] As someone with five brothers let me say that I don't find James' behavior that strange.

You know, I have four brothers myself. Maybe this is why I'm not so hard on James - I know the creatures too well to be surprised by them. ;-) Though no infatuation can excuse his behavior over wishing Catherine to break her date with the Tilneys. That was just badly done and no getting around it.

About the letter - yes it was bitter and self-serving. His world has fallen apart, I can understand being bitter and wallowing. At the same time, he reaches out to Catherine wishing for comfort from someone he knows he can depend upon, and he does take time to think of her and where she is.

Should he have apologized for his behavior toward her? You bet. But at that time, in his emotional crisis, I can understand his not thinking of it. I would hope that after some time has passed, that he can look back on the time in Bath with a dispassionate eye and see the truth about his actions and Catherine's.

But James Morland strikes me as your basic, generic brother-type, who is carelessly affectionate, takes his sister for granted but expects to be comforted anyway.