I agree that the VoM website is extremely interesting and worth reading, and the descriptions of JA are thought-provoking, too. However, if JA was such a lousy conversationalist herself, why did she regularly complain in her letters to Cassandra about the dullness of the company *and the conversation* at the parties she went to?

Also, I remember reading (I believe in a bio of JA - sorry I can't be more specific!) that as a young woman, JA loved dancing as much as any of her heroines and was good at it. I know that she certainly complained in her letters about being forced to stand up with partners who weren't good dancers!