Like you say it's striking that the man in the illustrations looks so old, and yet all the actors you mentioned seems so young! I enjoyed the BBC's latest version of Emma-Johnny Lee Miller as Mr Knightley was well cast as a man in his late 30s, seeming mature without being too old for Emma.

I first saw S&S2 at the cinema when it was released and I was 15-I've been hooked on Austen ever since! What is scary is that I am now 30 and am still watching it. The older I get the more attractive Mr Rickman as the Colonel seems to get so I guess we always judge age relative to our own. one day I'll be too old for the Colonel and shall perhaps have to set my sights on Mr Bennett or heaven forbid Mr Woodhouse.