Jane Austen Tuesday: enter Edward Ferrars

Edward has smaller part in the story when we read the novel than he tends to have when we remember it later. By any conventional reading, the novel really is the story of Marianne and Elinor and the relationships with the two men are more like foils for what happens between the sisters. He is, however, an important source of conflict between Marianne and Elinor so his few parts in the story carry a lot of weight.

Anyway, can you picture him? Close your eyes and imagine "Edward Ferrars". Go ahead and use the image from any of the filmed versions if you'd like. Got that in your head? Now scroll down a few lines and read about him.

Edward Ferrars was not recommended to their good opinion by any peculiar graces of person or address. He was not handsome, and his manners required intimacy to make them pleasing. He was too diffident to do justice to himself; but when his natural shyness was overcome, his behaviour gave every indication of an open affectionate heart.

That's right, he is a nice guy when you get to know him but he is no Hugh Grant! If you'd been set up with him on a blind date your first reaction would be disappointment. Have you ever seen that Edward Ferrars in a dramatized version of the novel? Neither have I.