch with his
feminine side. However, if you’re looking for an understated hero without
angsty, cringe-inducing verbiage, passive-aggressive hurt feelings, or a mean
father, let Knightley be your man.
And if I can’t
convince you (or you just want to read more about the swoon-worthy Mr.
Knightley) here are some other opinions on the matter:
Karen M. Cox
Book Description
“Emma Woodhouse, handsome, clever and rich…”
Thus began Jane Austen’s classic, a light and lively
tale set in an English village two hundred years ago. Yet every era has its
share of Emmas: young women trying to find themselves in their own corners of
the world.
I Could Write a Book is the story of a self-proclaimed modern woman: Emma Katherine
Woodhouse, a 1970s co-ed whose life is pleasant, ordered and predictable, if a
bit confining.
Her friend George Knightley is a man of the world
who has come home to fulfill his destiny: run his father’s thriving law
practice and oversee the sprawling Donwell Farms, his family legacy in Central
Kentucky horse country.
Since childhood, George’s and Emma’s lives have
meshed and separated time and again. But now they’re adults with grown-up
challenges and obligations. As Emma orchestrates life in quaint Highbury,
George becomes less amused with her antics and struggles with a growing
attraction to the young woman she’s become.
Rich with humor, poignancy and the camaraderie of
life in a small, Southern town, I Could Write
a Book is a coming of age romance with side helpings of self-discovery,
friendship, and finding true love in the most unlikely places.
Author Biography
Karen
was born in Everett WA, which was the result of coming into the world as the
daughter of a United States Air Force Officer. She had a nomadic childhood,
with stints in North Dakota, Tennessee and New York State before finally
settling in her family’s home state of Kentucky at the age of eleven. She lives
in a quiet little town with her husband, where she works as a pediatric speech
pathologist, encourages her children, and spoils her granddaughter.
Karen is giving away two themed prizes
during the blog tour, tokens of appreciation for readers of I Could Write a Book, and for supporters
of the wonderful sites on the blog tour.
Tea Prize Basket includes: A signed copy of
I Could Write a Book, Mr. Knightley’s
Reserve and Emma’s Perfect Match teas from Bingley’s Teas, a set of Jane Austen
Book Coasters, and a Jane Austen Quotes mug.
Pretty Things Basket includes: A signed
copy of I Could Write a Book, an
“Emma” quote pendant, an Emma bangle bracelet, Regency cameo earrings, and a
jewelry roll.
Readers can enter for chances to win these
prizes here. There are bonus entries for social media shares and visits, if
you’re on social media. This is one big giveaway with two prizes.
Good luck, everyone!
12 comments:
Mr Knightley is swoonworthy. And I really loved him in "I Could Write a Book". I didn't even mind his opinions. (Hahah) Adored his entire person.
This post is wonderful! I loved the way you talked about Mr. Knightley and, though I am team Darcy -hehe-, I always say that George Knightley would be the best husband for a woman, because of his honesty and the respect he always has towards women. Beautiful, beautiful post!
You make a really strong case for Mr. Knightley, Karen. Very logical and irrefutable. I guess Mr. Darcy just has that air of mystery about him... still waters run deep and all that rot. But I concede that Mr. Knightley looks to be better husband material. Lucky Emma!
Loved this story and Karen's Mr. Knightly and Emma were perfectly imperfect!
denise
and, I found myself hungry for a southern cucumber sandwich.
Well, you have made me think twice of Mr. Knightly vs. Mr. Darcy. I have always liked everything Mr. Knightly has said to Emma. Thank you for the giveaway.
Lovely and witty post, I enjoyed it very much.
I would love to read your new book.
Monica
Thanks Maria, for hosting a stop on the blog tour for "I Could Write a Book". This post was a lot of fun to write :) And I agree that Knightley would likely make the best husband. Lucky Emma, indeed!
Great piece of advocacy there! It certainly makes one re-think who would be the best husband amongst Austen's heroes. He certainly enters the book as a fairly fully formed character and has less changing to do than someone like Darcy or Wentworth.
Karen's latest made me fall in love with Mr Knightley. I think I have to go read EMMA again.
This post is very funny – Mr. Knightley is a great character!
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