In "Pride and Prejudice, " after teenage Lydia Bennet runs off with the ne'er-do-well Wickham and risks her family's reputation, the heroine, Elizabeth, maintains a sarcastic yet ultimately generous tone with her flibberty-gibbet younger sister.

WSJ: Lucinda Rosenfeld, Author of The Pretty One, on Sisters | Word Craft

Oh, and we mean that not just figuratively, but literally as well -- they could actually be caused to burst into flames by some ne'er-do-well half-way around the globe.

ENGADGET: Researchers expose printer vulnerability, turn LaserJets into literal time bombs (update)

Their problems are complicated by the unwanted arrival of Hannah's ne'er-do-well sister, Susan, who unexpectedly drops in from California with luggage and vague plans to stay with them indefinitely.

WSJ: Review: Moore's 'Collapse' is a trenchant comedy