Everything Austen II Challenge Wrap-Up

The Everything Austen II Challenge - Completed!

Aha! So it is possible for Bookfool to successfully complete a challenge! Nice to know.

Here are the items I read and viewed for the challenge, with links to my posts:

1. & 2. Emma - the classic novel by Jane Austen and A & E movie

3. Emma and the Vampires by Jane Austen & Wayne Josephson

4. Mr. Darcy's Obsession by Abigail Reynolds

5. Persuasion - the 1995 BBC movie on DVD

6. Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo

7. Jane Austen Biography on DVD

8. The Making of Pride & Prejudice (Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle version) on DVD

9. Persuasion - the Rupert Penry-Jones movie version on DVD

Only 6 items were required, but I love Jane Austen, so I just kept on reading and watching movies and such till I was satisfied. The last three links all lead to the same post for the convenience of random strangers who might wander into my happy little blog home looking for something specific.

I was going to write about what I liked and disliked, but the truth is that I pretty much enjoyed everything except for the Jane Austen biography on DVD. Each had its strengths and weaknesses. I've recently grown weary of classics with a paranormal twist, such as Emma and the Vampires, but I enjoyed the reading of that title and simply will avoid reading similar titles in the future, at least for the time being.

In other news:

Last night's storm did, in fact, turn out to be quite a doozy. I have a weather radio because we have dangerous storms practically year-round in Mississippi. The radio's warning siren was activated 4 times and frightened the kitties so much they nearly hit the ceiling. Good thing they're short. I borrowed the following image of all 47 tornado warnings covered by Jackson's WLBT weather team to show you what a wild night we had.

Our safe spot is the bathroom so I piled blankets, a comforter and pillows in the tub, put folded towels on the floor for the kitty girls to lie down upon and took a flashlight, a phone, books and a canned drink (you never know when you're going to get really thirsty) into the room. And, then I had a good time reading while Fiona sought an escape route and Izzy snoozed.

Question:

I've had a lot of books lingering in my sidebar for a while, so I'm going to attempt to do mini reviews to knock out as many as possible. Are there any particular titles you'd like to read about in depth?

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Jane Things - A biography, The Making of Pride & Prejudice and Persuasion 2007

While I'm waiting for the worst of the storm to arrive (I hear we're likely to have a bit of ducking in store, shortly), I'm going to tell you just a wee bit about some Jane Austen things I've meant to talk about for quite some time.

The first is a bio of Jane Austen, which is included as one of the extras in my 10th Anniversary Limited Collector's Edition of Pride and Prejudice (the Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle version, of course). It is billed as the "new Jane Austen documentary from the Emmy-winning BIOGRAPHY series".

Well, my friends, that sounds like a case of too big for your britches, after viewing the bio. I just can't think of a better descriptive term than "sucked". It was truly awful, not in any way fresh or revealing, and the visuals were horrendous. To avoid putting a face to Jane, every time they showed an image of an actress playing Jane, the image was deliberately blurred. Sheesh. That makes for some pretty pathetic viewing and the bio itself was all rehash.

After viewing the Jane bio, I cleared my palate with a viewing of yet another extra in my anniversary edition, a film about the making of the same film version of Pride and Prejudice. The "making-of" was absolutely enthralling and well made up for that sucky bio. Several members of the cast shared their experiences: Lucy Briers (Mary Bennet), Alison Steadman (Mrs. Bennet), Benjamin Whitrow (Mr. Bennet), Adrian Lukis (Wickham) and David Bamber (Mr. Collins -- and, wow, he looks great when he's not playing an obsequious little toady).

The story of how that particular version of Pride and Prejudice came into being, how the locations were chosen, etc., is all quite fascinating and if you can get your mitts on a copy, I highly recommend it. My 10th-anniversary set also included a companion book, The Making of Pride and Prejudice by Sue Birtwistle and Susie Conklin(shown at left) and I plan to read that, but not as a part of the Everything Austen II Challenge, which I'll wrap up with a final post linking up to everything I've read and viewed.

Last but not least, I checked out the more recent version of Persuasion, starring Sally Hawkins as Anne Elliot and Rupert Penry-Jones as Captain Wentworth. And, I am torn. There's such a huge difference between the 2007 Penry-Jones/Hawkins version and the 1995 Root/Hinds version I reviewed a while back that it kind of stunned me.

Here are my thoughts, though. In the 1995 version, I thought Anne was a little too subdued and unemotional but the film was admirably accurate to the storyline and the lack of emotion is probably, in fact, more in line with the subtleties of Austen. At any rate, it is certainly well done, but I would have liked to see a little more emotion on Anne's part, at least at times when she was not in the presence of The Captain Who Made Anne Swoon.

And, the Penry-Jones/Hawkins version (ITV, 2007)? Well, when it comes to emotion, they really went whole-hog. As to the accuracy; I'm afraid that's sadly lacking. And, of course, those of you who have seen Anne runnning through the streets shared a good laugh with this viewer. But, it's still awfully fun to watch and who can look at that photo of Penry-Jones and not think, "Oooh. Ahhh." Not I.

I'll have to stop, here, as my weather radio has just screamed that we're under a tornado warning and that means I must shut down the electronics and duck. The official wrap-up will come in a later post.

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo

Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo
Copyright 2009
Guideposts - General fiction
270 pages
Author's website

Emma's life has recently gone down the drain. A former professor at a prestigious university, she made her living studying Jane Austen and thought her husband was her Darcy or Knightley until a betrayal left Emma alone and jobless. Now she realizes Jane Austen's happily-ever-after romances have misled her.

Lured to England by a woman who claims to possess the correspondence Jane Austen's sister Cassandra told the world she destroyed, Emma ends up finding herself performing a number of tasks and only slowly getting a glimpse of a few choice letters that hint at the reason Austen chose not to share her secrets with the world. She's also thrown into the paths of two very handsome men, one of whom used to be her best friend.

What was Jane Austen's secret? Is Emma being led on a wild goose chase or will she be able to publish the letters and restore her tarnished reputation? And, what about those men?

I read Jane Austen Ruined My Life primarily because I was in the mood for something light; and, a quick perusal of the book made it clear that some fluffy fun was in store. Emma is a basically decent person in a disastrous situation. Low on money, out of a job and humiliated by her husband's affair, spending the last of her money on the chance that Cassandra Austen really kept her sister's letters is a big chance that could cost her dearly if it doesn't pay off.

What I liked about this book:

Jane Austen Ruined My Life is pretty predictable and I was in the mood for a book that was low on brain power. But, Pattillo still managed to surprise me now and then, which is always a positive thing. London is one of my favorite cities, so the setting is a favorite and I enjoyed reading about parts of London and locations related to Jane Austen that I haven't seen or experienced, yet. It was also very fun to read a book with a theoretical "What if?" about Jane Austen, simply because Austen is a fascinating character, herself. And, since Jane Austen Ruined My Life was published by Guideposts, it's clean. It does not, however, have any kind of Christian theme or elements, apart from the fact that Emma is the daughter of a preacher.

What I disliked about this book:

There were a few minor problems with the author's research and those kind of stopped me in my tracks, now and then, just to ponder how on earth she came to write them. For example, when Emma used the Tube, she didn't mention escalators or stairs and there was little description of the hustling, tightly-packed crowds. Instead, Emma boarded elevators. The London Underground is ancient and very unfriendly to the handicapped (and heavy-luggage burdened), although I can't say whether or not the stations the fictional Emma used did have elevators. Usually, they're really tricky to locate and a pain in the patootie to use, though, so it's an odd oversight. Most of the errors I caught or thought I detected (I'm no expert on London, myself) had to do with transportation.

Would I read this author again? Yes.

Cover thoughts: I used to write my thoughts about covers regularly and somehow managed to get away from doing so. This cover appeals to me because the soft edges and bright red against a muted background make for an eye-catching image, in my humble opinion. Does the cover give potential readers a decent idea of what's inside? Well, Emma never did lie around on a bench looking like she had a migraine, but she did sit on one and the cover depicts Emma's distress, so I'd say yes, it's pretty well done.

This is the 6th item I've read or watched for the Everything Austen II Challenge and I'm still pondering whether or not to wrap it up. I have an anniversary edition of the A & E Pride & Prejudice mini-series on DVD, which includes a Jane Austen documentary that I plan to view soon. So, you know . . . I'm going to carry on with my Jane experience, either way.

In other news:

It's raining!!!!! Squeeee!! We have had the longest stretch of no rain or hardly-any rain I think I've ever experienced in Mississippi, so it's pretty exciting. Also, I love a good thundery-rainy day. I spent all afternoon reading myself silly.

Just walked in (in the last week or so):

• The Baby Bible Christmas Storybook - from B & B Media for tour/review
• The Secret River by Kate Grenville - from PBS, with thanks to Paula for the recommendation
• Safe from the Sea by Peter Geye - from PBS, thanks to Amy's excellent review

Things I'm currently pondering:

• Why are people still signing up to follow my deceased cat on Twitter?
• Why haven't I bothered to remove my dearly-departed feline's Twitter account? Oh, yes, I remember. Not sure of the password, anymore. Eeks.
• Should I try to plot or at least come up with an idea for NaNoWriMo or just wing it, like I always have? Winging it seems to work better than planning for me, but I deeply desire to be a planner.
• Why am I suddenly in the mood to use bullet points?

This seems like a good time for a London photo.

Ah, the perfect way to spend a sunny afternoon in London's lovely Green Park.

Happy Reading!

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are reading this post at a site other than Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Persuasion, the BBC film on DVD

Persuasion by Jane Austen
The BBC production on DVD
Copyright 1995

When I sat down to watch Persuasion, last night, I didn't have the Everything Austen II Challenge in mind, but since watching a video qualifies as an entry in the challenge, you get to hear about my quiet evening watching a DVD with two sleepy kitties curled up nearby. I viewed the 1995 verson starring Ciaran Hinds as Captain Wentworth and Amanda Root as Anne.

Update: I can't believe I didn't even write what the story is about. Anne Elliot is unmarried and now considered well beyond marrying age, having been persuaded to reject Mr. Wentworth (her true love) because of his lack of income, 8 years in the past. Now, her family is on the verge of bankruptcy and when Anne goes off to stay with one of her sisters, Mary, she encounters her former love, now a captain in the Royal Navy. They're at first wary of each other, but tragedy and overheard conversations lead to the kind of ending you know you're going to get with Austen. So . . . back to my "review".

I flipped through 5 of the 6 years of reads in my sidebar and didn't find Persuasion, so apparently it's been more than 5 years since I read the book, which would account for my difficulty in remembering the storyline at the beginning of the movie. I did recall that Anne was considered beyond marriageable age and somewhat sickly-looking and, of course, that she was unable to marry the love of her life. But I couldn't remember why Anne and Wentworth parted.

Fortunately, while the movie is quietly paced and Amanda Root seems a bit devoid of expression a good portion of the time, the look of panic on Anne's face when Captain Wentworth shows up to pay his respects at her sister's house, followed by a conversation in which someone mentions why Anne rejected a completely unsuitable and common sailor (now returned from the first Napoleonic War a wealthy man) cleared things up nicely.

Anne and Wentworth's story is beautifully told in this film. The settings are lovely and the costuming goes a long way toward pointing out personality quirks. There are some nasty women in Anne's family and the outfits the characters wear tend to match their personalities -- Anne's clothing is as understated and demure as she is, while her icky sister Elizabeth's wardrobe matches her loud and offensive personality. I thought the fitting choice of outfits was a nice touch.

As the movie progressed, I became accustomed to Amanda Root and I liked her as Anne but I would have liked to see a little more obvious emotion. Reviews of a 2007 version describe the 2007 as more emotional but less accurate to the book than the movie I viewed. There's always a little give and take, isn't there? The accuracy to the book was admirable in the 1995 version, according to my memory and some comments at Amazon, and I will definitely watch it again and again. But, I'd also like to get my mitts on that 2007 version.

The best part, of course, is when Captain Wentworth signals Anne with a look to let her know he has left her a note -- and the heart-pounding moments as both Anne's and Wentworth's voices overlap in the reading of the note. It's terribly, wonderfully romantic.

Definitely highly recommended for the Austen lover.

Also worth mentioning is Samuel West as Mr. Elliot, Anne's cousin and the potential heir to her family's estate. Every time he showed up, I found myself struggling to remember where on earth I'd seen him. I had a feeling he was in one of the Hornblower movies, because I could visualize him in period costume but still could not place him. Sure enough, he played Major Edrington, a character I absolutely adored in "The Wrong War", an episode of Hornblower. He was also in period costume in Notting Hill, as the actor chatting with Julia Roberts in between the filming of scenes on Hampstead Heath.

Persuasion is my fifth entry for the Everything Austen II Challenge, but I don't feel as if I've finished. I'll ponder for a while. There's more reading I'd still like to do. Incidentally, Miss Fiona spent the better part of Persuasion happily curled on a blanket and Isabel spent the vast majority of the evening on my bed, but did pop by for a visit. Fiona gave the video four paws up -- or would have, if there'd been room to roll onto her back.

In other news:

I've kept in touch with Chef Alain Braux since reading his wonderful first cookbook, How to Lower Your Cholesterol with French Gourmet Food. Now, he's just released his second book, Living Gluten and Dairy Free with French Gourmet Food. I'm not sensitive to gluten, as far as I know, but it never hurts to find new recipes that are healthy and I'm looking forward to reading the book and giving some of his new recipes a try.

Also, if you haven't already seen them, you really must take a look at author Shannon Hale's beautiful twins.


©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Mr. Darcy's Obsession by Abigail Reynolds

Mr. Darcy's Obsession

By Abigail Reynolds

Copyright 2010

Sourcebooks - Historical Fiction

348 pages

"So you are the mysterious young lady who has been causing such an uproar. Since you are to be part of the family, you might as well call me Aunt Augusta. It is traditional to say it with a certain degree of exasperation."

"Aunt Augusta!" Darcy said. "This is hardly the time."

She pointed at him. "You see, Fitzwilliam is providing a fine example. He has the tone almost perfect. A few more years of practice, and he will sound exactly like his father."

Elizabeth made a slight curtsey. "You will have to forgive me, madam. It is beyond my thespian abilities to seem exasperated with someone I have just met. You will have to do something to exasperate me first."

Mr. Darcy's Obsession is yet another spin-off of Jane Austen's classic Pride and Prejudice, this time imagining a world two years after Lizzy's visit to Rosings -- a world in which Darcy talked himself out of proposing, Mr. Bennet has died, the family estate has been entailed to Mr. Collins, and Jane has married a milliner.

When Darcy finds out about Elizabeth Bennet's reduced circumstances from an angry Bingley, he decides he must find out how she is doing in her new life as governess to her aunt and uncle's children in Cheapside. With that in mind, he journeys to Cheapside and traverses the street without learning a thing, until he meets a little urchin named Charlie.

Charlie is a smart little whippersnapper and he becomes Mr. Darcy's spy, enabling Darcy to renew his acquaintance with Lizzy by joining her for walks in a nearby park (and definitely resulting in the improvement of life for one little street boy). Will Darcy get over his pride and finally give in to his obsession, making Lizzy his wife? What will become of the rest of the Bennet family? And, what about poor Bingley? Will he ever return to London and find love?

To be honest, Mr. Darcy's Obsession is rather predictable after one has read the introductory material and become acquainted with the new background and storyline. Bingley is almost entirely out of the picture, now that Jane has married a much older man and is expecting a baby, but you can easily guess where that's headed. What's unexpected is the new cast created for purposes of changing the storyline. Reynolds has added to Darcy's family and the little urchin he pulls off the street to use as his extra set of eyes and ears is a charming addition.

The bottom line: If you don't mind a change from the original Austen, Mr. Darcy's Obsession is a pleasant, often clever, read and every bit as clean (no more than a kiss is exchanged) as the original. The additional cast adds a completely new dimension to the story and makes it unique. My only complaint is that sometimes I thought Mr. Darcy's intent was a little unclear, but one doesn't have to read far to untangle any confusion. Definitely recommended.

Just walked in:

How to Be an American Housewife by Margaret Dilloway - An ARC passed on by a friend. Thank you, Paula!

Just walked in and out:

Isabel and her slave. We went to get the second half of her shots. Fingers crossed this batch doesn't knock her as flat as the last round.

People I don't know:

Because I haven't taken many photos, lately, and some of my favorite shots from vacations are those of total strangers, I decided I'll share one that I love of a family enjoying Trafalgar Square.

Aren't they lovely? They seemed to be having a very wahooey time. Incidentally, I chose to read Mr. Darcy's Obsession partly for the Everything Austen II Challenge and partly because I enjoyed The Man Who Loved Pride & Prejudice by the same author. I plan to read more by Abigail Reynolds. Mr. Darcy's Obsession is my fourth read for the Everything Austen II Challenge.

Happy Wednesday!

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

In The Rearview Mirror - What I've Read, Lately

I know I've been very, very bad about blogging. So, I figured maybe a little bit of brief summarizing about the things I've read would be nice. I think I'll just move on to the books I finish during the time I'm adjusting to empty nest life, when I get back to regular posting. These mini reviews are just meant to tide you over, you know, if you're hanging around missing me.

Stash by David Klein - The story of a young mother, Gwen, who smokes a little marijuana in the park to relax. A friend is supposed to pick up her children, but when their arrangement falls through and Gwen is in a fatal automobile accident she must decide whether to turn her former lover and supplier over to the police or face potential jail time. Paired with a story about legal drugs used unethically, this is an interesting and thought-provoking story. There were some little things about this book that really, really bothered me. I found myself wishing I had a group to chat with about the book, actually. I highly recommend this one for book groups because I think it could easily generate some intense discussion. And, just think how fun it would be to paint marijuana leaves on your cookies. No, you may not lace the brownies with pot. That's not legal.

Benny & Shrimp by Katarina Mazetti - Two grieving people meet in the cemetery. They are polar opposites in many ways but they fall passionately in love. Can they work out their differences or will they end up having to make do with decent matchmates lacking the passion (and conflict) of their wacky relationship? A really quirky little romance. My utterly delightful friend Care sent me her copy of Benny & Shrimp because she thought I would like it. As always, Care was correct. It's a strange little story, almost an anti-romance, and I liked the fact that Benny and Shrimp turned out to be not quite the characters I expected and much less willing to adapt to each other than the typical romantic hero and heroine.

Moose Dropping & Other Crimes Against Nature by Tom Brennan - A collection of tales and folklore, mostly gleaned from other works, all of which provide tickling insight into the Alaskan sense of humor. Published by Epicenter Press, one of my favorite small presses. At least, I think they're still small. They've had a number of runaway hits, but they're still all about Alaska. I snickered my way through this book and learned a few things in the process. Like "eco-greenies" is one of the nicer terms Alaskans use to describe environmentalists who try to get in the way of their ability to earn a healthy income from land and sea.

Emma and the Vampires by Jane Austen and Wayne Josephson - Some people call this kind of book a "mash-up" (a very overused and lazy term, in my humble opinion), some call it the destruction of a classic. My friend Melissa calls this type of book "classic/paranormal combos" and I'm leaning toward "classic with a paranormal twist." Whatever floats your boat. In this case, Emma Woodhouse is surrounded by vampires. Many of the gentlemen, including Mr. Knightley, are vegan vampires. Wives meet an unfortunate fate - bitten and turned. There are also wild vampires who prey on the local populace. It's a bit of a mess, that combination of wild and gentlemanly vampires, but I loved reading Emma and the Vampires because Mr. Josephson used the paranormal twist in a humorous way. A fun read and a great excuse to revisit Emma, my new favorite Austen character. This book was #2 completed for the Everything Austen II Challenge.

The Extraordinary Secrets of April, May and June by Robin Benway - Another paranormal book, this time a young adult novel about three sisters who develop unusual powers. April sees scenes from the future, May can become invisible and June reads minds. Apart from the fact that I thought the author did a poor job of explaining how or why the three girls came to suddenly redevelop their powers after a single childhood incident and it took time for the story to develop, I enjoyed this book. Once the story picks up speed and suspense, it's interesting and fun and I loved the ending. It's as much about sisters as it is about unusual abilities and learning to cope with them . . . and about coping with life, in general. Very light reading.


Take Good Care of the Garden and the Dogs by Heather Lende - Heather Lende's second memoir about her life in small-town Alaska, its joys and hardships, with particular focus on Lende's horrific bike accident and her recovery, her faith and friendships and the lives and deaths of those around her. Heather Lende has a charming writing style, much like that of Anne Lamott. She's an emotional writer who will tug your heartstrings. I loved this book almost as much as her first, If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name, and hope she'll write many more books about life in Alaska. Of particular interest was her story about a recovered alcoholic's totem pole. I literally sobbed through that one, but most of the time I found that when I set the book down I was smiling.

That's all the recently-finished books in my sidebar, so I'm going to clear the sidebar before I dash off to do my thing. Kiddo is home for the weekend -- wahoo! He's been asleep all day -- boo! Well, it's better than nothing. I like having him nearby.

Happy Reading!

Bookfool

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Emma and Emma, followed by . . . Emma

Emma by Jane Austen

Another late review. I believe I read Emma in June. Never fear, Emma has totally stuck with me like that gunky stuff used to paste credit cards to card stock.

Emma Woodhouse is of marriageable age, living with her hypochondriac father at their lovely estate, where they regularly entertain. She's perfectly content with her life, as is, and does not intend to marry. However, her former companion has recently wed and Emma needs a new friend.

Convinced that she is responsible for the successful matchmaking that led to Mrs. Weston's joyous marriage, Emma befriends young Harriet and sets her sights on pairing Harriet with Mr. Elton, the local vicar. Meanwhile, Mrs. Weston's son-in-law, Frank Churchill keeps everyone on tenterhooks as the entire village awaits his much-anticipated visit. Frank was adopted by a wealthy couple when the first Mrs. Weston died and hasn't been seen by villagers for many years. When Frank finally arrives, Emma thinks he might possibly be the man for her.

Mr. Knightley is another regular visitor, a gentleman farmer whose estate is not far from Emma's home and a member of Emma's social circle, the brother to Emma's sister Isabella's husband. Isabella and her husband live in London and don't show up often, but there's always a great deal of joy when they do. At one point, Mr. Knightley made this reader cringe a tiny bit by commenting that Emma looked "well" holding Isabella's baby and recalled holding her when she was the same age. I got over it, though. Mr. Knightley and Emma have an interesting relationship. He likes to point out her flaws and she teases him in return. He is much more intuitive about matchmaking than Emma and tries to stop her from causing trouble but it's only later that Emma realizes he was right all along about pretty much everything.

There's much more to the story, of course -- always plenty of coupling, dancing, celebration, socializing and a few little shocking surprises. The key question is, of course, will Emma mistakenly end up with Frank or realize Mr. Knightley is the man for her? How many times can Emma screw with poor Harriet's mind before Harriet figures out she must go with her heart? And, how on earth can Emma ever marry if it means leaving her stressed-out father on his own?

What I loved about Emma:

Well, everything. You know I'm an Austen fan. But, Emma is definitely special. Emma Woodhouse has just recently become my new favorite Austen character. She is guileless, cheerful and optimistic, means well (even if she does end up causing a bit of heartache) and is truly distraught when she realizes she's caused anyone pain. Emma is an extremely lovable character.

What I disliked about Emma:

Only one thing . . . it had a slow start. But, I've found that's not unusual with Austen. I had a little trouble warming up to Anne and getting into her story when I read Persuasion.

On to the A & E movie:

I'd already planned to watch the A & E version of Emma (a TV movie released in 1996), starring Kate Beckinsale, when I signed up for the Everything Austen II challenge. I ended up watching part of it on a plane and finishing up at home. Or, maybe it was the other way around. Anyway, I thought A & E's adaptation was fabulous, if a bit "Emma in hyperdrive" because there really is a great deal to the story, with its large cast and all the little twists. To compress that story into a mere two hours is quite a feat. The crucial parts of Emma are all there and I thought the movie was beautifully scripted, the settings were lovely and fitting and the actors almost perfectly cast. I can't say the actress who played Harriet fit my mental image, but everyone else at least came close. Since I own a copy of the A & E Emma, I'll undoubtedly watch it many, many more times.

For a more detailed review of the movie, check out this post at Ribbons of Light.

And, now another round of Emma:

I'm currently reading Emma and the Vampires, which is credited to both Jane Austen and Wayne Josephson. It's another one of those crazy mixes of classic and paranormal, in which pretty much half of the Highbury residents are vampires. Some are vegan and some are not, which is a bit confusing because it means there are gentlemen and lady vampires who wouldn't think to chomp down on an innocent neck, yet there's a whole other set preying on young women.

I opted to read this book because I've been hoping I'd find a nice tongue-in-cheek Austen parody that would provide a few laughs. Mr. Darcy, Vampyre was a total let-down because the author took her subject seriously rather than simply using Austen's Pride & Prejudice as a framework and playing with it in a fun way. Josephson has his writing flaws, but I'm finding Emma and the Vampires fits my expectations. It's frequently funny and much of the original story is left intact; it's simply altered to fit a silly vampire theme. Fun. It will be interesting to see how the story plays out. I'm not far (about 60 pages in), but I am truly enjoying Emma and the Vampires.

The A & E version of Emma is my first completed item for the Everything Austen II challenge.

Just walked in:

A Curable Romantic by Joseph Skibell - an unexpected surprise from Algonquin Books. At 593 pages, I'm vaguely intimidated. And, yet, having read the promotional material, I'm also intrigued. It sounds like a good, meaty story.

Must dash. Happy Wednesday!

©2010 Nancy Horner. All rights reserved. If you are not reading this post at Bookfoolery and Babble, you are reading a stolen feed. Email bookfoolery@gmail.com for written permission to reproduce text or photos.

Everything Austen II Challenge - I'm Joining! What's Wrong with Me???

I'm joing the Everything Austen II Challenge!!

Yes, I swore I would not ever, ever, EVER join two challenges at the same time, again, in my life. I did. Not like on a stack of tomatoes or anything (that would be serious). But, I just happen to have just finished reading Emma and I just happen to plan to watch the A & E movie version of Emma soon. And, I just happen to have already started a Jane biography -- but at the rate I'm reading, undoubtedly won't finish it until well after the starting date of the challenge.

I've also been eyeing my copy of Scones & Sensibility for months. It's like . . . fate. The Austen waves have built up, leading to a massive earthquake and a tidal wave that tossed my soul into Hampshire (a shire which we once accidentally drove into, incidentally -- there was this sign that said, "Jane Austen Country" that my husband, his co-worker and I took as a subtle hint that we'd gone too far . . . it was dark and England's totally confusing at night, you see, and we were actually supposed to be in Surrey, not Hampshire).

So, I'm in. The Everything Austen II Challenge (<---click there to read Stephanie's post and sign up) officially begins on July 1, 2010 and runs through January 1, 2011. I'm cheating just a little by adding my current biography to my list because I'm reading so slowly that I don't think the few pages I've already read make me look too awfully guilty, but in the end I hope to read or view more than the 6 required, anyway.

Here's what I intend to read and view, at this point:

1. Jane's Fame by Claire Harman - a biography

2. Emma on DVD - the A & E version with Kate Beckinsale

3. Scones & Sensibility by Lindsay Eland (YA)

4. Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen - a book I've wanted to read for quite some time

5. Mr. Darcy Broke My Heart by Beth Pattillo (pretty sure I own a copy of this - must search)

6. ?? Maybe the A & E biography of Jane Austen - another that I'm pretty sure I own; I think it's included in my extra Pride & Prejudice set from A & E (I own 2 copies because the second set had a book and extra features and it was so pretty and on sale, and, and --).

As I perused the list at Stephanie's blog, I realized I'm already more of a Jane Fan than I imagined. I've read 4 of Austen's novels and 3 novellas (bound together as Lesley Castle), watched the Colin Firth Pride & Prejudice a squillion times and Sense & Sensibility almost as many. I've seen that stupid movie, Becoming Jane (sorry, that one just did not do it for me) and both read and watched Bridget Jones's Diary. I've read all of Marsha Altman's Pride & Prejudice sequels, Just Jane by Nancy Moser, and Mr. Darcy, Vampyre. I could probably go on. I think I will try to hush, though.

You should join this challenge. Really, you should. We'll have such a grand time. There should be a ball at the end, don't you think? We shall all wear gloves and pin our hair up in twisty little curls with sparkly things shimmering in our coiffures. We'll don beaded slippers and dance! The men will look terribly uncomfortable but shockingly handsome in those high collars and tails.

Oh, oh, oh. I must stop before I swoon!!!

My heart is in England, now.

Bookfool, Jane Fan and Utter Weakling

Updates on what I've read/viewed:

1 & 2. Emma - the book and the A & E movie

3. Emma & the Vampires by Jane Austen & Wayne Josephson

4. Mr. Darcy's Obsession by Abigail Reynolds

5. Persuasion - the 1995 BBC movie on DVD

6. Jane Austen Ruined My Life by Beth Pattillo

7. Jane Austen Biography on DVD

8. The Making of Pride & Prejudice (Colin Firth/Jennifer Ehle version)

9. Persuasion - the Rupert Penry-Jones movie version on DVD