]

] He has had much more life experience than Marianne, certainly, but he sees in her an outlook on life and an approach to life experience that is very much like his own. It is more than just a physical attraction for him.

I think it is obvious that Brandon is attracted to young women who are lively in nature - which is probably why he was not attracted to Elinor as a romantic object, as she is more subtle and introverted than her sister.

As much as I enjoyed the 1995 movie version of S & S, I keep seeing the much older Alan Rickman as Brandon in my mind's eye when I am reading. Now I think Mr Rickman is a dish, but even in 1995 he was much older than the fictional Col Brandon! Wonder if anyone else has this problem of separating the cinematic Brandon from the "real" Brandon? It is not something that I am conscious of doing when I am reading, but I know it must be coloring some of my perceptions.