Jane Austen Decor Collection at Michaels!

My dresser of Austen decor, a trunk that's part of the collection, and the Jane Austen book boxes.

Ok, so if I found out about this after the fact, I would be super upset, which is why I'm sharing about the collection while there might still be some in stock at your closest Michaels store and online!

As any self-respecting Jane Austen fan knows, this year is Jane Austen's 250th birthday, and while I cannot be in England this December for all of the amazingly fabulous celebrations that will be taking place, I can actually revere her in other ways, including my decor.

I've loved Austen since my teen years when my father, of all people, introduced me to her work through the Olivier/Garson film adaptation of Pride & Prejudice (read my rave review)! It was the start of an eternal friendship with the great authoress which even includes one random theatrical experience playing Charlotte Lucas in a local musical back in 2012 (crazy to think of it being so long ago!).

But enough of my reminiscing, let me return to the Jane Austen collection at Michaels!

Here, my friends, you can find the English Romance collection of decor options, but really, it is Austen inspired and you'll see why in a second.

Jane Austen Wall Art

This Jane Austen literary wall art piece really is gorgeous and I absolutely purchased one for myself. It's not huge at 12" x 15" and works quite well in my rather miniscule bedroom. The colors are soft and romantic and I love that the book stack includes Northanger Abbey, one of my personal favorites!

Jane Austen Persuasion Book Vase

I am sorely tempted to order this book vase while they still have stock online since it appears to be sold out in stores. Persuasion is my other favorite of Austen's novels and I would love to add this to my collection!

Gold Bird Tabletop Decor

While not strictly Austen, I couldn't resist purchasing one of the smaller size golden birds. I love the pedestal that it's perched on, the gold tone, and just everything about it!

Floral Wall Cubby

Again, not Austen in the strictest sense, but I had to have this fabulous wall cubby! My golden bird is perched on the middle shelf as we speak! It goes perfectly when paired with the book stack literature wall art.

And finally, these are Jane Austen book boxes that are 5.25" long! And the reason I don't have a link for them is because they are in store only! I found all but Pride and Prejudice, no surprise there, and I have them neatly stacked on my bedside table with a peacock ambiance lamp perched on top. It's just the perfect look!

I highly encourage browsing through the collection online and if you live near a Michaels store, head there post haste before everything is sold out!

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First Classics Club Read of 2023 - Pride and Prejudice (1813) by Jane Austen

I'm sitting at my laptop with my cup of delicious Blackcurrent Breeze tea from Twinings and my fingers freezing due to the dip in temperatures outside. I am so immensely grateful today. I'm grateful for my cup of tea. For my space heater that is working its little tail off to warm my home office space. For my cozy slippers and wool socks. And I'm grateful for Jane Austen.

I first encountered Austen probably 19 or so years ago now. My father is a huge Laurence Olivier fan, so when I was in my late teens, we watched the 1940 Pride and Prejudice as a family, with Olivier in the starring role as Mr. Darcy, naturally (read my review, if you wish). It's still my favorite film adaptation, despite its historic and literary inaccuracies.

But I hadn't picked up Pride and Prejudice to read until at least a decade later. And it certainly wasn't my favorite of Austen's novels. I always thought my dislike is because I'm quite stubborn about joining a fandom with a high rate of support.

I'm not sure what's changed in 2023, but something clearly has because I loved re-reading Pride and Prejudice. Perhaps my outlook has softened somewhat where this novel is concerned. But really, I think that my propensity to be like Lizzy is what annoyed me most about the novel, because the tendency annoys myself. We are not even remotely the same personality type, but we do both leap to judgements and criticisms, especially when our feelings and personal pride have been offended. 

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Ladies of the House: A Modern Retelling of Sense and Sensibility by Laura Edmondson (2021)

 

It’s unfortunate that a modern retelling of Sense and Sensibility felt the need to forgo, or actually decry, any sense of moral restraint and instead delved deeply into American politics with a liberal agenda being the end all/be all of feminism and liberated women. I’m so sick of American politics that I could puke, and Ladies of the House did not improve my mood one iota.

Turning Mr. Dashwood into a sleazy politician with a propensity for young things in their twenties made me sick. Any chance I had for liking Daisy and Wallis, and there were moments because I like the sister theme, was immediately undermined by the next political undercutting maneuver. I liked Wallis a tick more than Daisy, just a tick. She is the most accurate of the women and has a very Marianne feel. And Atlas? Well, to be fair, he’s just as spineless as Edward Ferrars, but at least Edward had a controlling family keeping him under their thumb, unlike Atlas who’s just lily-livered. And heaven forbid that Blake should turn against Wallis to run for his mother’s senate seat under a political banner different from Wallis’ own! Horrors!

I did get the inspired by Sense and Sensibility vibes, which was more than I was expecting, but at the same time, it didn’t impress me. The author would have done much better if she had just steered clear of a Jane Austen retelling and just written her political novel. If she had, I would have never read it and we would have both been happy.

As it stands, I read it. I will never read it again. I would rather re-read Sense and Sensibility for the umpteenth time than this half-baked reboot chock full of political posturing. The only other Austen retelling I hated this much is Unleashing Mr. Darcy, a novel I loathe to the core of my being.

Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC. I wasn’t required to give a positive review.

Ladies of the House

Author: Laura Edmondson

Year: 2021

My Rating:  ★

Goodreads | Amazon

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When 1984 meets Jane Austen! - Pudge and Prejudice by A. K. Pittman (2021)

Where has this book been all my life?! Apparently plunking around inside the head of Allison Pittman who, just like me, thinks that pairing Jane Austen with teens straight out of a John Hughes film is pure BRILLIANCE! 

Poor Elyse Nebbit, a year younger than her gorgeous and (naturally) sweet sister, Jayne, and at least twenty pounds heavier, probably closer to thirty. Dead certain that boys are still not in her future, despite being uprooted for her father's job to the town of Northenfield, Texas, 15-year-old Elyse knows she should just settle into the norm of never wanting more. 

That is until she encounters Billy Fitz, captain of the Northenfield High football team, perfectly delectable and cold as an iceberg, or so it appears. And while Elyse is dealing with the sudden, unexpected flutterings of her heart, so too is darling sister Jayne realizing the pangs of true love when she meets Billy's best friend, the sweet, somewhat dense, Charlie Bingley. Charlie is the kicker for the Northenfield High football team, and it takes no time at all for him to fall head over heels for Jayne, a grand show of emotion that she eagerly reciprocates.

Add middle sister Lydia (at a mere 13-years-old) and the Littles as Mary and Kitty re fondly dubbed since they are both under the age of ten, and the Nebbit household is complete. The drama unfolds, as it must, very similar to another story we know and love so well, although it is highly altered to allow for school dances, trips to the pizza parlor and the thrift store, and driving lessons that would give the Nebbit parents nightmares if they knew about them.

Okay, so if you're not hooked on the idea yet, there may be no hope for you. Pudge and Prejudice is HILARIOUS. And before anyone gasps in horror at the idea of mocking a girl who's overweight, know that I am actually somewhat overweight (although I dress far more fashionably than poor Elyse) and a lot of her emotions are ones I have gone through. I love that Ms. Pittman seems to get it where pudgy girls are concerned and she gives Elyse a chance to blossom into a profound understanding of wholeness in herself that does not include needing a boy or feeling called to lose weight to please her overbearing mother. Although, having a boy is nice too, as she discovers with Billy Fitz.

I'll let you in on a little secret. I was born in 1984. So anything having to do with the Eighties absolutely fascinates me! I love John Hughes movies, watched 21 Jumpstreet (the tv series) on repeat, and am still intrigued by the sheer volume of hair women could achieve just by teasing it. To say nothing of wearing safety pins as earrings and fandom pins as jacket and purse accessories. 

So I KNEW this book was for me before I even got my hands on a copy. It's chock full of Eighties trivia, references to Eighties music, and movies like Nightmare on Elm Street, which I have also watched and just about died laughing because of the camp. If you ever want to see Johnny Depp in a crop top and don't mind campy Eighties horror, then watch it. Pudge and Prejudice is a clever, almost modern, peculiarly funny retelling of Pride and Prejudice and I clasp my hands and beseech Allison Pittman to PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE pen the rest of Austen's novels in the Eighties! The world needs this!

We're also deeply blessed with Allison Pittman being a Christian author, so any hot and heavy content is pretty much left on the sidelines, along with foul language. Jayne and Charlie, while highly attracted to one another, would never sleep together because, as Jayne and Elyse both put it, it's dishonoring God and disappointing themselves and their parents. The Nebbit family, despite its quirky weirdness, do attend church regularly and the Littles are homeschooled. It's really just Lydia the family has to worry about, Lydia with her love of crop tops and boys, boys, boys. Yep, she's the same headstrong troublemaker she is in Austen's world. Some things never change.

Ms. Pittman also doesn't shy away from tougher topics, like the fear that maybe their 13-year-old sister is sleeping with a boy (which is still NOT COOL and shouldn't be in anybody's book). She also totally acknowledges that there are Christians out there who listen to secular music and watch maybe a couple of R-rated scary movies. Shocker. And she does it all without being judgy. Thank you! It's also genius that she threw Elyse and Billy into a confrontation when he just got out of the swimming pool and is still bare-chested. Sound familiar? Love the nod to Colin Firth.

One thing I didn't quite like was her rendering of Lottie, or Charlotte as we know her from Austen's world. She's not likeable, as in, at all. But I like Charlotte, so I do feel that Ms. Pittman did her a disservice, along with poor, idiot Collin. I wish more had been done there, like maybe making him an actual cousin rather than attached at the hip to Lottie from the start. The littlest sisters have almost no role, and neither do the parents. Call me strange, but I always liked Mr. Bennet and there just isn't much to work with here.

Also, the misunderstanding between Billy and Elyse doesn't quite work. I'm still confused as to why she was so upset with him. There may also be an issue of audience. I doubt many teens today will understand 3/4 of the Eighties references, but it may feel too juvenile for adult readers. Not me of course since I have just enough juvenile still in me to love practically everything in Pudge and Prejudice.

Fingers and toes are definitely crossed in the hopes that Ms. Pittman writes more of these glorious retellings! After all, she did include a certain boy named Frank Churchill as a passing character! This book is clever, inventive, and just plain fun and I adore Elyse's love of novels, her uncertainty about herself, and watching her emotional maturity as she develops into a lovely, clever, and witty young woman with a pair of very fine eyes that sweep Billy Fitz off his feet. I haven't laughed out loud this much while reading a book since I picked up Agatha Christie's The Pale Horse (you can find my review HERE)!

Many thanks to Netgalley and Tyndale House Publishers for a complimentary copy! I was not required to give a positive review, and all thoughts included are my own.

Pudge and Prejudice

Author: A. K. Pittman (Allison Pittman)

Year: 2021

My Rating:  ★★★★

Goodreads | Amazon

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A Regency Garden Party Celebration

In July 2018, my sister and I hosted a Regency Garden Party.

Both of us love hosting parties, I love Jane Austen, and our intimate circle of friends has always indulged us on this point. Now that we have our own place (my sister and I are roommates) it makes party hosting easier, but for the Regency Garden Party, my sweet parents loaned us their backyard. It made all the difference being able to play croquet and have afternoon tea on the lawn while making Regency bonnets in the house.

It was a sublime experience and I can't believe I never shared it on my blog. 

Our spread of goodies set up under the canopy.

Delicious fruit cocktails with heavy whipping cream and twills.

Divine macarons purchased from Costco just for the occasion. I'm not brave enough to try my hand at making macarons, although maybe someday. I've seen enough baking shows with Australian baker Adriano Zumbo to be unnerved at the prospect of making my own macarons.

Lemon tarts and homemade scones, although now I can't remember what type of scones. I'm thinking they were probably your basic plain scone or maybe lemon, one of those two.

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Period Drama Review: Emma (1996)

Were you expecting the much beloved version of Emma starring Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam? That's fine if you were. I didn't know until this year that a second version of Emma also came out in 1996, this time starring a remarkably young Kate Beckinsale as the leading lady.

I have a confession to make. 

Emma Woodhouse has always been my least favorite of Austen's heroines, with Fanny Price as a close second. No actress has been able to make Emma remotely likable to me, not even Gwyneth who is pretty much everyone's favorite rendering of this officious busybody. To my amazement, Kate Beckinsale impressed me, more than impressed me, blew me away with her performance as Emma.

I had pretty much lost hope that an actress existed who could convince me that Emma had a heart beating in her breast. She always seems such an arrogant person, holding low opinions of everyone while having very little status other than being a Woodhouse. If she were to travel to London she would be nobody, which is why she is content to stay put in her little hamlet where she is the queen.

But I digress.

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Northanger Abbey (1986, Jane Austen Film Adaptation)

I'm going to do something dangerous. I'm going to assume that anyone reading this post already knows Jane Austen's plot and may have even read Northanger Abbey. If you have no knowledge of the plot, this Jane Austen website has a tolerable summary although even they assume Catherine was already reading gothic novels before traveling to Bath and that is not mentioned anywhere in Jane Austen's book.

Now, on to the 1986 film adaptation of Northanger Abbey. What happened? I'm just pretty much agog with confusion and disappointment and a smallish modicum of malicious delight. Not that I had high hopes to start with, but I at least had some hope that it wouldn't be so HORRIFIC.

Peter Firth as Henry Tilney

My first issue is Henry Tilney. I've never liked Peter Firth, will never like Peter Firth, and every time I see him I see Pilate from the biblical movie Risen. He's a rather gross-looking man and his youth did not improve him. He plays Henry Tilney with arrogance, a twisted lip, and when he shows up at the end of the film to reunite with Catherine, I rolled my eyes and fought a gag reflex. Poor man. He didn't deliberately make me hate Henry Tilney, but his performance managed it. Henry Tilney doesn't take much seriously, certainly not himself, but I suspect that when he speaks, all of his witticisms are supposed to be just that, spoken in a light, teasing tone that Peter Firth simply could not manage.

Also, Henry Tilney is a minister, as in a pastor, as in a vicar. He is nothing of the kind here but keeps his own estate separate from his family. Why make this change? Part of Catherine's original reason for liking him is because her father is also a minister and she admits she is partial to the profession.

Crazy French Court Lady and General Tilney

Next. What is with the crazy lady in the French court makeup that makes her look like a gaunt corpse fresh from the grave? And what is she doing as a friend of General Tilney and staying at Northanger Abbey? Super, super creepy, and not at ALL in the book.

A boating scene with saxophone music in the background

Then we have the music. Oh dear, no. I love jazz. I do. But it has absolutely no place in random scenes in a Jane Austen movie. There should be violins or piano or cello or flute or something else, ANYTHING else, other than a SAXOPHONE! This isn't Ladyhawke, a movie I love and actually have come to love the odd 1980s music permeating that film. So the music was a big thumbs' down.

A mixed bathing scene in Bath

Since when did "taking the waters" in Bath include putting on little brown outfits and hopping in a swimming pool with other people in a MIXED BATHING situation? Not sure about the floating plates. People have been musing over those for years, but I suspect they're either herbs for the waters or they're lovely little snacks in case the bathers get hungry. It doesn't make sense either way.

Catherine Morland sleeping at Northanger Abbey

I get it. Northanger Abbey was filmed in 1986. But their Catherine Morland looks more like Christine Daae than Sarah Brightman in the musical The Phantom of the Opera. A favorite of mine, true, but that look does not translate well to a Catherine Morland, at least, not for me.

Unfortunately, actress Katharine Schlesinger, who plays Catherine portrays her almost as a flirtatious and seductive heroine. There are suggestive glances that I suspect are supposed to be naivete, but it doesn't translate well. This makes sense because there are some insane imaginary scenes she indulges in. Running in a bedsheet and being kidnapped by two men. Say WHAT?

Catherine's vivid kidnapping imaginings

See, the thing with Catherine Morland is that she never really started reading novels until she met Isabella Thorpe in Bath. Isabella was the instigator. But in this version, Catherine was already deeply steeped in novels and unhealthy romantic imaginings before she ever traveled to Bath, which is not how her character is designed in the book. Catherine does have an active imagination. But she never has visions and suggestive dreams that are something out of a vampire gothic horror story.

Catherine and Miss Tilney

To sum up, the 1986 Northanger Abbey is dreadful. If it had a different musical score and a totally different actor as Henry Tilney, it might have been palatable. I could have forgiven the rest of the weirdness if they had simply gone a different route with those two items. The costuming is very Georgian so it's passable. This was Jane's third novel, written in the late 1790s, and I liked seeing more of a Georgian aesthetic in the film since it made for a change from the usual straight-on Regency period.

I will say that if you want a really good laugh, watch it. My sister and I laughed through much of it and then laughed so hard we cried when we read through reviews on IMDB. There are some AWESOME and clever reviews for this adaptation that are totally worth reading. Laughter is good for the soul and those reviews will make you LAUGH. ❤

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10 Gifts for Every Jane Austen Fangirl

I love Etsy's wide variety of gifts for Janeites (a.k.a. Jane Austen fangirls).

In an effort to broaden everyone's horizons with what Etsy has to offer Janeites salivating for some new expression of their favorite fandoms, I've built this blog post. May you enjoy and revel in the possibilities!

Pride and Prejudice clip-art - lolagraphicimages

$6.50 - instant download
This set is what I consider to be ideal for the blogger/scrapbooker in your life. The artist has such a lovely, soft style in her work, and you can do so much with the images. The best thing is knowing that these really are watercolor paintings, a tactile element that I appreciate. The set contains a variety of images, including different couples, backgrounds, and accessories in keeping with the Regency era.
While lolagraphicimages only has one Jane Austen set so far, I'm hopeful that she may design other sets for the different novels. Come on Northanger Abbey!

Customizable Regency Doll - 18 inch Doll with Curl Cluster Atop her Head - upallnightstudio
$55 
This doll is GORGEOUS and highly customizable. The dress color is white linen, but you can choose the hair color, eye color, ribbon color, etc.
While I'm only sharing one of upallnightstudio's dolls, she has a TON of them listed. Some of them are customizable, others are ready-made. My favorite is the Christmas set, but that one is priced much higher at $145 due to the fine detailed work in the gown and accessories. 
There are even smaller customizable dolls sized about 6" that are priced at $30.
A really nice range of prices for a pretty much one-of-a-kind doll that will be perfect for any Janeite.

Jane Austen Collection Bookmarks - ShopLucyintheSky
$3 each - $16 for the set of 6

Love, love, love these bookmarks!

The bookmarks aren't laminated, which is a shame since lamination really helps protect bookmarks, but I think the design of the bookmarks themselves would win out in the end. The price is totally worth it, imho.

Storybook Story Kandy Set - KREATIVEarmKANDY

$30 per set (each comes with 3 bracelets) + FREE shipping

One of the things that drives me crazy about my day job is that I can't wear charm bracelets. Lots of typing so that would be lots of clinking and clanking which would be obnoxious to me and everyone around me too. 

BUT, if I were to buy Jane Austen bracelets, it would be one of these sets.

This artist has 3 designs, one each for Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma. Each set comes with 3 bracelets and is stunning and fashionable, depending on which book you like best. 

Jane Austen notebook - RandomActsofPoetry

$17 to $22.50

This looks like a super fun notebook. You can pick the size, small or large, the style, chalkboard or white, and even the page type, blank, lined, dot grid, or graph. Super neat, and the cover design is just gorgeous.

Jane Austen fans who also happen to be artists or like creating their own reading journal would love this notebook. The dot grid would be perfect for a bullet journal if that matches your interest. I did consider it when I started my 2020 bullet journal, but I like a slightly broader cover that can work with a variety of month themes. Still, it's highly attractive and would be a charming notebook.

Jane Austen Quote Mug - IvoryPaige

$15.50

If you're anything like me then you probably have an overabundance of coffee/tea mugs in your cupboard! But who cares?!

This mug is just so fun and so very true especially when I'm on a Jane Austen bender. The only thing that would make it better is if it were a campfire mug, but alas, not so. The mug itself is customizable: i.e. blank handle/interior, pink handle/interior, or all around white.

Believe me when I say that it's a unique take on a Jane Austen mug since I've browsed through more than I can remember over the last several years.

Pemberley Garden Club Embroidered Tee - NewVintageEmbroidery

$26

I keep looking for the ideal Jane Austen t-shirt since I'm a huge fan of nerdy t-shirts, but this is the first one I've seen that I've given serious consideration to buying. The sizing runs from teeny-tiny all the way up to a curvy girl of the XL or 2XL variety, which is a really nice range of sizing. 

The shirt color is customizable from 5 different color choices which I consider to be just about perfect. And, like the title implies, it is embroidered instead of screen-printed, which kind of makes the shirt itself unique. 

There's also a matching tote bag so I'm thinking of a bag in one color and a shirt another. Fashionable, right?!

6 Jane Austen Mini Book Themed Wine Charms - MariansGarden

$5.88 to $15.29

Now, here's a fun concept. I would have never thought Jane Austen wine charms, but this just proves that there is something for every Janeite. The purchaser can choose a set of two charms or a set of six charms depending on individual needs.

Pride and Prejudice Book Scarf - LiteratiClub

$23.99

I've always wanted a Jane Austen scarf, but I almost never wear scarves so I've never purchased one. But this one is lovely and if scarves are your thing, then I could see it being super fun. It also happens to be one of the less expensive Austen scarves on Etsy, so that's a plus.

Pride and Prejudice Literary Bookend - LiteratureLodge

$25 each

Bookends might seem a thing of the past, but some people still love them, and these are stunning. They are a little spendy if you want a pair of them, but the design is quite unique and it would definitely be a conversation starter.

And there you have it!

10 Great Gift Ideas for Jane Austen Fangirls

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What Worked and What Didn't in Emma 2020

Emma

directed by Autumn de Wilde

starring Anya Taylor-Joy, Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy, Rupert Graves, Miranda Hart

I attended this movie with my eyes wide open. There was no chance of shocking me because I knew what was coming, at least, in terms of disagreeable content. So we might as well start there.

What Didn't Work

Nudity.

This, in my opinion, is a big, fat no-no for any Jane Austen film.

But, since I realize it was thrown in simply for shock value, I'm not going to linger too long on it.

You will see a full length, from the back, view of Mr. Knightley in his birthday suit, blessedly brief. I find it difficult to maintain my respect for one of my favorite Austen heroes after I've seen him naked. Weird how that works.

And you will see a side view of Emma's legs (be thankful it's just a side view) when she hikes her dress up to warm her shockingly bare legs and behind. Where did her undergarments vanish to? Your guess is as good as mine.

Music.

The soundtrack threw me a bit. My sister, bless her, brought up that the operatic songs are musical cues for the transitions to characters of different social status. Yay! I wish my brain had been capable of grasping that concept when I saw the film.

All I know is that I'm not really keen on, what I consider glaring, musical transitions from a fairly nice soundtrack to blaring operatic versions of hymns? Yeah, I don't know. 

Frank Churchill.

Who? Oh, was he supposed to be important? You mean that random dude who really doesn't have much to do when he's on the screen and isn't really impacting Emma's decision making all that much? 

Sadly, Frank Churchill was a non-character.

He's not verbally cruel to Jane Fairfax, which would have been an improvement because at least then we would have some sort of reason to hate him. As it is, he's lukewarm. You don't like him, you don't dislike him, he's just blah.

I will say that his most memorable moments are when he and Mr. Knightley encounter each other during parties, each eyeing the other as if he's intruded on the other's personal space bubble. Now that's funny.

Yellow.

I could have said costuming, but actually, I liked quite a bit of the costuming, especially the spencers which have the most gorgeous pleating!

So instead, let's just stick with yellow. There is nothing worse for a blonde than wearing an entire outfit in YELLOW. I don't know if it's Ms. de Wilde's favorite color, but there was far too much of it to suit anyone's tastes. 

It's jarring and just doesn't work with the fashion.

Ringlets.

Oh dear.

What WERE the hairstylists thinking?!

If they were going to show us Emma with her hair up in the little rags to obtain the curls, then they absolutely CANNOT go with this teeny, tiny ringlets that will never, ever be a resulting end product of said rags.

Those curls are a physical impossibility and are, therefore, ridiculous.

Even worse, they don't suit Anna Taylor-Joy's face. She was the cutest when her hair was actually up in the rags. Explain that to me, if you can!

What Worked

And so we transition to what worked because I truly like a shocking amount of this film.

Mr. Woodhouse.

Bill Nighy is a genius.

I adore him and his portrayal of Mr. Woodhouse. He's far more agile than some of the other interpretations that I've seen, and it's entirely suitable to giggle when he and the footmen are chasing an elusive draft around the dining room.

He also plays a smallish role in getting Emma and Knightley together at the end of the film by deliberately having his footmen enclose Emma and Knightley in screens to protect them from that same elusive *cough* non-existent *cough* draft. 

Bill Nighy is now my favorite actor in the role of Emma's father and I can hardly wait to see him again.

Apologies.

This might seem a strange thematic element, but it also happens to be true.

I never liked how, in other versions and the book itself, Emma never actually apologized to anyone.

This version has Emma realizing the error of her ways and actually making amends. She approaches Mr. Martin's farm with a basket of goodies and a sincere apology for her interference between him and Harriet. She also apologizes to Miss Bates (played by the memorable Miranda Hart of Call the Midwife fame). 

This version of Emma is far more self-aware and capable of human sentiment and regret, and I admire that in her. She shed some sincere tears and then pressed on to make things right.

Emma and Knightley.

There are a few superficial things with each of them that I dislike.

Mr. Knightley has the most ghastly sideburns you've ever seen and his collar is so high that the sideburns are constantly ruffled by it. It just seems ungroomed and disheveled.

And Emma's curls and penchant for wearing yellow are absurd.

HOWEVER, when they are together, it's a winning match.

No, they're not Gwyneth Paltrow and Jeremy Northam.

They don't need to be because we've already had that pairing.

Instead, we're left with a slightly rawer romantic attachment. I feel like Johnny Flynn's Knightley is younger since they didn't ever declare the difference in their ages. He feels like the younger brother if that makes sense. He also suffers his emotions far more intensely than any other Knightley I've seen, which I ended up appreciating after giving his responses some thought.

There are moments during the one and only ball where you can tell his feelings for Emma are so strange and new and strong that he just doesn't know quite what to do with them. Little brushes of the hand awaken his love for her while they dance and it's enchanting to watch him come alive in that way. He responds in a shockingly physical way by chasing her carriage down to Highbury, a very un-Knightley like action, but it works for this version of Mr. Knightley.

Emma too finds herself in quite a state of shock after the ball, and if not for an interruption, when Mr. Knightley comes charging in, I believe they might have kissed then and there. But alas, they're interrupted, and we're given another scene with Knightley where we realize his romantic frustration. It's rather entertaining.

Overall Thoughts

This version of Emma is by no means a perfect adaptation.

There are elements that should have been added, like Harriet's collection of poems which the vicar adds to in his attempt to court Emma. And I may never recover from the oddity of having Mr. Knightley sing with Jane Fairfax.

But on the whole, the important additions made, like Emma's acknowledgment of her poor behavior and Mr. Knightley's obvious increase in affection for her, were both important and made the story more clear than it might have been otherwise.

I also appreciate and admire Harriet for looking Emma in the eye, in deep disappointment, and declaring that she had refused Mr. Martin because of Emma's insistence she could do better. I never imagined a version of Harriet Smith could be so self-aware.

While I wish they had done something different with his collar and sideburns, I like Johnny Flynn as Mr. Knightley. He is a rougher interpretation, but deeply genuine in his care of people. And I don't envy him following in Jeremy Northam's footsteps, even if it is 25-years since that film hit the big screen. Janeites have long memories.

I'm glad to admit that I enjoyed Anya Taylor-Joy's representation of my least favorite Austen heroine (of the ones I've read). I don't like Emma. I never have, but I have always appreciated her journey, and I think that Anya Taylor-Joy brought her to vivid, spunky, and arrogant life.

Emma is Autumn de Wilde's full-length directorial debut, and I must give her kudos for such a charismatic interpretation. I have no doubt that she will continue to grow and learn as a director and hopefully deliver more films that I'm interested in seeing. 

Will I purchase this version? Yes, undoubtedly. I enjoyed myself immensely, and it's a simple enough matter to close my eyes for 4 seconds to avoid seeing too much of Mr. Knightley or Emma.

If you get a chance to see it in the theaters, I hope you enjoy it. The scope is marvelous.

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Movie Review: Bride and Prejudice (2004)

Oh my gosh, there are times when I absolutely LOVE Bollywood! It's bright and cheerful and so many gorgeous colors all in one fantastic kaleidoscope!

I would like to make some grand statement that I'm watching every single adaptation ever made of Pride and Prejudice, but no, I just wanted to watch a Bollywood film and I hadn't seen Bride and Prejudice yet.

Let's start with what I loved!

Aishwarya Rai! She is one truly stunning woman, and not just stunning, but talented too. I've seen her in Jodha Akbar, a movie I will undoubtedly save for another post because I love it so much, so she really was the clincher in me wanting to watch this movie. And she did not disappoint!

The musical numbers! Yes, literally, I love musicals, and so that very first musical number at the wedding when the guys are dancing to the girls . . . it just won my heart. Plus, I kind of have a teeny crush on Naveen Andrews even though he played Jafar on Once Upon a Time in Wonderland. Or maybe because he played Jafar. So that dance he did at the beginning, wooing his version of Jane Bennett, was just adorable!

If only all Mr. Bingleys were like Balraj!

I mean, come on, now. He had so much personality in the small amount of screen time they gave him. I'm really starting to appreciate Naveen and wishing he had more roles in movies I would actually want to watch. But such is the hand of fate, and so I must be satisfied with the few things he's done that I care to watch. Ahhhh, how I must suffer!

Okay, okay, you knew it had to happen. I had to move on to what I wasn't 100% sold on.

Darcy. So, undoubtedly Martin Henderson would have worked as Darcy if not for one thing.

Does anyone have an idea what it is?

It involves a massive miscasting that occurred and one that I looked not for until a certain actor rose up out of the sea and approached Lalita (Elizabeth) because he was transfixed by her musical prowess. Who is it, you ask?

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Book Review: Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange

Captain Wentworth's Diary by Amanda Grange
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This book is exactly as it sounds; a diary from Captain Wentworth's perspective, the hero of Jane Austen's Persuasion. As most of my friends know, I don't go in for epistolary writing. Or Jane Austen-inspired fiction, for that matter. But . . . I couldn't resist! Wentworth is my second favorite of the Austen heroes, superseded only by Emma's Mr. Knightley.

Finding a diary from his perspective was pure heaven for two reasons.

1) I love the male perspective in literature. Heroines are usually the focus of most writers, but I've always loved novels from the perspective of the hero. I'm sure I have The Hardy Boys to blame for it, too. While all my friends were reading Nancy Drew, I was nose-deep in a book about my favorite brothers. So, yes, reading Persuasion from Wentworth's perspective appealed to me.

2) I always wanted to see how Wentworth and Anne met and wooed back in 1806! It never fully satisfied me to simply watch them become reacquainted. I needed to understand the background, their courtship, what first attracted him to her, and the circumstances surrounding their shattered engagement. This book erased any fondness I might have held for Lady Russell, but I enjoyed watching the drama unfold, listening in on the conversations between Lady Russell and Wentworth, particularly the final conversation before he leaves for 8 years. All that back-history satisfied a need in me to find out what happened.

I admit, the format of the book was not the most enjoyable. It's doubtful that men in the Regency era, or most men in general, take the time to write out their thoughts in a diary, particularly regarding entire conversations and scenes. If Ms. Grange had penned her story as an actual novel instead of in epistolary format, I would have loved it all the better. As it was, I still read Captain Wentworth's Diary in a single day, savoring every word, and loving him all the more for his emotional challenges. I finally feel as though I understand him, and he is as honorable a man as I already knew him to be.

For those complaining of the author using Ms. Austen's dialogue, there is no other way for Ms. Grange to have written the book. Imagine trying to rewrite conversations between Anne and Wentworth! It simply wouldn't have worked. As it is, the use of Austen's original dialogue lends an air of credence to the book itself, and helped me believe wholeheartedly in the author's conclusions about Captain Wentworth's character and emotions. As soon as I am able, I will hunt down Mr. Knightley's Diary followed by Colonel Brandon's Diary for I am sure they will be equally as excellent.

For the rest of my reviews, see my page HERE. 

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Book Review: Dear Mr Knightley by Katherine Reay

Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I am not one to read all of those "extra" Austen novels that are suddenly flooding the market. I'm quite content with the stories Austen herself wrote, thinking of my own writing and how much I would hate to have someone use one of my beloved characters almost 200 years after my death. However, my opinion is in the minority because these "extra" books are insanely popular. There's no point in my beating a dead horse with my protestations, so I figured I had to start somewhere. That somewhere turned out to be Katherine Reay's debut novel, Dear Mr. Knightley.

Novels written in letter format aren't my cup of tea. Where my sister read all of those Dear America books in her childhood, I simply couldn't bring myself to finish even one. It just felt so unnatural, reading someone else's journal or letters. Fortunately for Ms. Reay, her writing voice is strong enough that I adored her lead character, Samantha Moore, after only about 30 pages. One might even say that I "liked it against my will, against my reason." She's young, introverted, led a rough life as a foster kid, and now she's taking graduate courses through the charitable donations of a mysterious local foundation. Her one requirement to have her tuition is paid is that she write regular letters to the foundation's owner, a man who goes by the name of Mr. Knightley. Because Sam chose to retain her sanity by delving into classic literature, she feels she can trust someone who deliberately picks the name of a great literary character, and a good man.

The novel is comprised entirely of letters. That could have gotten old really quick, but it didn't because I empathize with Sam's character. She's timid and hides in her books, and she's a writer like me, albeit she's going to journalism grad school whereas I studied creative writing. I connect to her, and so it made her letters very intimate and relevant to the thoughts and doubts that often plague me. The book is beautifully written, and the characters are thought-provoking and entertaining. It exceeded every expectation I had for it on multiple levels.

Which leads me to the one downside. About 3/4 of the way through the book, a massively important event takes place in Sam's life. It's exciting and thrilling. However, the following letters are composed almost the same way as the previous letters. There's no real reference to the event, no changing of affectionate terms, and knowing Sam as I came to know her, she would have written those later letters differently. The author lost her voice a little bit there. Also, I wasn't all that keen on the identity of Mr. Knightley. I suspected the road would lead there, but I also wished it hadn't because than the story became a little cliche at the end. Mr. Knightley should have been someone else. I even had a suspicion about his identity during a race Sam ran.

The story would have been much more fulfilling for me as a reader without the sappy, slightly contrived ending. I love the romance, and wouldn't want Sam with anyone else, but various elements of that ending simply didn't work for me. Up to that point, the story almost felt like real life, and then it felt like a fairy tale. Which is why I'm giving 4 stars instead of the 5 that I was so willing to bestow up until the final 50 pages of the book. Regardless, Ms. Reay has a great start to her writing career, and I eagerly anticipate her next novel.

For the rest of my reviews, see my page HERE.

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