Alert Janeite Julie wrote to tell us that the soundtracks for S&S2 and MP2 are available on iTunes. MP2 is available by song at 99 cents each or as a full download at $9.99, but S&S2 only by song, which means the full soundtrack costs $20.79. We must pay for our convenience, we suppose.

We previously posted about Persuasionesque, an i-mix put together by Friend of AustenBlog TeresaAF for convenient downloading. It is not a true soundtrack of P2, but is a collection of versions of many of the classical and folk pieces used in the film (and we enjoy ours very much indeed).

A study has revealed that women find British men the most romantic compared to men of other countries. Naturally such findings cannot be expressed without reference to everyone’s favorite misunderstood romantic.

Despite chilly male characters in classic British novels, such as Mr Darcy in Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, Dr David Nias, a clinical psychologist at St Bartholomew’s hospital, London, said an emphasis on romance was rooted in the country’s culture. “Following all our history and tradition, the caricature of the English gentleman still applies,” said Nias. “We are romantic in a quiet way.”

Awww.

Sydicated advice columnist Amy Dickinson of “Ask Amy” recommended that a teenager in a sticky social situation read Emma and absorb the lessons therein.

Dear Amy: I’m 15, and in my group of friends I am the person they go to with love problems.

I have two friends, “Emily” and “Rory.” I set them up, and they started to go out. Apparently she really likes him and he likes her. But then almost a week after I set them up, Emily slept with another guy and didn’t tell Rory. Emily said she was just getting things out of her system, but then she did it again two more times. Now she says she’s going to stick with Rory, but I really don’t believe her. Rory and I have been friends for seven years and I want to tell him what Emily did.

About three weeks after I set these two up, I started to have feelings for Rory. Now I don’t know what to do. I don’t think Emily cares for him the way I do, and she hasn’t ever been exactly faithful to any guy.

Now I have to give Emily and Rory advice to keep them together. What should I do?

Advice Goddess

Dear Goddess: Please leave the heavy lifting to the experts. It’s time to put your advice-giving career on hold.

Don’t even get me started on the horrifying prospect of 15-year-olds having sex. But I know that’s not your question.

I’m going to recommend some summer reading. Pick up Jane Austen’s “Emma,” which is a cautionary tale about matchmaking with similar elements to your story. If you can’t manage reading a classic novel from the 19th century, rent the movie “Emma,” starring Gwyneth Paltrow.

If you can’t handle the English accents, rent the movie “Clueless,” a wonderful California version of “Emma,” which will convey the message you need to hear.

If she made it all the way down to CLUELESS, we suspect it’s pretty much a hopeless case.

In an interview with The Age, Karen Joy Fowler, author of The Jane Austen Book Club, discusses why she brought together Jane Austen and science fiction in her book.

“You are always being told as a writer to write what you know, which actually I find very tedious, but in this case the s-f community is something that I know and love. I’m so struck by the obvious and perhaps not very deep - or perhaps very deep, I haven’t decided! - similarities between s-f readers and Austen fans. The attachment to their literature is so profound that it’s not enough to read and enjoy the books, these particular texts also bring about communities.”

You don’t say.

According to contactmusic.com (we hasten to add, hardly an unimpeachable source), Donald Sutherland dreaded playing Mr. Bennet in P&P3.

Veteran actor DONALD SUTHERLAND is dreading playing MR BENNET in the first big screen version of PRIDE AND PREJUDICE since 1940 - and insists he simply can’t be bothered with the project.

The DON’T LOOK NOW star will appear as part of an illustrious cast of actors in the movie - including KEIRA KNIGHTLEY and DAME JUDI DENCH, but he is already fed up even though the film is only in the early stages of production.

Sutherland, 70, says, “I probably have everything to lose and nothing to gain.

“I am too old, too busy and too Canadian for this.”

Early stages of production? We suspect this is a repeat.