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July 04, 2007
How to Cope with the Horrifying Realization that Jane Austen Only Wrote Six Novels and You’ve Read Them All, A Few Times...
...or A List of Ways to Help You Save Your Rainy Fourth of July by Imagining Mr. Darcy in a Wet Shirt
Austenland by Shannon Hale
This light and funny book – just the thing for summer – is what prompted my current list-making. The novel follows the story of Jane, a woman who is willed an all-expenses-paid trip to a resort specializing in recreating Jane Austen’s world. Jane’s trip forces her to confront the things that are holding her back in life. The fusion of Austen and contemporary chick lit makes for a page-turning read, and Hale really knows her stuff.
Bridget Jones’s Diary (book and film)
This is one of those cases where I can say that the book by Helen Fielding and the film starring Renée Zellweger are equally delightful. (I want to clarify: the first book and the first movie. I could do away with the rest.) I love Bridget’s voice in the novel, and the opening sequence of the film is probably one of my favorite things to watch, rewind, and watch again. The film is also lightly postmodern playing around with the whole Colin Firth/Mr. Darcy thing and also pulling in Hugh Grant, who so notably starred in another film adaptation of Jane Austen’s work.
Clueless
I fell in love with Clueless the first time I saw it and watched it repeatedly before I read or even realized that it was a retelling of Jane Austen’s Emma, which gave me a reason to watch it a few more times after I read the book. It is also far superior to the straight telling of Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow (which was fine, I suppose, but also uninspired).
Pride and Prejudice (BBC Style)
The famous miniseries with Colin Firth as Mr. Darcy. It’s five hours long, but that won’t bother you. I’ve watched it a whole buncha times, and it’s always interesting and funny and thoroughly delightful.
Pride and Prejudice (the shorter edition)
I figured I’d hate this newer two-hour version of the story starring Keira Knightley since it seemed to me that there was no way to improve on the BBC version. There isn’t, really, but the filmmakers did a nice job condensing the story and the performances are different enough that this version has its own charms. The two-hour runtime makes this one a little more manageable when you need a quick fix.
Sense and Sensibility
The adaptation of this book starring Kate Winslet, Emma Thompson, Hugh Grant, and Alan Rickman is freaking brilliant. Nowhere is that trademark Jane Austen let’s-not-talk-about-the-elephant-in-the-room awkwardness played better.
What Jane Austen Ate and Charles Dickens Knew by Daniel Pool
As a fan of Austen and Dickens, this fact-packed book gave me a lot of insight into the things I’d been reading for years. (How, exactly, does one play whist?) Pool’s approach is light and readable, and he makes much reference to literature of the time period. A book custom-made for 19th Century Brit Lit junkies.
Now I must get ready for the fourth of July festivities before my house is suddenly full of people. As per usual, the cats are no help whatsoever.
Posted by adrienne at July 4, 2007 09:56 AM
Comments
Are you familiar with that series on You Tube called "How ____ Should Have Ended?" It would be funny if someone did the equivalent for Jane Austen novels. They all end well, but it would be funny to see that Elephant in the Room dealt with using modern sensibilities.
Posted by: Alkelda at July 4, 2007 10:58 AM
Okay, let me geek out with you here. On my long flight home from England last summer, where I'd gone specifically to be part of a Jane Austen tour (geek, geek, geek! And it was great!), I read Jane Austen's Guide to Romance: The Regency Rules by Lauren Henderson. It's all about how to behave in romance, based on your favorite Jane Austen heroines. Very fun stuff.
By the way, while I was on the tour, I got to walk around inside the mansion where they filmed the ball scene in the newest Pride and Prejudice. And I got to stand just inches away from various mannequins wearing Darcy's actual outfits from that movie. In other words, I was this close to his pants. And there were all these little old ladies walking around the house acting all swoony, too, and one of them practically tackled the mannequin wearing that long coat Darcy wears toward the end as he strides across the foggy moors or whatever they are toward Elizabeth at the break of day, and sigh . . . it's all just too much for me right now.
Anyway, what I meant was, WORD, Adrienne.
Posted by: Robin Brande at July 4, 2007 09:09 PM
Oh man, that reminds me that before Sicko this weekend, there was a preview for some movie starring the Princess Diaries girl as Jane Austen. It looked eighty different kinds of lame, and not least because I've seen portraits of Jane Austen and don't think that "brunette Barbie doll" would be the most obvious casting choice. (Although she is an okay actress.)
Posted by: Jen at July 5, 2007 08:44 AM
WORD from me, too. I haven't read Austenland yet, but it's on my list, and based on your good review of it, I guess I'll see the new P&P, too, although: Colin Firth 4EVA! I was just watching the first hour of the 5-hour mini-series the other day while folding laundry!
A moment of shared geekiness: a few years ago, Marcus, his mum, and I went to visit Montacute, which is a National Trust house where they shot the bits of S&S when Marianne falls ill. It was just as beautiful in person as on film.
Also, I will be linking to this post at Pop, b/c it's a great round-up of the type we so enjoy. Happy Day After 4th of July!
Posted by: Sophie at July 5, 2007 09:02 AM
Sense & Sensibility is one of all time top five flicks. And now that you've reminded me, I'm gonna have to watch it again...
Posted by: Liz in Ink at July 6, 2007 08:52 PM
The BBC P&P miniseries makes me swoon. I love every lingering moment of it. In contrast, the 1940 Greer Garson version is just horrible. The inaccuracy of the costumes alone makes it unbearable. They're all dressed like Civil War-era belles.
I keep hearing about Austenland... I guess I need to check it out!
Posted by: Katie Alender at July 7, 2007 04:13 PM
P&P itself is good. Austenland is fun. BBC P&P is good. Clueless is good. Paul Rudd is grand. Have you seen the A&E version of The Great Gatsby? Paul Rudd is Nick.
Posted by: Little Willow at July 7, 2007 11:39 PM
I found your blog very interesting, informational and amusing. Thanks.
Posted by: Jean Judy at January 6, 2009 06:44 PM
Thank you!
Posted by: adrienne at January 6, 2009 08:26 PM