Mish-mash

Bibliofreak is hosting an Everything Austen mini-challenge to win an action figure Jane Austen! The challenge is to write a six-word story (or haiku but I've stuck to story) describing any Austen novel or Juvenilia.

This was fun! I created five instead of one - can you guess which Austenite works these six-story lines each describe? Care to try yourself?

Gothic pastiche with love thrown in.

Epistolary freindship and parody; misspelling Austen's.

Universal truth: women seek rich husbands.

Matchmaking often results in broken hearts.

Pride and Prejudice for mature lovers.

In other news, I ordered my Persephone Secret Santa gift for me Santee last week and that should be winging its way to them now; I also received the name for my Book Blogger Holiday Swap recipient yesterday and planning what to send to them. I love planning bookish gifts for fellow bloggers! Choosing books for other people that you hope they enjoy is incredibly exciting.

Quote a couple of spoiler-free sentences from the book you’re reading to tempt others.

"Belinda was thankful Agatha was out of hearing. 'Yes, I thought the cakes were lovely."

Some Tame Gazelle by Barbara Pym p. 34

Jane Austen's Emma

I first read Emma by Jane Austen a decade ago when I studied it in my final year of school. I have never seen an adaptation -not even the 1996 film version with Gwyneth Paltrow- but being a devout fan of the 1995 BBC mini-series of Pride and Prejudice, I was intrigued as to how well they would treat my second favourite Austen novel. I was not disappointed. Although it will never surpass the Pride and Prejudice adaptation in my esteem and affection, I did enjoy Emma and found it, for the most part, well done. I did have initial reservations and mild criticisms whilst watching; I found it flawed in some respects but it is was a faithful adaptation if a little ... unreserved. The language was modernised, not fully but enough that it jarred, and there was an altogether looser tone to their speech, mannerisms and interactions with each other.

Romola Garai made a suitably flawed Emma, and was more mature than her portrayal of Cassandra Mortmain (another of my much-loved literary heroines) that I could separate them in my mind's eye. Her vanity and snobbery were well depicted and, as always, I had a soft spot for the well-meaning Emma. However, I did take issue with Garai's exaggerated facial expressions that did not seem fitting with the period; her eyes were far too wide and it began to irritate me some. I had misgivings about Johnny Lee Miller's suitability in the role as Mr Knightley and their relationship was more of a brother and sister one in the first episode, but he overcame my prejudices to fully embody the role, so much so that I developed something of a literary crush on him; oh how my heart ached for him during some scenes and fluttered when he gentlemanly saved Harriet Smith's shame at the dance.

The casting of Michael Gambon as Mr Woodhouse was inspired; he was lovably vulnerable, only slightly infuriating and shared a touching and tender chemistry with his on-screen daughter. Tamsin Greig played Miss Bates to an exceptional standard and I sympathised with her exceedingly whilst also finding her amusing. The other exceptional comical character, Mrs Elton, was unbearable and testimony to Christina Cole in the role (she also played Caroline Bingley wonderfully well in Lost in Austen). I wasn't too enamoured by the casting of Frank Churchill nor Jane Fairfax but I suspect that is due to my lack of affection for the characters.

Watching this diverting adaptation, although enjoyable, compels me to read Austen's own words again and I will seek the time for a reread of the novel at some point. I will probably rewatch this at some point but I doubt it has the longevity of the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice, which I happily watch over and over.

This is the second of six Austen-related items completed for the Everything Austen challenge.

The scene I anticipated most to see acted was the one from Box Hill, where Emma is at her most flawed, and I share that below.

Persuaded?

I thought I would share with you in this post an image of my copy of The Complete Novels of Jane Austen. Prompted by Claire at Kiss a Cloud's post this week on complete novels in the one volume I wanted to show off my Austen and stress that it isn't too heavy or cumbersome. I do own most, but not all, of Jane Austen's novels in individual copies but I found it hard to resist owning this edition, and not solely for the front cover.

As I previously mentioned, I signed up for the Everything Austen challenge, and intended to read Persuasion this summer, the only Jane Austen novel I hadn't yet read. Reading the blog of Nicola at Vintage Reads over the previous few months had intensified my desire to re-read some beloved Austen anyway and then I started to think that I should read the last unread one. Around this time I also read Simon at Stuck in a Book's poll post about which was the more loved novel, Pride and Prejudice (my favourite) or Persuasion (as yet unread)? The comments were illuminating -one analogy comparing it to the debate between which was the better of The Godfather and The Godfather II- and then hearing Michelle discuss this as her favourite novel at the first meeting of the Savidge Reads book group, I thought it probable that I was missing out by not having read Persuasion. Part of me had held off because I've read everything else by Austen and I tend to ration books by my favourite writers out, especially when they have a closed canon (due to their death) but now my curiosity was piqued - would Persuasion replace Pride & Prejudice as my favourite Austen novel?

The short answer to this is no; Pride and Prejudice will retain its position and always hold a special place in my heart but I did enjoy Persuasion immensely and appreciate its depth of passion and emotion. I read Pride and Prejudice as a hopelessly romantic teenager in the first throes of idealistic infatuation and in my opinion Persuasion is better appreciated by those who have loved and lost, with its powerful evocation of longing that anyone ever separated from the one they love will empathise with. I think that Persuasion is suitable for the more mature Austen fan, for those who have experienced love and not those who have just dreamt of it and gushed at Pride and Prejudice (and drooled over the culturally epic lake scene in the 1996 BBC adaptation).

I am pleased that I read these Austen novels in the order I did as love takes on a different look when you are older and not least when you are in a longterm committed relationship. Persuasion has a more mature outlook because it comes with the maturity brought about from lost love and separation and Anne Elliot is not as juvenile, impetuous nor as feisty as Elizabeth Bennett or Emma Wodehouse; although I still have a devout adoration of those two heroines, I admired Anne's internalised passion.

Anne Elliot has lost her bloom at the mature age of twenty-seven (!) and has been been pining for eight and a half years for Captain Frederick Wentworth whom her family and her friend, Lady Russell, who took the maternal place of Anne's own mother who had died, persuaded her was no good match. During the course of the novel, Anne and Captain Frederick become reacquainted through other friends and family and after the emotionally-charged first meeting and misunderstandings (as a result at times of their own and others' pride and prejudices) they are reunited and live happily ever after. It's a Jane Austen novel, where they always end in marriage, so I don't think I am spoiling the end for anyone.

This long passage and exchange about persuasion is the crux of the novel with the same title, embodying its passion, emotional turmoil, and maturity and wisdom of reflection. I think I will end with Jane Austen's words:

'To see you.' cried he, 'in the midst of those who could not be my well-wishers, to see your cousin close by you, conversing and smiling, and feel all the horrible eligibilities and proprieties of the match! To consider it as the certain wish of every being who could hope to influence you! Even, if your own feelings were reluctant or indifferent, to consider what powerful supports would be his! Was it not enough to make the fool of me which I appeared? How could I look on without agony? Was not the very sight of the friend who sat behind you, was not the recollection of what had been, the knowledge of her influence, the indelible, immovable impression of what persuasion had once done - was it not all against me?'

'You should have distinguished,' replied Anne. 'You should not have suspected me now; the case so different, and my age so different. If I was wrong in yielding to persuasion once, remember that it was to persuasion exerted on the side of safety, not of risk. When I yielded, I thought it was to duty; but no duty could be called in aid here. In marrying a man indifferent to me, all risk would have been incurred, and all duty violated.'

Everything Austen

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a girl in possession of a book obsession, must be in want of a reading challenge. I have so many books to be read presently that I contemplated long and hard over committing myself to anything more than those and Ulysses. However, the Everything Austen challenge at Stephanie's Written Word isn't a testing of ability or endurance or an achievement of something insurmountable, but an enjoyable opportunity to read or watch six Austen-related things; how could I possible resist to take up that thrown down gauntlet? Between July 1st 2009 and January 1st 2010 I will engage in reading or viewing six Austen-related things; Austen-related things being completely open to interpretation and including Austen's own texts as well as those novels/biographies/reinterpretations/TV or film adaptations inspired by her work. Sounds tremendously easy, doesn't it? Not to mention a joy.

As yet in this blog I have not had the opportunity to share my love for Jane Austen, especially Pride and Prejudice (it really is one of my favourite novels and has been since I was a teenager), which is clichéd but true). Reading the Vintage Reads blogs recently had already convinced me to reread some Austen, and to read the one novel of her six finished ones that I haven't yet read, Persuasion, and the Everything Austen challenge provides me with that opportunity; it also gives me an excuse to re-watch the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice and the recent 4-part series Lost in Austen, both of which I passionately adore. In actual fact, who needs an excuse? If you haven't seen these then you simply MUST!

I may deviate from this (as is my wont) and possibly add a couple of items, as the challenge progresses, but this is my provisional list:

Reread Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Read Persuasion by Jane Austen
Read Pride and Promiscuity: the Lost Sex Scenes of Jane Austen ed. Arielle Eckstut

Re-watch Pride and Prejudice (the BBC adaptation, 1995)
Re-watch Lost in Austen (mini-series, 2008)
Watch Becoming Jane (film, 2007) or The Jane Austen Book Club or both.

I know a few of you are already participating in this challenge (and were the ones who brought it to my attention), but is anybody else? Do you have any suggestions for unmissable readings or viewings?

Also, as I am such a kind-hearted soul, I am including one of my favourite (and yes, the most famous) clips from the BBC adaptation of Pride and Prejudice; it's the awkward exchange between Elizabeth and Darcy that makes this scene so delightful, honestly.