A (not so) satisfying ending?

I thought today was an interesting class. I've read Pride and Prejudice before (and seen the most recent film version) and it is great to hear things from others' perspectives to help me see things in a new way. I have always thought of the ending of the book to be happy and emotionally satisfying, to me, at least. And beyond that, I didn't think about it much. Now hearing that others have a less than positive view on the way Austen tied things up, I am forced to really examine how I feel.

As a writer myself, I want to believe that Austen did everything deliberately. I hope she chose every word with care, every paragraph purposely. I would think she knew why every sentence was where it was and I hate the idea that she got lazy at the end. Rather, I prefer to believe she summed things up so tidily and some might say, quickly, because she had a good reason.

I think the ending is the way it is simply because, as someone said in class "it is the journey, not the destination."

BEING married wasn't all that exciting in Jane's day from society's point of view, at least not from what I can tell. Oh, no- it was the GETTING there that had everyone hustling and bustling about, gossiping, flirting and doing what they could to secure a decent marriage. So, in my opinion, Jane Austen chose the ending she did because the conclusion had been made- Elizabeth and Darcy made up, all was well and they were going to get married. Just what we, as readers, have wanted all along, right?

I do confess, the romantic in me wishes there was more to the final pages- more fire, more lovey-dovey words, more everything! What happened to the very heated exchanges made between the two at several points throughout the book? Nobody could deny that either characters lacked passion. It just seems as though this author chose to highlight their passion up until the most (or one of the most) pivotal scenes.

Love Jane Austen, love the book. The ending? I'm just lukewarm on that...