I’ve been reading Mansfield Park – I’ve changed my mind about Mary. In the past I thought her witty and interesting, but this time I’ve noticed her selfishness and worldly views.
Lovers Vows
On second thoughts I shall just direct you to a marvellous post by Ellen Moody here – I think she has written everything I wanted to write (and more) much better than I could.
Filed under Contemporary Authors, mansfield park
Lovers Vows
I’ve been reading Lovers Vows. I downloaded it as an e-book from here. Definitely worth a read (and surprisingly easy to read). There are parallel between the plot of Mansfield Park and Lovers Vows.
I’ll try to write more on this in another post.
Filed under Contemporary Authors, mansfield park
Lost in Austen – Episode 4
Episode 4 – the final episode.
In this episode Mr Darcy announces his engagement to Caroline Bingley (because she is ‘a maid’), Mrs Bennet receives a letter from Lydia informing her that she has gone off with Mr Bingley. Mrs Bennet believes they are to be married (Amanda and Jane let her think this until she reaches home) and returns to Longbourn. The Bennets and Amanda then travel to Hammersmith to find Bingley and Lydia (Wickham is already there and he helps them find Lydia). Darcy also arrives and tries to convince everyone that Lydia and Bingley have not spend the night together. Mr Bennet challenges Bingley to a dual (even though nothing has happened) in the process he cracks his head and starts copiously bleeding. Amanda bursts out of the room and finds herself in modern London (her need for Elizabeth is so great she created a portal). Her boyfriend drives her to Elizabeth (who is working as a nanny) on the way Amanda notices that Darcy has also come through the door (because he loves her). Together they catch a bus to Elizabeth. Amanda convinces Elizabeth to return to Longbourn. They all return to Amanda’s flat and through the ‘shower door’ back to Longbourn. Meanwhile, Wickham has found a nurse to stitch Mr Bennet’s head and they have also returned to Longbourn. Mr Bennet and Elizabeth are re-united. Lady Catherine arrives at Longbourn and agrees to have Jane’s marriage to Mr Collins annulled (it hasn’t been consummated) if Amanda agrees to disappear and never return. Elizabeth agrees to try to like Mr Darcy and Amanda plans to return home. At the door that leads back to he bathroom she finds a note from Darcy telling her that he remembers his experience in modern day London (i.e. that it’s not a dream) and she races of to Pemberley to be with him and Elizabeth returns to modern London.
There are some great bits in this episode …
Amanda Price: Hear that sound, George? Duh-uh-uh-uh! That’s Jane Austen spinning in her grave like a cat in a tumble-dryer.
and
Mr Bingley: Miss Lydia and I came yesterday and have spent our hours philosophizing. Although her father would have it, we’ve been making the beast with two backs.
Mr. Bennet: Time to take the weapons from the wall, Mr. Bingley! Pick up your damn spear and take guard!
and
Amanda Price: Wickham. You are a bastard, but you are the right bastard at the right time.
Mr. Wickham: One does one’s best.
and
Michael: What do you mean Darcy? Darcy’s some ponce in a book! Some todger-twitching nancy boy!
Mr. Darcy: What is this curious peron? Is it some sort of village idiot… or a clown?
and
Amanda: The rest of us are gonna say goodbye nicely and watch you step through all that plumbing into fictional Georgian England and that’ll be it. And then we’ll all spend the rest of our lives in therapy. It’s going to be fine.
Filed under Adaptations, Pride and Prejudice
Lost in Austen – Episode 3
In Episode 3 Amanda is forced to leave Longbourn and she turns to Mr Wickham for help; he prepares her for society (essentially teaching her how to bluff her way) and tells her to visit Jane Collins. At Rosings she is reunited with Mr Darcy and they argue about Bingley’s and Jane’s unhappiness. Meanwhile Mrs Bennet leaves Longbourn to visit Jane taking Lydia with her. Darcy invites Amanda to visit Pemberley, which Mrs Bennet overhears and thinks was meant for her, thus Amanda, Lydia, Mrs Bennet, Jane and Mr Collins all travel to Pemberley. At Pemberley we meet Georgiana (who turns out to be a bit of a minx) and we see Mr Wickham in a whole new light. Bingley has taken to drinking and Jane tells him it is his moral duty to be happy for both of them. Darcy and Amanda fall in love but because of Caroline’s meddling he discovers that she is ‘not a maid’ and so, of course, cannot marry her. Amanda rips the pages out of her copy of Pride and Prejudice and flings it away. Darcy finds it and can’t believe her perfidy (to use their names in a novel!).
There is a fabulous scene in this episode where Mr Darcy re-enacts the famous Colin Firth diving into the lake scene.
Filed under Adaptations, Pride and Prejudice, Recommended
Lost in Austen – Episode 2
In the second episode Amanda tells Mr Bingley she is a lesbian (to avoid his advances). She entertains Mr Darcy, Mr Bingley and Miss Bingley with a rendition of Downtown – unfortunately this is edited from the DVD – you can find it at Youtube.
Returning to Netherfield they encounter Wickham when their carriage breaks down and he comes to their rescue. Mr Collins visits Longbourn, Amanda tells Miss Bingley that she has ‘£27 000’ a year, she becomes engaged to Mr Collins (to stop Jane from marrying him), Mr Wickham tells everyone she is the daughter of a fishmonger, Mr Collins breaks of the engagement, she ‘assaults’ him and Jane marries Mr Collins. It is all going horribly wrong.
Some great moments …
Amanda telling Mr Bingley she is a lesbian
Mr Bingley: I am drawn to you! I am a man.
Amanda: And I am a woman! And I am drawn … to other women.
Mr Bingley: You mean there really are ladies who… steer the punt from the Cambridge end?
After Amanda sings Downtown
Mr Bingley: Brava, Miss Price! And whenever life is gettin’ me down, I shall be sure to go ‘downtown’. Eh, Darcy?
Mr Darcy: With alacrity
I think it’s extremely clever the way the plot is spiraling out of control.
Filed under Adaptations, Pride and Prejudice, Re-Interpretation
Lost in Austen
I think this (very loose) adaptation of Pride and Prejudice is fabulous; witty, clever, lovely to look at and well cast.
In Episode 1 Amanda Price (Jemima Rooper), a keen Janeite, finds Elizabeth Bennet in her bathroom (in Hammersmith).
She passes through the secret door in the bathroom and finds herself trapped in Longbourn. She then tries to ensure that the novel progresses as it should.
Mr Bingley (Tom Mison) visits Longbourn and admires Amanda more than Jane (Morven Christie). At the Meryton Assembly Amanda claims to be engaged by Mr Darcy (Elliot Cowan) when asked to dance by Mr Bingley. They share an extremely awkward dance. Amanda drinks too much and kisses Mr Bingley.
Mr Darcy is suitably tall, handsome and proud. Miss Bingley is nasty, Mr Bennet delightful and Mrs Bennet is scheming to get her daughters well-married (or at least married).
Filed under Adaptations, Pride and Prejudice
Pride and Prejudice
I’ve been having my own little Pride and Prejudice festival; I’ve re-read the novel and watched Lost in Austen, the 1995 BBC version and the 2005 version (I’ll put my thoughts about the movie adaptations in another post).
Once again I am amazed by the brilliance of the writing. This time around a couple of things stuck in my mind. First, Elizabeth’s double-standard in regards to ‘prudential’ marriages. This is her reaction to Charlotte Lucas’s engagement to Mr Collins …
She had always felt that Charlotte’s opinion of matrimony was not exactly like her own, but she could not have supposed it possible that, when called into action, she would have sacrificed every better feeling to worldly advantage. Charlotte the wife of Mr. Collins, was a most humiliating picture! — And to the pang of a friend disgracing herself and sunk in her esteem, was added the distressing conviction that it was impossible for that friend to be tolerably happy in the lot she had chosen.
But when Mr Wickham pays attention to Miss King …
The sudden acquisition of ten thousand pounds was the most remarkable charm of the young lady to whom he was now rendering himself agreeable; but Elizabeth, less clear-sighted perhaps in his case than in Charlotte’s, did not quarrel with him for his wish of independence. Nothing, on the contrary, could be more natural; and while able to suppose that it cost him a few struggles to relinquish her, she was ready to allow it a wise and desirable measure for both, and could very sincerely wish him happy.
Why the difference? Is is because she knows Mr Collins to be a fool (and she knows Charlotte knows this as well) and she knows nothing objectionable about Miss King?
The other thing I noticed was Mary Bennet’s isolation. She is very silly and very vain (although I think she is just trying to get some attention) but she is also very young – she must be between 15 (Lydia’s age and 20 Lizzie’s age). What is the point of Mary’s character? One of the members of my Jane Austen group believes Mary is a portrait of Austen. I haven’t made my mind up about this yet.
Filed under Pride and Prejudice
Great Article on Enclosure
I just read a great article on Austen and Enclosure here (JASNA Persuasions Online Vol 30 No. 2). Definitely worth a read – it will make you think about Mr Knightley in a whole new way.
Filed under Miscellaneous
Longbourn’s Unexpected Matchmaker – Emma Hox
It has been my experience that Austen fans fall into two groups; those who admire her brilliance, read and re-read her novels and are amazed that other writers would even dare to try to imitate her style, then there is the other group who love the characters, the period setting, they want to know what happened afterwards and they read sequels, prequels, re-tellings etc.
If you are in the first group, then this novel is not for you. Ms Hox’s writing is very different to Austen’s. However, if you love the characters and want to know how Darcy and Elizabeth interacted after their engagement, then you will enjoy this story.
Here is the blurb …
Would Pride and Prejudice have been different if Colonel Fitzwilliam had accompanied Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy to Netherfield?
What would happen if Mr. Darcy made friends with a mysterious member of the Meryton neighborhood who refuses an introduction but who has a close relationship with the Bennet household?
Elizabeth Bennet, the second of five daughters to Mr. Thomas Bennet has caught the attention of the rich and handsome Mr. Fitzwilliam Darcy almost from the moment he laid eyes on her, but when he purposefully misinterprets her families expectation of her marrying well and slights her in a way unknown to those who have always loved Jane Austen’s acclaimed Pride and Prejudice, he must leave forever or make amends. Sulking in the library he determines to leave the place and give her up, but is waylaid by a member of the Meryton neighborhood who claims an intimate acquaintance with the Bennet family and offers up advice on how to win Elizabeth’s heart.
Longbourn’s Unexpected Matchmaker puts a spin on Pride and Prejudice that no one would ever expect as Colonel Fitzwilliam attends Mr. Bingley and Mr. Darcy to Netherfield, Elizabeth Bennet is witty enough to detect the motives of Mr. Darcy’s long time enemy Lieutenant Wickham and Georgiana Darcy is bold enough to defy her brother and cousin and comes to Meryton in the midst of a storm. Not to mention Caroline Bingley, Lieutenant Wickham and Lady Catherine are all working against our hero and heroine ever finding their own happily ever after.
I like a good ‘what if’ scenario. I thought Lost in Austen (the recent television series where Amanda Price a modern day heroine swaps places with Elizabeth Bennet via a door in her (Amanda’s) bathroom) very witty and clever. In this scenario Colonel Fitzwilliam is also part of the Netherfield party and Mr Bennet develops an anonymous friendship with Mr Darcy where he provides much insight into the Bennet family. For example, he explains why Jane and Elizabeth are superior in manners and education to their younger sisters, why the estate is entailed on Mr Collins and why Elizabeth is ‘no horse woman’.
Mr Bennet plays a much larger role in this version of the Pride and Prejudice story being the titular matchmaker. I’ve always thought highly of Mr Bennet – yes he is indolent and shows his lack of respect for his silly wife, but he loves Elizabeth and Jane and he is clever and witty. Besides, in this verison, I liked his sparring with Mr Darcy.
Like many of the recent television and movie adaptations of Austen, this retelling gives you much more of the male perspective. Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Darcy have many serious conversations (thus revealing important plot points) plus the story is occasionally seen from Mr Darcy’s point of view.
As you can imagine, once Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Bennet ‘s roles change then the whole chain of events is altered. Elizabeth and Mr Darcy quickly fall in love, as do Mr Bingley and Jane. Mr Wickham is still a villain; even more so in this version because we know he is evil right from the start (we overhear a conversation between Colonel Fitzwilliam and Mr Darcy describing his attempt to elope with Georgiana) unlike the original where we (the reader) along with Elizabeth accept surface appearances.
Ms Hox uses a mix of Austen’s dialogue and her own. She also changes which characters say what, for example Colonel Fitzwilliam rather than Mr Darcy says the following …
“Your list of the common extent of accomplishments,” […] “has too much truth. The word is applied to many a woman who deserves it no otherwise than by netting a purse or covering a screen. But I’m very far from agreeing with you in your estimation of ladies in general. I cannot boast of knowing more than half a dozen who are truly accomplished.”
In fact the dialogue in this novel is very weak. It is stilted and wooden and entirely lacking in any kind of wit. For example,
“Thank you, Mr Darcy, I would be pleased to accompany you if you are indeed seeking my presence despite my recent unladylike display.”
Darcy chuckled at her response. “Yes, I am indeed seeking your presence after your unladylike display. In fact it is that unladylike display I would speak to you about.”
Elizabeth cringed “Mr Darcy, I apologise that you were made to witness …”
“Miss Bennet.”
“The inappropriate manner in which …”
You get the picture.
The writing is quite poor which is a shame because it detracts from an interesting and imaginative plot. There is also too much ‘telling rather than showing’ which I’m sure is a cardinal writing error. I know it has been re-edited, but there are still a few distracting errors, for example…
Before she could make it there, Darcy was on his feet with Elizabeth in his, embarrassment now being the furtherest from her mind as she felt his warm lips upon hers.
In his what?
And this sentence is just awkard (Austen is never akward) …
“Now, let us ready for breakfast to futher occupy ourselves”.
To my mind this was a first draft (a bit like First Impressions) which should have been put away and re-worked at a later date.
Having said that, the relationship between Elizabeth and Mr Darcy is lovely and will satisfy many a romantic and once the plot moved beyond Pride and Prejudice territory I enjoyed it much more – in fact I think Ms Hox should write a regency romance (in the style of Georgette Heyer) independent of Austen (does that make me sound like James Stanier Clarke?).
Filed under Re-Interpretation